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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-Red Sox, Round II: Can Rays afford a beanball war?

Posted May 26, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated May 26, 2012 at 03:45 PM

ROGER MOONEY
BOSTON Getting ready for Rays-Red Sox Round II here at Fenway Park.

After last night’s ninth inning dustup when Red Sox reliever Franklin Morales threw behind then hit Luke Scott, it will be interesting to see how the teams respond tonight in front of a Fox TV national audience.

Rays manager Joe Maddon didn’t hide his disgust for Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine after the Rays 7-4 victory.

“Quite frankly I think it was ridiculous, and I think it’s absurd, idiotic, and all those different words,” Maddon said.

“I’m kind of curious as to who put out the hit, because I know it wasn’t one of their players by the way their players reacted to the entire situation. It’s kind of incompetent behavior. It’s the kind of behavior that gets people hurt,” Maddon said.

“We don’t initiate anything, I promise you that. It’s not what we’re about. I like to believe we handle ourselves in a classier manner than that. … But we will respond to others who do attempt to do it to us. I promise you that, too,” Maddon said.

Those are fighting words, or at least pitcher throwing at batter words, and with Red Sox fire-baller Josh Beckett on the mound, anything is possible.

But will Rays starter David Price throw at a Red Sox?

And can the Rays risk the suspension that could come from a bean ball war? Maddon points to the ones handed out after the Rays and Red Sox went at it in June 2008 when he talks about all the injuries and adversity his team had to fight through that year.

With 10 players currently on the disabled list, can the Rays risk losing another player or players?

We’ll find out.

Game time is 7:15 p.m. on Fox.