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Rays: Minor bus accident barely noticed

 
Tampa Bay Times
Published April 9, 2013

Rays at Rangers

When/where: 8:05 tonight; Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (Texas)

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

Probable pitchers

Rays: RH Roberto Hernandez (0-1, 5.40)

RaNGERs: Nick Tepesch (ML debut)

Texas trouble: Hernandez, who went 62/3 IP and allowed four runs in his Rays debut, has struggled mightily against the Rangers, winless in his past seven starts dating to 2008 (while with Cleveland) and just 2-8, 5.37 overall.

Welcome to the show: Tepesch, 24, a 2010 draft pick, made the rotation out of spring, though he made one start Thursday for Triple-A Round Rock, his first action above Double A. Expect the Rays to be patient and make him throw strikes.

Key matchups

Rays VS. TEPESCH

None have faced

RaNGERs VS. HERNANDEZ

Elvis Andrus 5-for-14

Adrian Beltre 3-for-13, 2 HRs

Nelson Cruz 5-for-16, 3 HRs

David Murphy 7-for-14

On deck

Wednesday: at Rangers, 2:05, Sun Sports. Rays — LHP Matt Moore (1-0, 0.00); Rangers — LH Derek Holland (0-0, 2.57)

Thursday: Off

Friday: at Red Sox, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — RHP Alex Cobb (1-0, 0.00); Red Sox — Jon Lester (2-0, 1.50)

Bumpy beginning

The Rays team bus had barely left the hotel Monday when a car hit the back side, causing no injuries to the half-dozen players, coaches, staff and manager Joe Maddon who were on board and only about a 15-minute delay for paperwork. "It was really little, to the point where you didn't even know," Maddon said. "It was totally innocuous. You could barely feel the impact. It was almost like two baserunners colliding on the basepath."

Quote of the day

"I can't speak for anyone else but I'm not going to file any lawsuits."

OF Sam Fuld, on Monday's minor bus accident

Stat of the day

4-2 Rays pitchers starting on their birthdays; Jason Hammel, Jae Seo, Mark Hendrickson and Jeremy Hellickson won; Joe Kennedy and Hellickson lost

Meet the Rays: Desmond Jennings

Which Rays pitcher who once broke outfielder Desmond Jennings' bat during batting practice hijacks Jennings' 'Meet the Rays' video? Go to tampabay.com/meettherays to find out.