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Nationals 7, Dodgers 2

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Times wires
Monday, September 5, 2011

Nationals 7, Dodgers 2

WASHINGTON — Michael Morse hit two of Washington's four homers and John Lannan pitched into the sixth inning for the Nationals. Morse, Ian Desmond and Jayson Werth all went deep in the first inning as Washington took a 4-1 lead. The Nationals had lost 10 of 12, while Los Angeles went in winners of 11 of 13.


Blue Jays 1, Red Sox 0, 11 innings

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Times wires
Monday, September 5, 2011

Blue Jays 1, Red Sox 0

11 innings

TORONTO — Josh Beckett will return to Boston today to see a doctor about the sore right ankle that forced him out in the fourth inning. He felt pain on consecutive pitches to Blue Jays rookie Brett Lawrie, whose 11th-inning homer provided the run. "It's always concerning," Beckett said. "That's my power leg."

White Sox 2, Twins 1, Game 1

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Times wires
Monday, September 5, 2011

White Sox 2, Twins 1

Game 1

MINNEAPOLIS — Philip Humber pitched seven scoreless innings for Chicago to open a day-night doubleheader. The White Sox ended a four-game skid. The Twins have lost three straight and seven of 10. Humber was making his first start since Aug. 18, when he was struck above the right eye by a line drive. In his previous six, the right-hander was 0-4 with a 7.16 ERA. Minnesota got a man to second base three times against Humber.

Cubs 4, Reds 3

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Times wires
Monday, September 5, 2011

Cubs 4, Reds 3

CHICAGO — Former Ray Matt Garza pitched eight strong innings and Aramis Ramirez had a tiebreaking two-run single for Chicago. With a game-time temperature of 62 degrees and a 21 mph wind howling in from centerfield, it was a day made for the pitchers. Garza, a victim of poor run support all season, earned his second win at home since June 27. He has four wins in 14 starts at Wrigley Field despite a 2.76 ERA there.

Diamondbacks 10, Rockies 7

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Times wires
Monday, September 5, 2011

D'backs 10, Rockies 7

DENVER — Geoff Blum homered and Wade Miley pitched seven strong innings for Arizona, which won its third straight game and 12th in its past 13 to maintain a seven-game lead over the Giants in the NL West. Justin Upton also homered and Paul Goldschmidt had three RBIs for the Diamondbacks.

Game preview: FC Tampa Bay at Minnesota Stars

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By Eduardo A. Encina, Times Staff Writer
Monday, September 5, 2011

Tonight

FC Tampa Bay at Minnesota

When/where: 8:30; NSC Stadium, Blaine, Minn.

Records: FCTB 9-8-7 (34 points); Minnesota 7-9-8 (29 points)

Watch online: fctampabay.com

Series: Tampa Bay leads 1-0-1. Pascal Millien and Frankie Sanfilippo scored in a 2-0 win Aug. 13 at Al Lang Field. The teams tied 0-0 on May 28 in Minnesota.

Last time out: Tampa Bay lost 2-0 on Saturday at Carolina, its first shutout since a 4-0 loss May 31 at Edmonton. … Minnesota lost its third straight match Saturday, 3-1 at Edmonton. The Stars are winless in their past six.

Skinny: Tampa Bay, third in the NASL, can clinch a playoff spot with a win. Minnesota is clinging to the sixth and final playoff spot, four points ahead of Montreal. … D Andres Arango will miss out after receiving a red card Saturday. … Tampa Bay's leading scorer, Mike Ambersley (11 goals, 27 points), returns after sitting out the last game because he had accumulated five yellow cards.

Eduardo A. Encina, Times staff writer

Yankees 11, Orioles 10

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Times wires
Monday, September 5, 2011

NEW YORK — Jesus Montero reached across the plate and sent a 93 mph pitch about a dozen rows deep into the rightfield seats for his first major-league homer, a tiebreaking shot in the fifth. A crowd of 45,069 at Yankee Stadium coaxed him out for a curtain call.

Two innings later, he leaned for a 94 mph pitch on the outside corner and drove it 10 rows into those same seats. Curtain call No. 2.

"I was dreaming of that before," Montero said Monday after boosting the Yankees over the Orioles 11-10. "I was always telling myself before, 'One day, I'm going to be that guy.' "

Since his debut at Boston on Thursday, the 21-year-old is 5-for-13 with five runs and the three RBIs. He could be playing himself into a part-time DH role in the playoffs.

"You don't get too giddy on one game, and you don't get too down on another game," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "You're going to watch him over a period of time."

Captain's Corner: Bonito time

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By Pat Damico, Times Correspondent
Monday, September 5, 2011

What's hot: This time every year, I wait for bonito to appear. These tunalike rockets weigh as much as 10 pounds. Seek large passes and especially the shipping channel, where large schools of bait are plentiful. Use good binoculars.

Tips: Amberjack, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel often mix with bonito. Fly tackle is my favorite; prepare ahead to spend more time fishing instead of rigging. An 8- to 9-weight, 9-foot fly rod with a good reel and 150 yards of backing will handle most situations. Larger fish are usually deeper, so instead of floating flyline, use one that sinks. An intermediate clear sinking tip or some newer saltwater full sinking lines will get your fly to bigger fish and are easier to cast. Use small 1 to 4 baitfish patterns like clouser minnow, deceiver and EP fibers. Synthetic materials should be used; they hold up better.

Fly fisherman Pat Damico charters lower Tampa Bay and can be reached at captpat.com or (727) 504-8649.


Young triathletes make most of summer competition

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Bryan Burns, Times Staff Writer
Monday, September 5, 2011

Young triathletes from the area continue to pile up race victories and age-group wins during competitions this summer.

Three Pinellas County triathletes topped their age division during Sunday's Youth Triathlon Series race in Tallahassee.

Seminole 9-year-old Erika Meya was the first female across the finish line for her age. She clocked in at 25 minutes and one second to win by 44 seconds.

Coleman Inglima of Clearwater finished in 23:42 to claim first place in the male 9-year-old division.

St. Petersburg's Jared Kanstoroom needed just 23:46 to take first place in the male 10-year-old age group.

Other notable performances came from Shannon Keelin of Clearwater, who came in fourth in the female 11-year-old division in 33:59, and Aaron Williams of Safety Harbor, who was third in the male 12-year old division after crossing the finish line in 30:33.

RUN 4 LIFE: St. Petersburg 15-year-old Elliot Traxler finished second overall at Saturday's River of Life's Run 4 Life 5K.

Traxler ran the course in 20 minutes, 16 seconds to earn silver. He was 43 seconds behind race champion Ian Ludden of Brandon, but 47 seconds ahead of third-place Brian Gallagher of Riverview (21:03).

Traxler was an age-group champion as well, topping the men's 15- to 19-year-old division.

The Run 4 Life 5K was held at Riverview High School in Riverview and had 207 finishers.

VENICE YMCA TRIATHLON: Arthur Halttunen of St. Petersburg was an age group winner at the Venice YMCA Triathlon on Saturday.

Halttunen completed the quarter-mile swim, 12.5-mile bike and 3.1-mile run course in one hour, 12 minutes and 12 seconds. Halttunen started strong, coming out of the water in six minutes and 55 seconds to establish a lengthy advantage through the first transition. He finished the bike in 36:46 and the run in 26:18 to complete a solid race from start to end.

Also of note, Brian Zaun of St. Petersburg placed third in the men's 35-39 group with a time of 1:08:14. Zaun was a little more than four minutes behind Venice's Joel Zalud, who topped the 35-39 division in 1:03:52.

St. Petersburg resident Tom Burgulis was third in the 65-69 group in 1:32:43.

FASTER WITH FITNITCHE 5K: Hunter McCann continues to add race victories to his ever-expanding resume.

Saturday, the Treasure Island 14-year-old traveled to Lakeland to compete in and win the Faster with Fitnitche 5K.

McCann's time was 17 minutes, 24 seconds. He led wire-to-wire and was nearly a full minute ahead of second place Tom Wodrich of Lakeland (18:36).

ST. PETE ROAD RUNNERS: Bill Mathews, the all-time winningest baseball coach in Eckerd College history, will be the featured speaker at the St. Pete Road Runners' monthly meeting on Thursday.

Mathews has been honored by the Sunshine State Conference as its coach of the year (1999), and he also served six years as a member of the NCAA Baseball Committee.

He picked up career win No. 437 in 2011 to become the Tritons' leader for all-time wins. Mathews enters his 22nd season as Eckerd's coach in 2012.

Currently, Mathews is the head coach of the Tampa Bay Rays summer baseball camp, which is attended annually by more than 1,500 bay area youths, and he is the Rays' official scorer. He holds international coaching experience as the former head coach of the Polish National Team and bench coach for the Swedish National Team.

The St. Pete Road Runners meet at the Hospice Administration Building on First Avenue S and 31st Street in St. Petersburg. Meetings are open to the general public.

Young triathletes make their mark

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Monday, September 5, 2011

Young triathletes from the area continue to pile up race victories and age-group wins during competitions this summer.

Three Pinellas County triathletes topped their age division during Sunday's Youth Triathlon Series race in Tallahassee.

Seminole 9-year-old Erika Meya was the first female across the finish line for her age. She clocked in at 25 minutes and one second to win by 44 seconds.

Coleman Inglima of Clearwater finished in 23:42 to claim first place in the male 9-year-old division.

St. Petersburg's Jared Kanstoroom needed just 23:46 to take first place in the male 10-year-old age group.

Other notable performances came from Shannon Keelin of Clearwater, who came in fourth in the female 11-year-old division in 33:59, and Aaron Williams of Safety Harbor, who was third in the male 12-year old division after crossing the finish line in 30:33.

RUN 4 LIFE: St. Petersburg 15-year-old Elliot Traxler finished second overall at Saturday's River of Life's Run 4 Life 5K.

Traxler ran the course in 20 minutes, 16 seconds to earn silver. He was 43 seconds behind race champion Ian Ludden of Brandon, but 47 seconds ahead of third-place Brian Gallagher of Riverview (21:03).

Traxler was an age-group champion as well, topping the men's 15- to 19-year-old division.

The Run 4 Life 5K was held at Riverview High School in Riverview and had 207 finishers.

VENICE YMCA TRIATHLON: Arthur Halttunen of St. Petersburg was an age group winner at the Venice YMCA Triathlon on Saturday.

Halttunen completed the quarter-mile swim, 12.5-mile bike and 3.1-mile run course in one hour, 12 minutes and 12 seconds. Halttunen started strong, coming out of the water in six minutes and 55 seconds to establish a lengthy advantage through the first transition. He finished the bike in 36:46 and the run in 26:18 to complete a solid race from start to end.

Also of note, Brian Zaun of St. Petersburg placed third in the men's 35-39 group with a time of 1:08:14. Zaun was a little more than four minutes behind Venice's Joel Zalud, who topped the 35-39 division in 1:03:52.

St. Petersburg resident Tom Burgulis was third in the 65-69 group in 1:32:43.

FASTER WITH FITNITCHE 5K: Hunter McCann continues to add race victories to his ever-expanding resume.

Saturday, the Treasure Island 14-year-old traveled to Lakeland to compete in and win the Faster with Fitnitche 5K.

McCann's time was 17 minutes, 24 seconds. He led wire-to-wire and was nearly a full minute ahead of second place Tom Wodrich of Lakeland (18:36).

ST. PETE ROAD RUNNERS: Bill Mathews, the all-time winningest baseball coach in Eckerd College history, will be the featured speaker at the St. Pete Road Runners' monthly meeting on Thursday.

Mathews has been honored by the Sunshine State Conference as its coach of the year (1999), and he also served six years as a member of the NCAA Baseball Committee.

He picked up career win No. 437 in 2011 to become the Tritons' leader for all-time wins. Mathews enters his 22nd season as Eckerd's coach in 2012.

Currently, Mathews is the head coach of the Tampa Bay Rays summer baseball camp, which is attended annually by more than 1,500 bay area youths, and he is the Rays' official scorer. He holds international coaching experience as the former head coach of the Polish National Team and bench coach for the Swedish National Team.

The St. Pete Road Runners meet at the Hospice Administration Building on First Avenue S and 31st Street in St. Petersburg. Meetings are open to the general public.

Services set for Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Lee Roy Selmon

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By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Monday, September 5, 2011

TAMPA — Lee Roy Selmon was always there for Tampa Bay, and now the community can be there for him.

Services for Selmon, the Bucs Hall of Fame defensive end and former USF athletic director, will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Idlewild Baptist Church, 18371 N Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz, the Rev. Jeffery Singletary confirmed Monday.

Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Exciting Central Tampa Baptist Church, 2923 N Tampa St., Singletary said. The Selmon family will be there from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Final services and burial will be in Oklahoma City. Selmon, 56, died Sunday from complications of a stroke.

The Bucs will wear a form of recognition of Selmon on their uniform this season. The Bucs and USF will observe Selmon's passing with a moment of silence before their games at Raymond James Stadium this weekend. The Bulls play Ball State at 7 p.m. Saturday, and the Bucs face the Lions at 1 p.m. Sunday.

In addition, the Bucs, USF and the Tampa Sports Authority have designated a space at Raymond James Stadium for a temporary memorial for Selmon.

People wishing to leave tributes to Selmon can place flowers, cards or remembrances on the tree-shaded mound in the middle of the mass transit drop-off turnaround on Dale Mabry Highway. Signs for the location near the pedestrian footbridge will be displayed after 5 p.m. today. Items can be left starting at that time through Sunday.

The Selmon family has suggested that in lieu of flowers, those wishing to further honor Lee Roy's memory consider making donations to Abe Brown Ministries, (813) 248-3224, or the University of South Florida Foundation Partnership for Athletics, (813) 974-2125.

Florida Gators' work ethic impresses coach Will Muschamp

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By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, September 5, 2011

GAINESVILLE — There are no players on the roster who draw media attention with every spoken word. The team is not ranked in the national Top 5. And its head football coach is down to earth and unpretentious, preferring his Chevy pickup in his reserved parking spot rather than his luxury company car.

The 2011 Gators are a blue-collar bunch, plain and simple. And coach Will Muschamp likes that label, personifying a hard-working, gritty team.

"They know how to work, compete, and go on the practice field every day and have a businesslike approach," Muschamp said about his team Monday. "I feel like they have bought in since Day One — some better than others — and the ones that haven't aren't here anymore. I feel very comfortable about where we are as far as the work ethic and the approach.

"We've got some young guys that have got to display that over a period of time. We're talking about one game at this time, and we have a long season ahead of us. That's the big challenge; you've got to do it consistently."

Muschamp credited former coach Urban Meyer and his staff for this team's work ethic.

INJURY UPDATE: WR/RB Trey Burton suffered a bruised side but is expected to play Saturday against UAB. WR Omarius Hines (hamstring) will return this week. CB Jeremy Brown (knee) and WR Robert Clark (hamstring) are questionable.

JAYE HOWARD HONORED: Florida senior DT Jaye Howard was named SEC co-defensive lineman of the week, his first weekly conference honor. Howard helped hold FAU to 137 total yards — 30 yards rushing on 30 attempts. He had four tackles and a sack.

PRAISE FOR JOYER: Muschamp said the staff liked what it saw Saturday from former Wesley Chapel standout RB Hunter Joyer, a freshman. "He has progressed well," Muschamp said. "For a first game, he was very productive with protections and blocking."

CHANGE FOR THE BETTER: Jeff Demps' decision to change his jersey number from No. 2 to No. 28 after three years with the Gators was a hot topic of conversation during the preseason, but after Saturday's performance, no one is wondering if Demps jinxed himself with the change.

"I just wanted to change it up, feel more like a running back," Demps said Saturday night. "With the new number change and the new pro-style offense, I definitely felt like a running back. Coach (Charlie) Weis wanted to come out fast and set the tone to show our fans that this is what we want to do the rest of the season."

With 105 rushing yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns against FAU, Demps has 2,006 rushing yards in 39 games and joins Ole Miss' Brandon Bolden (2,160) as the league's only active career 2,000-yard rushers.

FLOYD UPDATE: DT Sharrif Floyd remains ineligible, waiting to be reinstated by the NCAA. Florida declared him ineligible last week. "He's fine," Muschamp said. "I have no comment." Ron Cohen, Floyd's coach at George Washington High in Philadelphia, said UF officials questioned him about what went on during Floyd's senior year. Cohen suspects that Floyd's name came up in the ongoing NCAA investigation at North Carolina. "From what I understand, it had nothing to do with the University of Florida," Cohen said.

Information from the Orlando Sentinel was used in this report. Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers say they don't need to scour waiver wire this year

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By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Monday, September 5, 2011

TAMPA — When it comes to pilfering players from a variety of sources, the Bucs have arguably set the NFL standard the past two seasons. Displaying the acumen of their personnel department, they've worked the waiver wire, poached from practice squads and scooped up street free agents.

About this time last year — just after the league deadline for final roster cuts — the Bucs acquired their leading rusher (LeGarrette Blount), starting left guard (Ted Larsen) and arguably the third-best receiver on this year's roster (Dezmon Briscoe).

Now things are different. And that's the way the Bucs prefer it.

Tampa Bay's front office likely won't be as busy ahead of Sunday's opener against Detroit because there isn't nearly as much room for outside talent. When the Bucs set their 53-man roster Saturday, they didn't expect the rapid-fire turnover seen in the past two years because they believe there's more talent worth keeping.

"We obviously won't be as active," coach Raheem Morris predicted last week, before the team whittled down its roster.

"(General manager) Mark Dominik is up there looking at people right now. He's evaluating everybody's roster. That's the beauty of what they do. (But) we don't have as much room to do that as we did last year. That's a sign that we're getting better as a team. You may see some transition. You may see some claims. But for the most part, we don't have as much room."

The Bucs have been so active acquiring players through different methods the past two years that the organization has, among some, gained a reputation for being a bit too aggressive. They outbid other teams to get Briscoe on their practice squad. And Tampa Bay has made the relatively unusual move of raiding other clubs' practice squads with abandon, likely making some enemies.

In 2009, the first season under Morris and Dominik, the Bucs consistently churned their roster, either by calling up players from the practice squad or signing young journeymen.

But there was a reason that team started 0-7 and finished 3-13. An overall lack of talent made the team appear desperate sometimes to get new players.

The upside to 2009 is this: Some of those moves yielded hidden gems. Defensive end Michael Bennett was claimed off waivers in October. To begin this season, Bennett is slated to start at defensive end.

Tim Crowder, another defensive end, was signed by the Bucs in September 2009 after his release from the Broncos. Crowder has made 13 starts the past two seasons, including four in his first season with Tampa Bay. Last month, the Bucs re-signed him to a two-year contract.

Safety Corey Lynch also found his way from a practice squad to the Bucs' active roster in 2009 and has been a key backup, starting five games last season.

The 2010 additions, like Blount and Larsen, had even more meaningful impacts. Blount surpassed 1,000 rushing yards despite playing sparingly in the first five games. Larsen became a fixture at left guard. Both were claimed off waivers after final cuts.

But it's much less likely players off the street now could have a transformative influence, the way Blount did with his violent running style. The fact that precious few jobs were open for competition during training camp is an indication of that.

"I like my guys," Morris said.

This year, there have been only two post-cut moves, including Monday's signing of tight end Zack Pianalto (see box at right). Zac Diles, signed Sunday after being waived by the Rams, could wind up as rookie Mason Foster's backup at middle linebacker.

The evolution will be complete once competitors start acquiring players let go by the Bucs.

And they will, Morris said, "if they're smart."

Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@sptimes.com.

Bucs make final moves

The Bucs appear to have put the finishing touches on their roster Monday by claiming TE Zack Pianalto off waivers, a day after he was cut by the Bills.

Tampa Bay had sought a third tight end since releasing three of the five on the training camp roster Saturday. Pianalto, a rookie free agent from North Carolina, will be No. 3 behind Kellen Winslow and rookie Luke Stocker.

The Bucs failed in two attempts to claim tight ends off waivers Sunday, when New England castoffs Lee Smith and Will Yeatman were awarded to the Bills and Dolphins, respectively.

Pianalto and LB Zac Diles, signed Sunday, forced the Bucs to create two roster spots. DE George Johnson and CB D.J. Johnson were released. The Bucs also completed their eight-man practice squad: S Ahmad Black, T Will Barker, QB Rudy Carpenter, TE Collin Franklin, WR Ed Gant, TE Daniel Hardy, RB Mossis Madu and LB Derrell Smith.

Stephen F. Holder, Times staff writer

Brewers 4, Cardinals 1

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Times wires
Monday, September 5, 2011

Brewers 4, Cardinals 1

ST. LOUIS — Randy Wolf pitched eight strong innings and Ryan Braun and Nyjer Morgan homered to lead Milwaukee. The Brewers won their fourth straight game to move 10½ games ahead of St. Louis in the NL Central, tying their largest lead of the season. Wolf improved to 6-1 with a 3.11 ERA in his past eight starts. The left-hander allowed two hits over his final six innings and also had two infield singles.

Giants 7, Padres 2

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Times wires
Monday, September 5, 2011

Giants 7, Padres 2

SAN DIEGO — Pablo Sandoval homered twice, Madison Bumgarner struck out a career-high 13 in 81/3 innings and San Francisco beat last-place San Diego to remain seven games behind the NL West-leading Diamondbacks with 21 to play. The defending World Series champion Giants went into this three-game series with their biggest deficit of the season.


Playoff win puts Simpson atop FedEx Cup standings

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Times wires
Monday, September 5, 2011

NORTON, Mass. — Webb Simpson, a PGA Tour winner for the first time three weeks ago, figured his next win would be easier. It was more work than he imagined Monday at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

He made three par saves in the middle of the back nine just to stay in the game and made a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole for 6-under 65, which got him into a playoff only when Chez Reavie finished with bogey on the easiest hole at the TPC Boston.

Simpson made a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th in the playoff after Reavie chipped to tap-in birdie range. Then Simpson made an 8-foot birdie on the second extra hole at No. 17 to win the FedEx Cup's second playoff event and move to No. 1 in the standings, giving him a strong shot at the $10 million prize.

"I told somebody early this week that I feel like next time I was in contention, it'll be a lot easier than Greensboro," Simpson said. "And it wasn't that way at all. It was just as hard."

Reavie moved to No. 9 in the standings and is assured of getting to the FedEx Cup finale at the Tour Championship.

Strasburg mania restarts

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Times wires
Monday, September 5, 2011

WASHINGTON — Stephen Strasburg is back, bringing with him a revival of that every-five-days event that transcended baseball a year ago.

"It was kind of forced upon us. You couldn't turn on the TV," Nationals OF and former Ray Jonny Gomes said. "I mean, you're talking about Good Morning America covering it. You couldn't help but buy into the hype."

Gomes watched the Strasburg phenomenon from afar in 2010 with the Reds, but he'll have a front-and-center view when the 23-year-old right-hander returns tonight, starting for Washington against the Dodgers just a little more than a year after having elbow ligament replacement surgery.

Weather permitting, that is. After months of rehab plus six minor-league starts with four teams in four states, Strasburg might have to wait a bit longer. The forecast calls for a 90 percent chance of rain, and even a delay would probably scuttle the Strasburg plans.

"If he warms up and it rains, we'll probably have to do it another day," manager Davey Johnson said.

Strasburg's elbow popped while he was pitching against the Phillies on Aug. 21, 2010, ending his rookie season with a 5-3 record and a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts. He had the surgery Sept. 3, which means he's returning at the front end of the 12-18 months of expected recovery time.

"That was my goal the whole time: to go out and pitch in September," Strasburg said. "I've been fortunate enough to have no real setbacks."

BLUE JAYS: RHP Dustin McGowan, who hasn't pitched in the majors since July 8, 2008, and has had two shoulder surgeries since then, was activated off the 60-day disabled list.

BREWERS: 2B Jerry Hairston left the game against St. Louis in the fourth inning with neck soreness.

GIANTS: RF Carlos Beltran was a late scratch for the game against the Padres because of an illness, either food poisoning or the flu.

INDIANS: CF Grady Sizemore, who had abdominal surgery July 21, was activated from the disabled list.

PHILLIES: RHP Joe Blanton was activated from the disabled list after missing 31/2 months with an elbow injury. Blanton, a former starter, will pitch out of the bullpen.

RED SOX: RH reliever Bobby Jenks is likely to miss the rest of the season and playoffs due to lingering pain in his back. … LHP Erik Bedard is expected to skip his next turn in the rotation because of a sore left knee.

ROCKIES: RHP Greg Reynolds and LHP J.C. Romero were recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Tampa Bay Rays: Rays pay tribute to Lee Roy Selmon; Joe Maddon reaches 500 wins

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By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, September 5, 2011

Rays vs. Rangers

When/where: 7:10 tonight; Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)

Starting pitchers:

RAYS: RH Jeff Niemann (9-6, 3.69)

RANGERS: LH C.J. Wilson (14-6, 3.28)

Watch for …

Standing tall: Niemann has lost just twice in 13 starts since coming off the disabled list, and one was to Texas in his last outing, when he allowed five runs and six hits over five innings. He has given up eight runs and 12 hits over eight innings (two appearances, one start) against the Rangers.

C.J. the Great: Wilson, who has won four of his past five starts, handcuffed the Rays in his last outing, allowing just two runs (two hits) over six innings in Arlington. He has fared well against Tampa Bay, going 3-0 with a 2.90 ERA in 16 career appearances (three starts).

Key matchups

Rays vs. Wilson

Johnny Damon 2-for-11

Evan Longoria 1-for-13

Casey Kotchman 1-for-13

Rangers vs. Niemann

Ian Kinsler 1-for-3, HR

Adrian Beltre 5-for-17, HR

Mike Napoli 5-for-10, HR

On deck

Wednesday: vs. Rangers, 1:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (12-12, 3.41); Rangers — Derek Holland (13-5, 4.13)

Thursday: Off

Friday: vs. Red Sox, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Wade Davis (9-8, 4.10); Red Sox — Erik Bedard (5-9, 3.50)

Joe Smith, Times staff writer

Tribute of the day

There was a moment of silence held before Monday's game in memory of Bucs legend Lee Roy Selmon, who died Sunday after having a stroke Friday. Photos of Selmon were put on the JumboTron, with about a one-minute audio tribute.

Quote of the day

"I think that (the Red Sox) and the Yankees don't really look forward to playing us. We're a team that really doesn't go away. It's a bunch of young players who are hungry to be back in the postseason. And they really understand that."

Rays 3B Evan Longoria, on pulling within seven games of the wild-card-leading Red Sox, who come into town this weekend for a three-game series

Milestone of the day

Rays manager Joe Maddon earned his 500th career win (including a 19-10 interim stint with the Angels in 1999), saying it's a "tribute to the front office and quality of player that we've gotten in here." He is 481-469 in his career with the Rays, including 354-272 since the start of 2008. "You can see the difference between (2006) and (2007) and (2008) to the present time, so that's pretty much where that record lies," he said.

More time for Tampa Bay Rays catcher Jose Lobaton means less for Kelly Shoppach

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By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, September 5, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Rays manager Joe Maddon has talked about taking an extended look at C Jose Lobaton, considering he could figure big in the team's plans for next season.

"Going into next year, he'd definitely be a candidate," Maddon said. "And that's why it's vital we see him right now."

But Maddon acknowledged Monday that Lobaton's playing time will come at the expense of veteran C Kelly Shoppach, who will be used primarily off the bench as the Rays go with a catching rotation of switch-hitting Lobaton and John Jaso.

Maddon said he talked with Shoppach about it and he handled it "great." "He understood," Maddon said. Shoppach declined to comment.

Shoppach, 31, has struggled offensively in his two years with the Rays and is hitting .175 this year, fourth lowest in the majors (minimum 200 plate appearances). He has handled the pitching staff well and leads the majors this season by throwing out 44.7 percent of attempted basestealers.

The Rays acquired him from the Indians in December 2009 and signed him to a two-year deal, hoping he could be an answer against left-handers.

But Maddon said it's more about wanting to see Lobaton than anything Shoppach did or didn't do. The Rays lost huge evaluation time when Lobaton, 26, sprained his left knee in his first Rays start July 18 and missed 43 games while on the disabled list.

The Rays have a $3.2 million option (or a $300,000 buyout) on Shoppach for next season. Maddon was asked if Lobaton's new role should be perceived as an indication of what the club plans to do with Shoppach.

"All you should really draw from it is the fact that we want to see more of Lobaton right now more than anything," Maddon said. "We need to evaluate him. We know what we have with Shopp pretty much. This thing, who knows, it could still switch. I'm talking about for right now the plan is to use those guys more, but as the month's in progress, that door's open to change, but for right now it's more about us seeing Lobaton and knowing what Shopp can do."

LINING UP: Maddon had planned on playing DH Johnny Damon on Monday, but the veteran's right leg was still sore from getting hit by a pitch in Sunday's game, so he was given the day off (though he was available to pinch-hit). Maddon said Damon is day to day. Ben Zobrist (neck) returned to the lineup after missing two games due to a nagging neck injury.

Seeking change: RHP Jeff Niemann will face the Rangers tonight for a second straight start, but he's hoping to be a different pitcher than what he showed in Arlington on Thursday, when he allowed five runs over five innings in his second loss in 13 starts since coming off the disabled list.

"It didn't go how we wanted it to last time," Niemann said. "I look forward to getting another crack at it."

Niemann said his fastball was off, and up, and he put himself in bad counts. He has been so good over the past two months, posting a 2.70 ERA, that Thursday might have been the anomaly.

"He was off with his mechanics that game," Maddon said. "So it's really not a good indicator of how well he can pitch against these guys."

MISCELLANY: CF B.J. Upton hit his 19th homer of the season and just his second to the opposite field, something the Rays had been used to seeing from him. "That's who he is; that's how he started out a couple years ago," Maddon said. "And if he can regain that feel, that'd be pretty darn good for him and for us." … 3B Evan Longoria hit his 25th homer and leads the AL with 14 since the All-Star break. "There's still a month left," he said. "So I'm going to push as hard as I can to get those production numbers up."

James Shields pitches 11th complete game as Tampa Bay Rays beat Texas Rangers 5-1

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By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, September 5, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Manager Joe Maddon predicted before Monday's game that complete games will become more prevalent in baseball based on the "renaissance in pitching in general."

After all, Maddon can just look at the renaissance of "Complete Game" James Shields.

Shields racked up his major-league-best 11th complete game Monday, a four-hitter in beating the Rangers 5-1 in front of a Labor Day crowd of 13,130 at Tropicana Field, helping the Rays pull within seven games of the wild-card-leading Red Sox.

"I get just as excited about this one as I did my first one of the year," Shields said. "I'm not done yet."

One day after rookie Jeremy Hellickson went nine innings, Shields put himself in historic company, the first pitcher to have 11 complete games since Randy Johnson (12) in 1999 and first AL pitcher since Scott Erickson (11) in 1998.

"It's unusual, very unusual for anybody to see this," Maddon said. "It's really quite a pleasure to see. Not many people do get to see this."

Shields, who was hoping for a "bounceback" year after a disappointing 2010 (13-15, 5.18 ERA), has made a remarkable turnaround, cutting his ERA in half (2.77), tying his career high in wins (14) and setting a top mark in strikeouts (205).

"If we were any better offensively the whole year, he'd probably have 20 wins by now," third baseman Evan Longoria said. "It's more than a bounceback year. It's a career year for him."

Shields considers the AL West-leading Rangers "one of the best-hitting teams in baseball," making it even more impressive that he shut them down in back-to-back starts, allowing a combined one run over 17 innings. Texas scored once in the ninth, largely due to defensive indifference, snapping Shields' scoreless streak of 23 innings, the longest in Rays history.

"This year, the guy has been able to finish off whatever he starts," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We haven't been able to figure him out."

Shields said he gave Texas a different look than in last week's start by throwing more cutters. And after a relatively stress-free outing, Shields cut his complete game close. With his pitch count over 120, and closer Kyle Farnsworth warming up, Shields knew Adrian Beltre was his final hitter as he watched him foul off three consecutive 2-and-2 pitches before flying out to right.

"I was throwing some really good pitches to Beltre, and he just kept fouling them off, fouled them off, fouled them off," Shields said. "I'm just going, 'Man, just hit it already.' "

The Rays gave Shields plenty of hits, with Longoria (25th) and B.J. Upton (19th) ripping solo home runs and Casey Kotchman delivering a clutch two-run single. But what really stood out to Maddon was Sean Rodriguez hustling home from third to score before the Rangers could complete an inning-ending double play in the fourth inning.

"That's just good stuff there," Maddon said. "That's who we have to be."

Maddon acknowledged the Rays (77-63) wouldn't be where they are without their "magnificent" starting pitching, which leads the AL in ERA (3.47) and strikeouts (727) and is tops in the majors in innings (924). That starts with Shields, the rotation's senior member and workhorse who is having a season to remember.

Longoria said Shields reminds him of Phillies ace Roy Halladay in how he thinks a complete game from pitch No. 1. Matt Joyce compares him to his former Tigers teammate, Justin Verlander, in his "bulldog mentality."

"Unbelievable," Rodriguez said of Shields. "I'm glad I don't have to face him."

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.

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