SB Nation Tampa Bay - Shields Dominates: Rays (8-9) Move To Within One Game Of .500 With 2-1 Win Over White Sox.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49019/tb-fave.png2011-04-19T21:18:32-04:00http://tampabay.sbnation.com/rss/stream/18835752011-04-19T21:18:32-04:002011-04-19T21:18:32-04:00Shields Dominates, Rays (8-9) Move To Within One Game Of .500
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<p>There was speed standing on second base, representing the tying run in the top of the ninth. <span>James Shields</span> had just used his 100th pitch, a nasty slider, to strike out the lumbering <a href="https://www.southsidesox.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">White Sox</a> designated hitter <span>Adam Dunn</span>. His 101st pitch to the man who could represent the 27th out was a 4 seam fastball away which was fouled off. He went with a breaking ball next, and <span>Paul Konerko</span> pulled the curveball foul. Another fastball away, another foul ball. He would go to his best pitch next: the changeup. Konerko fought it off like the veteran he is.</p>
<p>On the fifth pitch of the at bat, James Shields threw a 93 <span class="caps">MPH</span> fastball high and Paul Konerko treated the fans sitting past the first base dugout with a gentle breeze in becoming the ninth strikeout victim of a man who was clearly on top of his game.</p>
<p>It was James Shields’s first complete game since June 10th, 2008, against the Anaheim <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a>, and all of his pitches were in top form. He walked just one, gave up one run on just four hits, and generated weak contact and paltry pop-ups throughout the game.</p>
<p>He continued a streak of fine pitching from <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rays</a> starters, becoming the 7th in a row to throw at least 7 innings. He was the first of the year to go the distance.</p>
<p>The Rays offense once again generated just enough run support to give the Rays a win, their 7th in their last 8 games. <span>Ben Zobrist</span>'s triple in the bottom of the 1st led to the team’s first run, and he would be driven in by a 3-bagger from <span>Sean Rodriguez</span> in the 5th inning to account for the Rays’ 2 runs.</p>
<p>The defense was on point as well, with yet more diving stops in the outfield. Tonight was <span>Matt Joyce</span>’s turn to flash the leather, making a diving catch along the right-field line to rob <span>Juan Pierre</span> of extra bases. <span>Kelly Shoppach</span> had a promising night behind the plate, throwing out <span>Alexei Ramirez</span> by at least 5 feet and picking off a dozing Konerko at 1st base to complete a strike ‘em out pick ‘em off double play in the 7th.</p>
<p>But James Shields was the story of the game, dominating the White Sox lineup and surpassing the 1000 inning mark in his Rays career. With Shields pitching as he did, and the swift-of-pitch <span>John Danks</span> going for the Sox, the game only took 2 hours and 12 minutes, giving the satisfied crowd leave to head home before 9 p.m.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/tampa-bay-rays/2011/4/19/2121629/shields-dominates-rays-move-within-one-game-of-500Alex2011-04-19T17:21:05-04:002011-04-19T17:21:05-04:00Rays Vs. White Sox: Game Two Lineup
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<p>Per <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/rays/content/starters-rays-vs-white-sox-5">Marc Topkin</a>:</p>
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<p><span>Sam Fuld</span> LF<br><span>Ben Zobrist</span> 2B<br><span>Sean Rodriguez</span> 3B<br><span>Felipe Lopez</span> DH<br><span>B.J. Upton</span> CF<br><span>Casey Kotchman</span> 1B<br><span>Kelly Shoppach</span> C<br><span>Matt Joyce</span> RF<br><span>Reid Brignac</span> SS</p>
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<p><span>John Danks</span> of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.southsidesox.com/">Chicago White Sox</a> will be apposing the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Rays</a> tonight, so they will be sending lefties Reid Brignac and Matt Joyce as a part of the team's well-documented <a href="http://www.draysbay.com/2010/6/11/1511468/explaining-the-danks-theory">Danks Theory</a>. John Danks throws an exceptional changeup that tails away from right-handed hitters (and thereby moves <i>towards </i>left-handed hitters), so the Rays have no qualms about sending the likes of Joyce, Brignac, Fuld, and Kotchman to the plate -- and may even have Zobrist and Fuld, two switch-hitters, bat from the left side.</p>
<p>On Twitter, writer Tommy Rancel noted how the Rays lefties <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/TRancel/status/60407164975587328">all reached base</a> in their last encounter, something Rays manager Joe Maddon surely hopes to build upon this next matchup.</p>
<p>Sluggers Dan Johnson and <span>Johnny Damon</span> are both still nursing injuries from recent HBPs, although Maddon has already said Damon would be available for pinch-hitting duties.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/tampa-bay-rays/2011/4/19/2121050/rays-vs-white-sox-game-two-lineupBradley Woodrum2011-04-19T09:00:52-04:002011-04-19T09:00:52-04:00Rays (7-9) Host White Sox (7-9), Hope To Keep Up Winning Ways
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<p>The offense has decided to come back to life since the last <a href="https://www.southsidesox.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">White Sox</a> series, leading to win after win for the suddenly hot <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rays</a>. It doesn't take a whole lot of offense when the pitching is as good as it has been over the last week, with Rays starters going at least 7 innings in 6 straight games. In fact, the last time a Rays pitcher failed to finish the seventh inning was the <a target="_blank" href="http://tampabay.sbnation.com/tampa-bay-rays/2011/4/11/2104128/struggling-rays-head-to-boston-to-face-red-sox">16-5 drubbing</a> of the <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Red Sox</a> on April 11th that seemed to slingshot the Rays back into the Win column with a vengeance.</p>
<p><span>James Shields</span> will try to continue the trend today against the famously reverse-split Chicago left-hander Dohn Danks. If you like nasty changeups, this is a game you will want to see.</p>
<p>Since starting the season 1-8, the Rays have run off 6 of their last 7 to improve to 7-9 and move into a tie for second place in the division with the <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Toronto Blue Jays</a> at 3 games back of the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Yankees</a>. Some of the bats the Rays really needed to come to life have over the last week or so, including hot hitting from <span>Matt Joyce</span>, <span>Ben Zobrist</span>, and the league-leading <span>Sam Fuld</span> (who is batting .396 after his 4-4 performance yesterday). Don’t be fooled, however. This offense is still missing some key cogs, including recent hero <span>Johnny Damon</span> who is day-to-day with a finger injury sustained in Sunday’s game against the <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Twins</a>. In his (and the indomitable <span>Evan Longoria</span>’s) absence, the team will need contributions by some key replacements in order to keep the offense churning.</p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 12.0pt;"><span style='font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;'>Game time is 6:40 P.M. at the never-rained-out Tropicana Field and can be seen on TV at Fox Sports Florida and heard on the radio at 620 WDAE.<p></p></span></p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2011/4/19/2333749/rays-7-9-host-white-sox-7-9-hope-to-keep-up-winning-waysAlex