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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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Shields to start Opening Day

Posted Feb 26, 2010 by Roger Mooney

Updated Feb 26, 2010 at 04:53 PM

It’s not official, but it appears James Shields will start the season opener April 6 against the Orioles.

“That would be great,” Shields said Friday, “but it’s up to those guys. Like I’ve said, we have such a tight knit with the starting five, with all of use, I don’t think it really matters. We’re out here to compete and we have a good relationship with each other and we’re going to help each other out a lot.”

It won’t be official until manager Joe Maddon sits down and informs the Opening Day starter that he is the Opening Day starter.

Shields will pitch the Grapefruit League opener March 3 in Sarasota against the Orioles. Matt Garza will also pitch that day, but Maddon hasn’t decided who will start.

The rotation for the next four games looks like this: Jeff Niemann against the Orioles in the Rays spring home opener, David Price against the Yankees in Tampa, Andy Sonnanstine and Wade Davis against the Red Sox in Port Charlotte and back to Shields against the Phillies in Clearwater on March 7.

So, as Maddon said Friday, do the math.

Shields will become the first pitcher in team history to make three Opening Day starts. Wilson Alvarez and Scott Kazmir are tied with two each.

Shields is 1-1 as an opening Day starter, having won at Baltimore in 2008 and lost at Boston last April.

This will the first time in five seasons that the Rays have opened the season at the Trop.

They opened in Baltimore in ‘06 and ‘08, Yankee Stadium in ‘07 and Fenway Park in ‘09. The last time the Rays opened at home was in 2005 when Dewon Brazelton took the L in a 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays and Roy Halladay.

“I’m excited,” Shields said of opening at the Trop. “I remember last year pitching first game in Boston. It wasn’t too warm over there. I’m excited to get in front of the home crowd and get a true Opening Day at home.”