Tampa Bay Rays news and notes

The dish

Rays vs. Tigers

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

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

Probable pitchers:

Rays: RHP Jeff Niemann (8-2, 2.95)

Tigers: RHP Eddie Bonine (4-0, 2.72)

Tickets: $10-210, available at Tropicana Field box office, Ticketmaster, raysbaseball.com

Watch for …

Standing tall: Niemann has been remarkably consistent, allowing three runs or fewer in 17 of his 20 starts and keeping his ERA in the 2.00s since the end of April. He is 0-1, 2.04 in two starts against the Tigers.

Bonine report: The right-hander, 29, has spent most of his limited big-league time in the bullpen, with a 4-0, 3.79 mark in 36 relief outings compared to 3-2, 4.38 in nine career starts.

Key matchups

Tigers vs. Niemann

Miguel Cabrera3-for-8, HR

Johnny Damon3-for-8

Gerald Laird0-for-5

Rays vs. Bonine

Jason Bartlett0-for-1

Evan Longoria0-for-1

On deck

Thursday: vs. Tigers, 12:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (13-5, 2.90); Tigers — Rick Porcello (4-8, 5.55)

Friday: vs. Yankees, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Wade Davis (8-9, 4.32); Yankees — Phil Hughes (12-3, 4.04)

Saturday: vs. Yankees, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Matt Garza (11-5, 4.06); Yankees — Javier Vazquez (9-7, 4.54)

Sunday: vs. Yankees, 1:40, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (9-9, 4.79); Yankees — CC Sabathia (13-4, 3.15)

Payoff of the day

Ben Zobrist is among the most humble and least materialistic big-leaguers around, so Matt Garza doesn't have to worry about coming up with much of a thank-you gift for the no-hitter-saving catch he made in rightfield on Monday. "Maybe a smoothie," Zobrist said. "Tropical Smoothie Café, strawberry kiwi."

Number of the day

21 Consecutive scoreless innings by Rays pitchers — from the third Sunday through the fifth Tuesday — one shy of the team record, set in 2002.

Quote of the day

"He might — he's got that weirdness about him. He's kinda like me."

Manager Joe Maddon, on the likelihood of RHP Matt Garza deciphering the handwritten notes on his scorecard from Monday's no-hitter.