Rays vs. BoSox: C.C. a late scratch

Posted Aug 27, 2010 by Roger Mooney

Updated Aug 27, 2010 at 05:56 PM

ROGER MOONEY
ST. PETERSBURG— The Rays just scratched Carl Crawford from lineup because of a stomach virus.

Here’s the Rays new lineup:
Upton CF
Bartlett SS
Pena 1B
Longo 3B
Aybar DH
Zoby RF
S-Rod 2B
Shoppach C
Joyce LF
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Price P

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Grant Balfour was in the clubhouse and said he could pitch tonight, but will have to wait until he makes two rehab starts with Class A Charlotte before rejoining the Rays.

Balfour said he expects to pitch Saturday and Monday and be back Sept. 1, but was waiting on his official schedule.

A pair of pretty good lefties tonight as the Rays and Red Sox open a big three-game series at the Trop.

The Rays are tied with the Yankees for first place in the AL East and for the best record in baseball—78-49.

By virtue of the tie for first, the Red Sox trail both teams in the Wild Card standings by 5.5 games.

Red Sox need to make up some ground. Rays need to keep pace with the Yankees, who are in Chicago, and put some distance between them and the Red Sox.

Here are the lineups:

RED SOX
Marco Scutaro SS
Darnell McDonald CF
Victor Martinez C
Adrian Beltre 3B
David Ortiz DH
Mike Lowell 1B
J.D. Drew RF
Jed Lowrie 2B
Bill Hall LF
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Jon Lester 13-8, 3.26

RAYS
Upton CF
Bartlett SS
Crawford LF
Longoria 3B
Pena 1B
Zobrist RF
Aybar DH
Rodriguez 2B
Shoppach C
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Price 15-5, 2.97