By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, April 7, 2011
The dish
Rays at White Sox
When/where: 8:10 tonight; U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago
TV/radio: FSN; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)
Starting pitchers
Rays: RH James Shields (0-1,. 2.45)
white Sox: LH John Danks (0-1, 3.00)
Watch for ...
Shields up: Shields, coming off a strong season-opening outing start in which he used a more compact delivery, is 2-2 with a 5.05 ERA in seven starts against the Sox, including 1-0, 3.48 in three games at U.S. Cellular Field.
Danks for nothing: Danks is what Rays manager Joe Maddon considers a "reverse-split guy," meaning he is tougher on righties than lefties, so expect the Rays to use more lefties. Danks is 5-2, 3.83 in seven starts against the Rays, including 1-1, 2.51 at home.
Key matchups:
Rays vs. Danks
Reid Brignac 2-for-3
B.J. Upton 2-for-14
Ben Zobrist 0-for-7
Sox vs. Shields
Paul Konerko 3-for-15
A.J. Pierzynski 5-for-21
Alex Rios 8-for-30 HR
On deck
Saturday: at White Sox, 4:10, FSN. Rays — Wade Davis (0-1, 5.68); White Sox — Phil Humber (0-0, 27.00)
Sunday: at White Sox, 2:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeff Niemann (0-1, 7.50); White Sox — Gavin Floyd (0-0, 5.14)
Monday: at Red Sox, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (0-1, 4.76); Red Sox — TBA
Tuesday: at Red Sox, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (0-2, 4.85); Red Sox — TBA
Marc Topkin, Times staff writer
Comparisons of the day
8 Runs scored by the Rays
9 Runs scored by the Reds' Brandon Phillips
4 Homers hit by the Rays
4 Homers hit by the Rangers' Nelson Cruz and the Yankees' Mark Teixeira
.364 Average by Rays CF B.J. Upton
.116 Average of the other 12 Rays hitters
Stat of the day
3-0, 1.44 Edwin Jackson's record against the Rays in three starts since being traded
Quote of the day
"This is stay-in-the-house weather."
RHP Jeremy Hellickson, an Iowa native, on the cold dreary conditions,
Historical note of the day
At 0-6, the Rays matched the 1997 Cardinals for the worst start by a defending division champion and the 1905 Boston Americans for the worst by a team that had its league's best record the year before.
White Sox 5, Rays 1
Tampa Bay AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Fuld lf 3 0 1 0 1 1 .333
Damon dh 4 0 0 0 0 2 .053
Zobrist 2b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .190
D.Johnson 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .043
B.Upton cf 4 0 2 0 0 0 .364
Joyce rf 4 0 0 0 0 3 .056
S.Rodriguez 3b 2 0 0 0 0 2 .222
a-F.Lopez ph-3b 1 1 1 0 0 0 .286
Shoppach c 2 0 0 0 0 2 .125
b-Jaso ph-c 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Brignac ss 3 0 1 1 0 1 .182
Totals 32 1 6 1 1 14
Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Pierre lf 5 1 3 1 0 0 .357
Beckham 2b 4 1 0 0 0 0 .308
Rios cf 4 1 2 2 0 0 .214
Konerko 1b 4 0 2 1 0 0 .360
Quentin dh 2 0 0 0 1 1 .458
Al.Ramirez ss 4 1 2 0 0 2 .296
Pierzynski c 4 0 0 0 0 0 .261
Morel 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .292
Lillibridge rf 3 1 2 1 0 0 .333
Totals 34 5 12 5 1 3
Tampa Bay 000 000 010— 1 6 0
Chicago 201 000 02x— 5 12 0
a-doubled for S.Rodriguez in the 8th. b-grounded out for Shoppach in the 8th.
LOB—T.B. 5, Chi. 9. 2B—F.Lopez (1), Rios 2 (2). RBIs—Brignac (1), Pierre (4), Rios 2 (3), Konerko (8), Lillibridge (1). SB—Fuld 3 (4), Pierre (3), Al.Ramirez (1), Lillibridge 2 (2). S—Lillibridge. RISP—T.B. 3; Chi. 5. DP—T.B. 1; Chicago 1.
Tampa Bay IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Price L, 0-2 6 9 3 3 1 2 97 4.85
J.Cruz 1 1 1 1 0 1 14 3.00
McGee 1 2 1 1 0 0 16 7.71
Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
E.Jackson W, 2-0 8 4 1 1 1 13 119 1.93
Santos 1 2 0 0 0 1 10 0.00
T—2:30. A—38,579 (40,615).
How they scored
White Sox first
Pierre singled to left. Beckham was hit by a pitch, Pierre to second. Rios doubled to left, Pierre scored, Beckham scored. Konerko flied out to center fielder B.Upton, Rios to third. Quentin walked on a full count. Al.Ramirez struck out. Pierzynski grounded out, shortstop Brignac to first baseman D.Johnson. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. White Sox 2, Rays 0.
White Sox third
Beckham grounded out, shortstop Brignac to first baseman D.Johnson. Rios doubled to left. Konerko singled to left, Rios scored. Quentin was hit by a pitch, Konerko to second. Al.Ramirez infield single to third, Konerko to third, Quentin to second. Pierzynski hit into a double play, pitcher Price to catcher Shoppach to first baseman D.Johnson, Konerko out. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. White Sox 3, Rays 0.
Rays eighth
F.Lopez pinch-hitting for S.Rodriguez. F.Lopez doubled to center. Jaso pinch-hitting for Shoppach. Jaso grounded out, pitcher E.Jackson to first baseman Konerko, F.Lopez to third. Brignac singled to center, F.Lopez scored. Fuld struck out. Damon flied out to right fielder Lillibridge. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. White Sox 3, Rays 1.
White Sox eighth
F.Lopez in as third baseman. Jaso in as catcher. Al.Ramirez singled to left. McGee pitching. Pierzynski flied out on a bunt to third baseman F.Lopez. Morel lined out to right fielder Joyce. Al.Ramirez stole second. Lillibridge singled to left, Al.Ramirez scored. Lillibridge stole second. Pierre singled to right, Lillibridge scored. Beckham grounded out, shortstop Brignac to first baseman D.Johnson. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. White Sox 5, Rays 1.