Rays 6 - 2 Orioles
Final
  for this game

Rays hope brighter days are ahead

Mar 31, 2008 - 12:52 PM Tampa Bay (0-0) at Baltimore (0-0) 3:05 pm EDT

BALTIMORE (Ticker) - For the first time in franchise history, the Tampa Bay Rays have optimism heading into a season.

With a new nickname, the Rays face the American League East rival Baltimore Orioles in the season opener for both teams Monday.

In their 10-year history, the Rays have lost at least 91 games and finished in last place in each campaign, including a 66-96 mark last season.

However, the Rays look to have a young core to finally build around.

The Rays have talent on offense, led by the speedy Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena, who won Comeback Player of the Year honors last season after hitting 46 homers and knocking in 121 runs.

There also would seem to be some improvement in place on the pitching staff, an area that has been a constant source of trouble since the Rays' inception in 1998.

However, the Rays will begin the season without their ace as Scott Kazmir is on the disabled list with an left elbow injury.

James Shields, who went 12-8 with a respectable 3.85 for the Rays last season, gets the nod on Opening Day. The righthander pitched well against Baltimore last season, going 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA in five starts. He pitched to a 2.12 ERA in two outings here.

While things appear to be looking up for the Rays, the Orioles appear to be headed for an 11th straight losing season. Baltimore last had a winning campaign when it went 98-64 and won the AL East in 1997.

Another losing campaign would seem to be a certainty after the Orioles traded former MVP Miguel Tejada and ace lefthander Erik Bedard in the offseason. The club also is expected to trade second baseman Brian Roberts at some point this season.

Jeremy Guthrie, one of the few bright spots for the Orioles in 2007, makes his first Opening Day start. The righthander went 7-5 with a 3.70 ERA last season.

Guthrie went 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA in four appearances against Tampa Bay last season.








  • AL
    FINAL
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
    - - - - - - - - - - - -
    TAMPA BAY 0 0 3 1 0 2 0 0 0 6 10 1
    BALTIMORE 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 1 (FINAL)

    BATTERIES: TAM - JAMES SHIELDS, TREVER MILLER (8TH), AL REYES (8TH), DAN
    WHEELER (9TH) AND DIONER NAVARRO
    BAL - JEREMY GUTHRIE, MATT ALBERS (6TH), BRIAN BURRES
    (9TH) AND RAMO

    Mar 31 5:38 PM


  • AL
    AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY JASON BARTLETT SCORED ERIC HINSKE.
    SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J BARTLETT ON FIRST, D NAVARRO ON SECOND, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 6
    BALTIMORE 2 TOP, 6TH
    DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: A IWAMURA (.000, 0-FOR-3)

    Rays 6, Orioles 2  Top 6, 0 OutsMar 31 4:38 PM


  • AL
    AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY DIONER NAVARRO SCORED CLIFF FLOYD.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, D NAVARRO ON FIRST, E HINSKE ON SECOND, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 5
    BALTIMORE 2 TOP, 6TH
    DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: J BARTLETT (.000, 0-FOR-1, HBP)

    Rays 5, Orioles 2  Top 6, 0 OutsMar 31 4:37 PM


  • AL
    AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
    SOLO HOME RUN BY ERIC HINSKE (1) TO RIGHT WITH 0 OUT IN THE
    4TH OFF JEREMY GUTHRIE.
    CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 4, BALTIMORE 2
    DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: D NAVARRO (1.000, 1-FOR-1)

    Rays 4, Orioles 2  Top 4, 0 OutsMar 31 4:02 PM


  • AL
    AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY B.J. UPTON SCORED AKINORI IWAMURA AND CARL
    CRAWFORD.
    SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, B UPTON ON FIRST, C PENA ON SECOND, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 3
    BALTIMORE 2 TOP, 3RD
    DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: C FLOYD (.000, 0-FOR-1)

    Rays 3, Orioles 2  Top 3, 0 OutsMar 31 3:49 PM


  • AL
    AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
    ERROR BY MELVIN MORA ALLOWED DIONER NAVARRO TO SCORE.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, C CRAWFORD ON FIRST, A IWAMURA ON SECOND, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 1
    BALTIMORE 2 TOP, 3RD
    DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: C PENA (.000, 0-FOR-1)

    Rays 1, Orioles 2  Top 3, 0 OutsMar 31 3:46 PM


  • AL
    AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
    DOUBLE BY KEVIN MILLAR SCORED BRIAN ROBERTS AND NICK
    MARKAKIS.
    SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, K MILLAR ON SECOND, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 0
    BALTIMORE 2 BOTTOM, 1ST
    DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: A HUFF (.000, 0 HR, 0 RBI)

    Rays 0, Orioles 2  Bot 1, 0 OutsMar 31 3:24 PM
  • mark i'm with ya. we're looking at a clash of the titans here kids...

    Rays vs. OriolesMar 31 2:17 PM
  • goCapsRavens I think this series is going to foreshadow the AL championship
    /sarcasm

    Rays vs. OriolesMar 31 1:33 PM

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