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Tampa Bay Rays: Joe Maddon explains <i>Gladiator</i> masks; Cesar Ramos giving "nerd" lessons

 
Published May 23, 2012

Rays vs. Blue Jays

When/where: 1:10 today, Tropicana Field

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

Tickets: Tickets: $9-210, available at Tropicana Field box office, Ticketmaster, raysbaseball.com, team Tampa store; $3 surcharge within 5 hours of game time.

Probable pitchers

Rays:

RH James Shields (6-2, 3.77)

Jays:

LH Ricky Romero (5-1, 3.64)

On Shields: Coming off a loss to Braves and has allowed 22 runs in past 311/3 innings. Is 3-0, 3.90 in four day starts, 5-1 in past seven starts vs. Jays (and Rays 6-1) and 9-5, 3.60 overall.

On Romero: Jays ace tends to do better vs. righties, so expect Rays to stack several lefties against him. Beat the Rays April 17 in Toronto, is 6-4, 3.28 in 11 starts vs. them.

Rays vs. Romero

S. Rodriguez 1-for-15 HR

B.J. Upton 5-for-25 HR

Ben Zobrist 8-for-28 2 HR

Jays vs. Shields

Jose Bautista 6-for-21 2 HR

E. Encarnacion 3-for-15

Yunel Escobar 5-for-20

On deck

Thursday: Off

Friday: at Red Sox, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Alex Cobb (1-0, 2.57); Sox — Jon Lester (3-3, 3.95)

Saturday: at Red Sox, 7:15, Ch. 13. Rays — David Price (6-3, 2.88); Sox — Josh Beckett (4-4, 4.38)

Sunday: at Red Sox, 1:35, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (4-1, 2.73); Sox — Clay Buchholz (4-2, 7.84)

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Quote of the day

"We were just trying to protect ourselves from further injury. And if anybody invaded the dugout we were in very good shape, also."

Joe Maddon, on Ps Joel Peralta and Fernando Rodney wearing Gladiator-style masks Monday

Helping hand of the day

To prep for the weekend "Ken Rosenthal/Nerd" themed trip, LHP Cesar Ramos was to give a lesson on bow-tie tying, and a pro is being brought in to help before Thursday's flight.

Stats of the day

8

Strikeouts on foul bunts, most for an AL team since the 1979 Angels (8).

40

Errors in 44 games; Rays had MLB-low 73 total last season.