Final
  for this game

Shields, Devil Rays to face Hernandez, Mariners

Sep 14, 2007 - 1:54 PM Tampa Bay (61-86) at Seattle (77-68) 10:05 pm EDT

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- With the Seattle Mariners quickly spiraling out of contention and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays out of the race for the 10th year in a row, at least Friday's pitching matchup should provide some drama.

The Devil Rays will send James Shields to the mound in the second game of a four-game series at Safeco Field against Mariners ace Felix Hernandez.

Shields (12-8, 3.96 ERA) has been one of the few bright spots for Tampa Bay this season, emerging as a perfect complement to lefthanded ace Scott Kazmir. Shields, 25, has been on fire of late, going 4-1 with a 2.37 ERA over his last seven starts.

The righthanded Shields has faced the Mariners twice in his career - both times last season - going 0-1 while allowing three runs in 15 1/3 total innings.

Hernandez (12-7, 4.17) has been struggling to find any consistency this season, going from dominating one week to getting knocked around the next.

Hernandez has surrendered four earned runs or more in six of his last 10 outings but has limited his opponents to two earned runs or less in his other four starts over that span.

Just 21 years old, Hernandez has a bright future ahead if he can learn to harness his impressive arsenal. In three career starts against the Devil Rays, he owns a 1-1 record with a 3.47 ERA.

Seattle earned an 8-7 win in the opener on Thursday, erasing a 7-1 deficit against the Devil Rays' bullpen. The Mariners won for just the fourth time in their last 19 contests to pull 5 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees (83-63) in the wild card race.








  • AL
    FINAL
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
    - - - - - - - - - - - -
    TAMPA BAY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 6 0
    SEATTLE 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 7 0 (FINAL)

    BATTERIES: TAM - JAMES SHIELDS, GARY GLOVER (9TH) AND DIONER NAVARRO
    SEA - FELIX HERNANDEZ, GEORGE SHERRILL (8TH), J.J. PUTZ
    (9TH) AND KENJI JOHJIMA, JAMIE BURKE (9TH)

    HOME

    Sep 15 12:40 AM


  • AL
    AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
    SACRIFICE FLY BY JOSE GUILLEN SCORED ICHIRO SUZUKI.
    FINAL SCORE: SEATTLE 2, TAMPA BAY 1

    Rays vs. MarinersSep 15 12:40 AM
  • 40
    roots
    RUWTbot Took away 25 roots (Close Finish)

    Rays vs. MarinersSep 15 12:40 AM
  • 65
    roots
    senorpepr Added 5 roots

    Rays vs. MarinersSep 15 12:19 AM
  • 60
    roots
    RUWTbot Added 60 roots (Close Finish)

    Rays vs. MarinersSep 15 12:15 AM


  • AL
    AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
    DOUBLE BY JORGE VELANDIA SCORED JONNY GOMES.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J VELANDIA ON SECOND, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 1
    SEATTLE 1 TOP, 8TH
    DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: A IWAMURA (.285, 1-FOR-3)

    Rays vs. MarinersSep 15 12:02 AM


  • AL
    AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
    WILLIE BLOOMQUIST HIT INTO DOUBLE PLAY SCORING JOSE VIDRO.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 0
    SEATTLE 1 BOTTOM, 5TH
    DUE UP FOR SEATTLE: Y BETANCOURT (.290, 0-FOR-1)

    Rays vs. MarinersSep 14 11:20 PM