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White Sox-Rays Preview

May 30, 2010 - 4:04 AM By JON PALMIERI STATS Editor

Chicago (21-27) at Tampa Bay (33-16), 1:40 p.m. EDT

Part of what may be the best starting rotation in baseball, James Shields has looked very much like an ace this season for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Jake Peavy is struggling to fill that role for the Chicago White Sox.

Shields will try to pitch the Rays to a four-game series win over Peavy and the White Sox on Sunday at Tropicana Field.

While Tampa Bay's offense is among the most productive in the AL, it is the team's young and deep rotation that is most responsible for the Rays (34-16) having the best record in the majors.

David Price, Matt Garza, Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis and Shields are a combined 27-11 with a 2.98 ERA, while Tampa Bay's 3.08 staff ERA is by far the best in the AL.

Shields (5-2, 2.99 ERA) has done more than carry his share of the load lately, posting a 2.65 ERA while pitching at least eight innings in three of his five May starts.

He dropped to 2-2 during that span with a tough-luck 2-0 loss to Boston on Tuesday despite limiting the Red Sox to two runs and four hits in eight innings.

Shields ranks among the league leaders with 69 1-3 innings pitched and 71 strikeouts. He outpitched Peavy at Chicago on April 22, yielding two runs and six hits over seven innings of a 10-2 victory.

Behind three RBIs from struggling slugger Carlos Pena, the Rays beat the White Sox 8-5 on Saturday night and improved to 2-4 on a seven-game homestand.

"It feels good to contribute with a bat," said Pena, who is batting .181. "There's still work for me to do."

B.J. Upton hit a solo homer and Evan Longoria had three hits for Tampa Bay, which had totaled 11 runs while losing four of its previous five games.

Longoria is 8 for 16 in his last four contests, and 10 for 25 with four RBIs in six games against the White Sox this season.

The news wasn't all good for the Rays, who may be without shortstop Jason Bartlett on Sunday. Bartlett left in the fourth inning with a strained right hamstring.

"I personally don't think it's that bad," said Bartlett, who might have an MRI exam Sunday.

Carlos Quentin and Alexei Ramirez homered, but couldn't prevent the White Sox (21-28) from dropping to 4-17 in games following a win.

"It's been a struggle for us all year, but I don't think we've quit at all," second baseman Gordon Beckham said. "It's just not working out for us."

Peavy (3-4, 6.05) seeks to rebound from back-to-back disappointing starts. The right-hander compiled a 2.31 ERA to win his first three outings in May, but gave up six runs and eight hits over six innings for the second straight start in a 7-3 loss at Cleveland on Tuesday.

"I didn't have very good stuff at all," Peavy said. "Nothing was sharp. When you're not sharp, you better be good with location. Everything was flat."

Peavy was roughed up by the Rays for seven runs with a career-high seven walks in 4 1-3 innings at U.S. Cellular Field on April 22. That was his first appearance against Tampa Bay since June 13, 2007.