Final
Rays-Indians Preview
Jul 25, 2010 - 5:10 AMVideo
Tampa Bay (57-38) at Cleveland (41-55), 1:05 p.m. EDT
By snapping their lengthy losing streak at Progressive Field, the Tampa Bay Rays are in position to close their road trip with a winning record.
The Rays look to improve the best road record in the majors when they finish a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.
Tampa Bay (58-38) improved to 4-4 on its trip with a 6-3 win over Cleveland (41-56) on Saturday night, ending the Rays' 18-game skid at Progressive Field.
Ben Zobrist hit a replay-reversed three-run homer and Carlos Pena added a solo shot as Tampa Bay improved to 32-18 away from home. Zobrist, third on the club in RBIs last season with 91, had driven in only three runs in his previous seven games while batting .167.
"I haven't driven many balls in that direction," Zobrist told the Rays' official website of his drive to left in the fifth. "So I just wanted to see it hit the wall, something, to score runs."
Tampa Bay has scored five or more runs six times during the road trip, which has also features series against the Yankees and Baltimore. Saturday's victory moved the team within three games of New York for the AL East lead and increased its advantage over Boston for the wild card to four games.
They'll wrap up this series sending the improving Wade Davis (7-9, 4.41 ERA) to the mound.
Since losing five straight starts from June 4-27, the right-hander is 2-0 with a 3.26 ERA in his past three outings, with the Rays winning all three games. Davis had one of his best starts of the season Monday, limiting Baltimore to one run over a season-high eight innings of an 8-1 victory.
"I'd say I've found some things to improve on - just recognizing various situations and stopping the bad things when they're coming," he said.
Davis gave up two runs and four hits - two homers - in seven innings of a 5-2 win over Cleveland on July 8.
Although the Indians occupy the Central cellar, they have won seven of nine overall and a victory Sunday would give them their third home series win in four tries.
They'll try to accomplish that behind Justin Masterson (3-8, 5.25), who has won only one of his last seven starts.
The right-hander allowed three runs in 6 1-3 innings before leaving without a decision in a 4-3 win at Minnesota on Tuesday. He struck out seven and walked one after walking six in his previous two starts, spanning 10 1-3 innings.
Masterson has struggled in his career as a starter against the Rays, going 1-2 with a 7.04 ERA in four games. He surrendered five runs and eight hits over five innings in Tampa Bay's 6-5, 10-inning win July 11 at Tropicana Field.
B.J. Upton is 5 for 11 with two doubles and a home run against Masterson.
- Indians 2, Rays 4 - FINAL
TAMPA BAY ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
B Zobrist cf-rf 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 .273
C Crawford lf 2 0 0 1 1 1 1 .311
E Longoria 3b 3 0 0 0 1 2 1 .296
C Pena 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 .207
M Joyce rf 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 .226
B Upton cf 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .228
W Aybar dh
Jul 25 4:05 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY CARL CRAWFORD SCORED JASON BARTLETT
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 4
CLEVELAND 2 TOP,5TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: E LONGORIA (.296, 0-FOR-2)
Rays 4, Guardians 2 Top 5, 0 OutsJul 25 2:29 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
FORCE OUT BY ANDY MARTE SCORED TRAVIS HAFNER
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, A MARTE ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 3
CLEVELAND 2 BOTTOM,2ND
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: M BRANTLEY (.168, 0-FOR-0, BB)
Rays 3, Guardians 2 Bot 2, 0 OutsJul 25 1:44 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
THREE-RUN HOME RUN BY REID BRIGNAC (6) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH
2 OUT IN THE 2ND OFF JUSTIN MASTERSON SCORED JOHN JASO AND
WILLY AYBAR.
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 3, CLEVELAND 1
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: J BARTLETT (.244, 2 HR, 35 RBI)
Rays 3, Guardians 1 Top 2, 0 OutsJul 25 1:35 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY CARLOS SANTANA SCORED MICHAEL BRANTLEY
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, S CHOO ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 0
CLEVELAND 1 BOTTOM,1ST
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: M LAPORTA (.259, 5 HR, 19 RBI)
Rays 0, Guardians 1 Bot 1, 0 OutsJul 25 1:23 PM
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