Rays at Tigers
When/where: 1:05 p.m. today; Comerica Park, Detroit.
TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)
Probable pitchers
RAYS:
RHP James Shields (0-0, 10.80)
TIGERS:
RHP Justin Verlander (0-0, 0.00)
Watch for …
Bounce back: Shields said he feels better after slight mechanical adjustments following his rough opening day performance. He is 4-0, 3.74 in seven starts vs. the Tigers, the only team he hasn't lost to.
Encore performance: Verlander, who won the AL Cy Young and MVP awards, started strong, with eight shutout innings vs. the Red Sox. He is 6-10, 3.60 in 10 starts vs. the Rays, allowing a .240 average.
Key matchups
Rays vs. Verlander
Matt Joyce 6-for-11, 2 HRs
Evan Longoria 6-for-21, HR
Carlos Peña 5-for-16, HR
Tigers vs. Shields
M. Cabrera 8-for-19, HR
J. Peralta8-for-16, 3 HRs
R. Santiago 5-for-12
On deck
Thursday: at Tigers, 1:05 p.m., Sun Sports. Rays — Jeff Niemann (11-7, 4.06 in 2011); Tigers — Drew Smyly (ML debut)
Friday: at Red Sox, 2:05, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (1-0, 2.84); Red Sox — Josh Beckett (0-1, 13.50)
Marc Topkin. Times staff writer
Thrill ride of the day
3B Evan Longoria was indeed as uncomfortable as he looked — "Every ounce of it" — in a video released Tuesday by Red Bull of a stunt-filled plane ride over Tampa Bay during spring training. "You could kind of tell on my face at the end, I was ready to get on the ground," he said. "I was pretty nervous." On the video — available at tampabay.com/blogs/rays — Longoria says he blacked out at one point, as the plane did a series of rolls, spins and tail-over-nose cartwheels, and was relieved he didn't throw up. Also, "I thought we were going down." He said he had team permission to do the flight and video.
Number of the day
42 Degrees at first pitch
MVP of the day
The most popular man in the Rays clubhouse before the game was equipment manager Chris Westmoreland, who had an assortment of four cold-weather hats for the players and coaches to pick from: light- and heavyweight toques (ski caps), a ski mask, and the "Elmer Fudd" — a Rays cap with ear flaps.
Meet the Rays at tampabay.com
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