DRays vs. O's (8/3 - 8-5)

[craig01]

http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/news/ ... sp?c_id=tb

Friday, August 3 Tropicana Field | 7:10 PM ET
BAL Daniel Cabrera, RHP (7-11, 5.08)
Orioles (50-57) @ TB James Shields, RHP (8-6, 4.47)
Devil Rays (41-66)

Scouting Report:
Orioles: Cabrera, the Major League leader in walks, is in the middle of another disappointing season. He's managed to work deeper in games and is on the verge of setting a career high in innings but has logged an ERA higher than 5.00 in three straight months. Cabrera is capable of throwing a gem at any time -- like his seven one-hit innings against Tampa Bay -- but has struggled to find consistency.

Rays: Shields was off his game for the second straight start and added another loss to his stats, as a result. He allowed the Red Sox to score three runs on six hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, and he was ousted from the game after throwing 97 pitches in only five innings. The outing tied for his second shortest of the year, surpassed only by the 3 1/3-inning loss he suffered one start prior. Shields has no record and a 3.94 career ERA in four starts against Baltimore.


Saturday, August 4 Tropicana Field | 7:10 PM ET
BAL Brian Burres, LHP (5-4, 4.12)
Orioles (50-57) @ TB Scott Kazmir, LHP (7-7, 3.85)
Devil Rays (41-66)

Scouting Report:
Orioles: Burres has been yanked in and out of the rotation several times this season and has performed erratically as a result. The southpaw is 5-4 with a 4.88 ERA in 12 starts, and has worked deeper than six innings just twice. He's managed to go six innings in each of his past two starts but has worked to a 1-2 record and a 7.36 ERA in July. Next year, Burres will likely go back to a long relief role.

Rays: Kazmir went toe-to-toe with Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka in a true pitchers' duel during his last start, tossing a scoreless six innings and limiting the red-hot Red Sox to six hits and a walk while fanning eight. Most importantly, he kept his team in the game until the Rays were able to crack Dice-K in the seventh. Kazmir's pitch count has progressively done down as he gains more comfort with his adjusted delivery, and on Sunday he threw 97 pitches over six frames. It's not quite the same Kazmir as last season, but it's a definite improvement, and once he gets the hang of things, he'll be dominating opponents in the late innings once again.


Sunday, August 5 Tropicana Field | 1:40 PM ET
BAL Erik Bedard, LHP (11-4, 3.05)
Orioles (50-57) @ TB Andy Sonnanstine, RHP (1-6, 5.55)
Devil Rays (41-66)

Scouting Report:
Orioles: Bedard authored quite a case to be the American League's Pitcher of the Month for July, going 5-0 with a 2.21 ERA in six starts. The southpaw has won seven straight decisions -- which ties the longest streak of his career -- and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in nine of his past 10 starts. After starting the season with a 6.09 ERA in April, Bedard has logged three straight months with a mark under 3.00.

Devil Rays: Sonnanstine got his first Major League win in his second career start on June 10 -- and hasn't won in nine starts since. He's been pitching deep into games and his WHIP is good: 43 hits and 10 walks in 39 innings during the month of July. But he went 0-4 with a 5.31 ERA in six starts.

[craig01]

O's playing very well of late.

I expect the Rays to exact revenge this weekend.

[craig01]

Rays drop game 1, 3-1.

Shields pitched well except for the 3 run dinger early on.

Time for the starters to stop giving up the 3 and 4 run innings that seal their fate so often.

[craig01]

Rays blow out O's in game 2.

Been a long time.

[craig01]

Forgot the score....it was 9-2.

[craig01]

Rays getting hammered in game 3, trailing 10-3 in the 8th.

[craig01]

Final score: Baltimore 11- Tampa Bay 3.