Back to the Rays Report

Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

 @RMooneyTrib
 TBO_Rays
Send us your questions

More Links:

• Schedule/Results
• Player Stats
• Team Stats

Most Recent Entries

• Rays-Red Sox, Round II: Can Rays afford a beanball war?
• Robinson product Gibson advances to NCAA track finals
• Panini previews Gold Standard autographs
• UD unveils Military Machines inserts for 2012 Goodwin Champions set
• Rays @ BoSox: Guyer out for the season, Jennings close to returning and lineups
• USF softball: It’s game day
• Weekly Tampa Bay fishing report
• Rays at BoSox: Rivalry renewed
• Karen Cooley returns as Zephyrhills girls swimming coach
• USF beats Pitt, stays alive
• The Nerds head north
• Jeffrey Shank out as Gulf boys basketball coach
• Berkeley Prep captures Academic Team Champion Award - again
• This week’s signings and offers
• Berkeley Prep wins FHSAA Academic Award standings

More

• Bucs Report -Tribune staff
• Rays Report - Roger Mooney
• Bolts Report - Erik Erlendsson
• Bulls Report
• Prep Report - Hillsborough
• Prep Report - Pasco
• Prep Report - Region
• Prep Report - Recruiting Updates
• Prep Report - Football
• Go Fishing: On The Waterfront
• The Sports Bookie - Bob D'Angelo
• Gators Report - Tribune staff
• Youth Sports Report
• NFL Draft Report
• Go Ask: Frank's Tacklebox
• Bucified Bert Blog
• BUK Power - Bucs Fan Blog
• Pigskin Preacher - NFL Fan Blog
• Breakfast Bonus - Tom McEwen
• Highlands Sports

Monthly Archives

• May 2012
• April 2012
• March 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011

Rays @ O’s: Of Price, Upton and INTs

Posted Sep 13, 2011 by Roger Mooney

Updated Sep 13, 2011 at 03:43 PM

The Bromo Seltzer Tower, once the tallest building in Baltimore, is just a long fly ball from Camden Yards. The Red Sox can use a little Bromo Seltzer right now.

ROGER MOONEY
BALTIMORE The pressure of the playoff race is getting to Johnny Damon. He was picked off by Andy Sonnanstine during the Rays daily game of two-hand touch, played today in left field at Camden Yards.

The race for the Wild Card resumes tonight when the Rays met the Orioles here and the Red Sox play host to the Blue Jays.

Tim Wakefield goes for career win No. 200 at Fenway Park. But of bigger importance to the Red Sox is a win to stop their five-game losing streak and hold of the hard-charging Rays, who have clipped six games off the BoSox lead since Sept. 2 in the Wild Card.

The Rays, winners of five straight and eight of their last nine, trail the Red Sox by three games with 16 to play.

David Price (12-12, 3.40), who has never lost in four career starts in Baltimore, takes the hill against Alfredo Simón (4-8, 4.83).

Price has lost twice to the Birds this season, 4-1 on Opening Day and 3-2 on Sept. 2.

Maybe Joe Maddon can find use for Sonnanstine as a pinch-runner. He just got behind Damon and burned him for a long touchdown reception.

The Rays offense, silent for much of the season, has produced at least 10 hits in each of their last three games, matching their longest such streak of the season.

The offense is led by Upton, who is batting .467 in his last eight games, the last seven of which he spent hitting second in the lineup. Upton has two home runs, six doubles, 10 RBIs and a .568 on-base percentage during this stretch.

Lineups to come …