By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 9, 2011
The dish
Rays at White Sox
When/where: 2:10 today; U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago
TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)
Probable pitchers:
Rays: RH Jeff Niemann (0-1, 7.50)
WHITE Sox: RH Gavin Floyd (0-0, 5.14)
Watch for …
Standing tall: Niemann got off to a shaky start in his season debut but made an adjustment and got better as the game went on. He is 2-2, 3.55 in four starts against the Sox.
Sleepy Floyd: A resident of Palm Harbor, Floyd is typically a slow starter with a 6.42 April ERA. He is 2-1, 3.43 against the Rays plus a loss in Game 4 of the 2008 AL division series.
Key matchups
Rays vs. Floyd
Johnny Damon10-for-15, HR
Casey Kotchman 2-for-12
Ben Zobrist 3-for-9, 2 HR
Sox vs. Niemann
Gordon Beckham4-for-6
Paul Konerko 2-for-12
A.J. Pierzynski 5-for-11
On deck
Monday: at Red Sox, 7:10, Sun Sports, ESPN. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (0-1, 4.76); Red Sox — Diasuke Matsuzaka (0-1, 5.40)
Tuesday: at Red Sox, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (0-2, 4.85); Red Sox — Jon Lester (0-0, 3.65)
Wednesday: at Red Sox, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (0-1, 4.72); Red Sox — John Lackey (1-1, 15.58)
Thursday: vs. Twins, 6:40, Sun Sports. Rays — Wade Davis (0-2, 4.38); Twins — TBA
Marc Topkin, Times staff writer
Accomplishment of the day
With his third-inning single, LF Johnny Damon, right, moved into a tie for 72nd all time with hit No. 2,574, matching Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn and a recently retired guy named Manny Ramirez. Next up for Damon: Ernie Banks at 2,583. Damon is also now fifth among active players.
Plumbing note of the day
Hearing that the showers in the Fenway Park visiting clubhouse were broken after Friday's Yanks-Red Sox game, manager Joe Maddon wondered if it might be on ongoing issue. "I'm hoping that by the time we do arrive there (on Monday) that it will be taken care of," he said. "I could understand the myriad different ways that the Red Sox attempt to win or annoy you at different times. So I have no idea where that plumbing problem came from, but I thought it was kind of interesting."