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Matsui Mania hits Tampa Bay Rays in different ways

 
Tampa Bay Times
Published May 30, 2012

Rays vs. White Sox

When/where: 1:10 today, Tropicana Field

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

Probable pitchers

Rays: RH Alex Cobb (2-0, 2.25)

White Sox:

LH Jose Quintana (1-0, 1.54)

On Cobb: He's won his first two starts since getting called up last week, allowing one earned run over five innings at Boston on Friday. He's allowed just three homers in 11 career major-league starts, and faces the White Sox for the first time.

On Quintana: The 23-year-old will make his second big-league start, having beaten the Indians last week by giving up two runs over six innings. He spent six seasons in the minors, going 19-11 with a 2.76 ERA

On deck

Thursday: Off

Friday: vs. Orioles, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays —David Price (6-3, 2.71); Orioles — TBA

Saturday: vs. Orioles, 4:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (4-1, 2.83); Orioles —TBA

Sunday: vs. Orioles 1:40, Sun Sports. Rays — Matt Moore (1-5, 4.76): Orioles — TBA.

Rays disabled list

(with eligible-to-return date)

1B/OF Brandon Allen, right quad strain, May 25

C Robinson Chirinos, concussion, 60-day, June 5

RHP Kyle Farnsworth, right elbow strain, 60-day, June 5

OF Sam Fuld, right wrist surgery, 60-day, June 5

OF Brandon Guyer, left shoulder strain, 60-day, July 13

OF Desmond Jennings, left knee sprain, 15-day, Sunday

INF Jeff Keppinger, right toe fracture, 15-day, June 3

3B Evan Longoria, left hamstring tear, 15-day, May 16

RHP Jeff Niemann, right leg fracture, 60-day, July 14

Joe Smith, Times staff writer

Matsui Mania I

With DH/OF Hideki Matsui's arrival, NHK in Japan will televise a handful of Tampa Bay's games live this summer, including today's, giving the Rays some new fans. "It's pretty cool," CF B.J. Upton said. "I think we all know it's a pretty small market and our fan base isn't that big. You've started to see it grow a lot since '08. I'm pretty sure you're going to see it grow significantly with him being on our team now."



Matsui Mania II

Manager Joe Maddon quipped that he might try to "dabble" in speaking Japanese, but "I don't think I'm pressed for the Rosetta Stone version yet," he said. "It seems to be a difficult language to learn, and at (age) 58 … God, I've always wanted to learn how to play the trumpet, haven't even done that yet, so now I'm going to learn Japanese?"