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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.

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Rays @ Rangers: Time for some Meat Loaf

Posted Sep 1, 2011 by Roger Mooney

Updated Sep 1, 2011 at 05:47 PM

ROGER MOONEY
ARLINGTON, Tx The Rays will try to “meatloaf” the Rangers tonight, which is Joe Maddon-speak for take two out of the three games of this series.

Get it?

“Two out of three ain’t bad.”

Meat Loaf’s 1977 hit is how the Rays are approaching the rest of the season: Just win the series, baby.

Today marks the 100th straight day the Rays have been in third place. They began tonight’s games behind the first-place Red Sox and 7 ½ behind the Wild Card-leading Yankees.

They are also just four wins shy of the 1,000th win in franchise history. Manager Joe Maddon needs three more for the 500th win of his managerial career.

Remember, tonight’s game has been moved to 970 AM on your radio dial because of the Bucs preseason game at Washington.

Jeff Niemann (9-5, 3.46) faces lefty C.J. Wilson (13-6, 3.29).

Niemann, 8-1 with a 2.57 ERA since returning from the disabled list, is 6-0 in eight road starts this season.

The Rays will expand their roster by two today when outfielders Brandon Guyer and Justin Ruggiano rejoin the team.

Guyer is in the lineup tonight, playing right field. Expect to see a lot of Guyer this month as the Rays try to figure out if he has the goods to be a starting member of the 2012 outfield.

Andy Sonnanstine will join the team tomorrow when they return to St. Pete and resume his role as the long man in the bullpen, something the Rays haven’t had since they optioned him to Durham on July 9.

Here is the Rays lineup:

Jennings LF
Rodriguez SS
Longoria 3B
Zobrist 2B
Upton CF
Guyer RF
Kotchman 1B
Ruggiano DH
Shoppach C
—
Niemann P