ST. PETERSBURG — Rays right-hander James Shields was arguably the best pitcher in interleague play last season, winning three of four starts and throwing three complete games against National League opponents.

But Shields shouldered the blame for Friday night’s 5-3 loss to Atlanta, with his two-out walk in the fifth inning and his throwing error sparking a two-run rally that gave the Braves the lead for good.

The loss, in front of 19,689 at Tropicana Field, was the Rays’ second in a row and fourth in their past five at home.

“Two-out walks are unacceptable,” Shields said. “It’s a terrible job by me. That changed the whole game. That was the game right there.”

The Rays had tied it in the third after falling behind 2-0. Shields settled into a rhythm, retiring nine of 10 batters in a stretch before the walk to Martin Prado. Shields then committed a throwing error trying to pick him off first base. Freddie Freeman then ripped a double to knock in Prado, and two batters later, catcher Brian McCann added an RBI single.

“I’ve got to do a better job as a pitcher to bear down and get that out,” Shields said. “I’m definitely going to put that loss on me tonight.”

The Braves struck first in the opening inning. Prado hit a double and Freeman followed with a single to score him. In the second, Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, bringing his farewell tour to the Trop, started a rally.

Jones, who received a standing ovation before his first at-bat, ripped a single to center, then came around to score on a two-out wild pitch by Shields.

Whether Jones plays again in this three-game series remains to be seen. He left the game in the seventh inning with a left calf bruise, having been hit in the left leg by a grounder in the third.

But the Rays bounced back, with Luke Scott and Jeff Keppinger hitting back-to-back singles in the bottom half of the first, putting runners on first and third. Elliot Johnson then laid down a perfect safety squeeze bunt down the first-base line to score one run.

In the third inning, Tampa Bay (24-16) tied it up, thanks to a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Scott, who picked up three hits one night after stranding seven runners in Thursday’s loss to the Red Sox

Shields, who entered Friday’s game with a major-league-leading six wins, saw his pitch count rise quickly in the Braves’ two-run fifth, and he was pulled after six innings and 115 pitches.

“That was the moment right there,” Maddon said. “If we had gotten through that moment, it could have been a different night.”

Atlanta added an insurance run in the seventh, when Prado blasted a solo home run off reliever J.P. Howell.

Lefty Cesar Ramos got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, keeping the Rays within striking distance.

Scott had another RBI single in the eighth, but that was as close as Tampa Bay would get.

For Shields, it was his second loss in his last three starts.

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ James Shields dominated opponents during interleague play last season.

The same can’t be said for Tommy Hanson, who hasn’t experienced much recent success against AL clubs.

With a chance to become the majors’ first seven-game winner, Shields takes the hill opposite Hanson on Friday night when the Rays open a three-game set with the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves.

Shields, who enjoyed a career year in 2011 by going 16-12 with a 2.82 ERA, posted especially impressive numbers over four starts against the NL. The All-Star right-hander opened interleague play with three complete game victories before dropping to 3-1 with a 1.32 ERA following somewhat of a rocky display during a 4-3 loss to Cincinnati on June 29. When all was said and done, Shields struck out 42 and walked just four over 34 innings while opponents hit just .145 against him.

In his only career appearance against Atlanta (24-15), Shields gave up three runs over six frames during a 3-1 road loss June 17, 2010. Shields has had his way with Dan Uggla, limiting him to just three hits in 15 at-bats in their matchups.

“We’ve faced a lot of those guys before. I think I’m the only one on the staff who faced the National League East in the past,” Shields told the team’s official website. “They’re a good team. They’re a good squad. We can’t take them lightly. We have to keep playing our game.”

Though his ERA went up to 3.52, Shields improved to 6-1 this season after giving up six runs – four earned – over 6 1-3 innings of Sunday’s 9-8 win at Baltimore. Shields is surely looking forward to getting back home, where he’s gone 8-0 with a 2.48 ERA over 10 starts – all Rays wins – dating to last year.

Hanson (4-3, 3.43), meanwhile, improved to 3-1 over his last five outings after striking out a season-high nine over five innings of one-run ball during Sunday’s 7-4 victory at St. Louis.

“I felt good with everything and for the most part did a good job of locating,” he said.

Hanson, though, could find it difficult to build on last weekend’s effort given his recent struggles in interleague play. Since compiling a 0.75 ERA in winning his first four career starts against the AL, the right-hander has gone 1-2 with a 9.78 ERA over his last four.

Hanson scattered three hits over seven shutout innings of a 6-2 victory over Tampa Bay (24-15) on June 16, 2010.

Winners of nine of 13, the Braves defeated Miami 7-0 on Thursday behind Brandon Beachy’s five-hitter. Beachy struck out six and walked zero in throwing his first career shutout.

Atlanta won nine straight in interleague play June 19-July 2 before falling 5-4 to the Orioles on July 3. The Braves have outscored Tampa Bay 113-77 in taking 15 of 21 all-time meetings between the teams.

Coming off a two-game split with Boston, Tampa Bay’s four-game winning streak was snapped Thursday with a 5-3 defeat. Matt Moore dropped to 1-4 on the season while Luke Scott, Carlos Pena, Elliot Johnson and Chris Gimenez – the club’s 3-5-7-8 hitters, went a combined 0 for 15.

Since winning 13 of their first 14 games on their own field, the Rays have dropped three of four at home thanks in part to going 5 for 34 (.147) with runners in scoring position.

Cody Ross helped the Boston Red Sox rebound from a frustrating loss.

Ross homered and drove in four runs, Felix Doubront won his third consecutive start and the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-3, on Thursday night.

“I was going after this game tonight,” Boston manager Bobby Valentine said. “The guys really wanted this game, and I was just going to do everything we could to win it. Just frustration (from Wednesday’s loss), and we wanted to get back into the winning ways.”

The Red Sox were beaten, 2-1, on Wednesday. The Rays’ go-ahead run scored when Ross, in right field, had problems with the Tropicana Field roof and had to backpedal to catch Luke Scott’s shallow sacrifice fly.

Ross extended Boston’s lead to 5-2 Thursday on a two-run single off reliever Wade Davis with two outs in the eighth.

“Cody was big,” Valentine said. “Cody will give you everything he has, and it’s enough for me.”

Doubront (4-1) allowed two runs and six hits over 52/3 innings. The left-hander was hit on the ear by a ball during batting practice Tuesday and cleared one day later to make his scheduled start.

Matt Moore (1-4) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings for Tampa Bay, which had its four-game winning streak snapped.

“I thought he finished really strong,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “That’s definitely a game to build off. He definitely pitched well enough to win. Confidence is a big thing. I know he’s going to sleep better. Despite the loss, he’s going to feel better about himself. That’s just a right step in the right direction.”

Moore retired his last 10 batters. He struck out eight and walked one.

Alfredo Aceves, the fifth Boston reliever, got four outs for his eighth save. He allowed B.J Upton’s RBI single with two outs in the eighth.

After falling behind in the count 0-2, Ross worked a bases-loaded walk off Moore to put the Red Sox up 1-0 in the first. Moore avoided further damage by striking out Daniel Nava to end the inning.

Boston went ahead 2-0 on Marlon Byrd’s second-inning homer. Ross made it 3-0 with his seventh homer, on an 0-2 pitch with two outs in the third.

Jeff Keppinger got the Rays within 3-1 on an RBI single in the third. Upton reached base with two outs when Kelly Shoppach was charged with catcher’s interference and went to second when Luke Scott was hit by a pitch.

Rich Thompson, who has played in 1,388 minor league games, cut the Tampa Bay deficit to 3-2 with his first big league hit, a run-scoring single in the fourth. Thompson, acquired in a trade with Philadelphia on Wednesday, also stole second and third after his hit.

The Rays loaded the bases later in the fourth with two outs, but Scott hit a hard liner that was caught by first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

“We always have pretty good series against the Rays,” Boston shortstop Mike Aviles said. “The fact they won (Wednesday) in a close game, and another close game today, it’s definitely good to get that win. Bobby did the right thing mixing and matching later in the game.”

Aviles was ejected in the seventh by plate umpire Dan Bellino for arguing after striking out. It was his first career ejection.

“Guys had complaints tonight and I was with them,” Valentine said. “We’ve got to fight through it, that’s for sure. We’re trying our hardest, and I think they’re trying their hardest, too.”

Tampa Bay second baseman Will Rhymes was not in the lineup a night after being hit by a pitch in the right arm, fainting after walking to first base and having to be driven off the field on a cart. Maddon said Rhymes, who is day to day with a bruised right forearm, was feeling better and wanted to take batting practice but the team trainer wouldn’t allow it.

Around the bases

Tampa Bay senior adviser Don Zimmer returned to Tropicana Field for a game for the first time since the opening weekend of the season against the New York Yankees. The 81-year-old ex-Red Sox and Cubs manager has been undergoing dialysis for kidney problems. … Valentine said DH David Ortiz will play first base and Gonzalez will move to right field for at least one game of this weekend’s interleague series at Philadelphia. … Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria (partial tear left hamstring) took grounders and continues taking batting practice.

ST. PETERSBURG — A night after their five-game winning streak was stopped, the Boston Red Sox regained their mid-May momentum, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 at Tropicana Field on Thursday. Cody Ross had a bases-loaded walk, solo home run and two-run single, and Marlon Byrd hit his first home run for Boston, helping the Red Sox gain a split in the two-game series. Felix Doubront (4-1) won his third consecutive start, allowing two runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. The Rays lost for the first time in five games and only the fourth this year at home. They made it interesting in the eighth, pulling to 5-3 on B.J. Upton’s RBI single and getting two runners in scoring position before Alfredo Aceves got Luke Scott to ground out to end the threat. Matt Moore (1-4), the Rays’ touted 22-year-old rookie, struggled in the early innings before settling in. He retired the side in his final three frames before leaving after six innings with his team trailing 3-2. Balls-and-strikes calls were an issue for the Red Sox for a second consecutive night. Adrian Gonzalez complained after Boston’s 2-1 loss Wednesday that it was hard to have “a professional at-bat” with the umpiring, and Thursday, shortstop and leadoff man Mike Aviles received his first career ejection in the seventh inning for arguing a two-out, third strike call by Dan Bellino. Righty reliever Burke Badenhop struck out the side in that frame, also getting Byrd and Kelly Shoppach. The Rays scored single runs in the third and fourth against Doubront after Boston took a 3-0 lead and threatened again in the sixth, when Ben Zobrist singled with two out and Upton doubled to put runners at first and third. Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine took the ball from Doubront, and lefty Rich Hill came on and got Scott to fly out to left. Ross’s two-run single off Wade Davis in the eighth broke the game open. The Red Sox loaded the bases and scored one run in the first against Moore, the touted rookie who has struggled with his location and high pitch counts. Aviles and David Ortiz singled, and Gonzalez, who had predicted to the Boston media he would hit a home run Thursday night, took a first-pitch fastball to the hip area. After Moore struck out Will Middlebrooks for the second out, Ross took a close 2-2 pitch off the outside corner for a ball, fouled off a couple of pitches, and drew an RBI walk. By the time Moore struck out Daniel Nave for the third out, he’d thrown 33 pitches. Byrd’s led off with a home run in the second and Ross’ two-out solo home run in the third put Boston ahead 3-0. Byrd, acquired from the Chicago Cubs last month, homered for the first time for his new team. Ross, who had homers in back-to-back games against Tampa Bay in April, hit his seventh of the year. The Rays punched back with one run each in the third and the fourth innings. Jeff Keppinger’s line-drive single to left scored B.J. Upton after a two-out rally began with a catcher’s interference call against Shoppach. Then, in the fourth, Rich Thompson’s two-out single up the middle scored Sean Rodriguez to pull the Rays to 3-2. Thompson was making his first major league start, at age 33 and a day after the Rays acquired him from the Phillies. His only previous major league at-bat had come in 2004 for Kansas City, when he hit into a double play against catcher Tim Laker, who was pitching in a mop-up role. Thompson wasn’t done, either. He followed his RBI single by stealing second and third base before the Rays left the bases loaded when Scott hit a hard line drive to first baseman Gonzalez. NOTES: Rays infielder Will Rhymes (bruised right forearm) was not in the starting lineup after getting hit by a pitch and passing out at first base Wednesday night, but he said he could take the field as soon as Friday. He said watching a replay of the incident was “kind of tough” and that he hadn’t realized “I was out like that.” … Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis (lower back strain), who began a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket on Wednesday, will play his second game Friday (and first in the field). Right-handed pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka (right elbow surgery) made his fifth minor league rehab start for Pawtucket. … The Rays are intrigued by newly acquired Thompson’s 442 minor league stolen bases, including an International League-leading 48 last year. “He’s been able to maintain his speed over time, and that’s a big part of why he’s still attractive,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. … Ortiz will likely play at least one game at first base in the weekend interleague series at Philadelphia, manager Bobby Valentine said. Gonzalez would move to right field. … Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (partial hamstring tear) worked on his hand-eye coordination before the game by taking grounders from his knees. … The Rays still haven’t announced who’ll pitch for injured Jeff Niemann on Saturday against Atlanta, but it will likely be Alex Cobb or Chris Archer from Triple-A Durham.

ST. PETERSBURG — Already, the doubts had turned to whispers. Soon, the whispers would turn to moans. Eventually, those moans were going to turn into full-blown derision.

When a career seems to be going the wrong way, this is its soundtrack. One day, the talk was that David Price was promised tomorrow, and everyone agreed he was on his way to being another CC Sabathia. The next, he was yesterday’s news, and he seemed to be stumbling down the Scott Kazmir career track.

As quick as a raised eyebrow, it seemed, Price had been marked down to half-price.

Then came Tuesday night, when a young pitcher restaked his claim as a one of the finest in the game.

For the Rays, it is difficult to imagine a finer sight than Price looking the way he used to look. He was explosive again. He was efficient again. He was there until the end again.

To sum it up, Price was dominant again in Tuesday night’s five-hit shutout over the Angels, and it has been far too long since anyone suggested that of him.

Yeah, this is how he used to look — explosive and efficient, blistering and baffling. Once again, Price was in command of the game, of his fastball, of the altered perceptions of his place in the game.

“I needed that,” Price said. “I needed to get that feeling back. It gets old coming out in the sixth inning.”

As the words left Price’s lips, you could imagine fans across Tampa Bay shouting, “Amen.” In his three previous starts this season, Price had been pulled once in the seventh, once in the sixth and once after three innings.

The result was that unsettled feeling that Price was underachieving. After all, he was second in the Cy Young Award voting only two years ago. How could he have been only 12-13 last year? How had he been less than dominant this year?

Granted, that has been the cause of much of the grumbling about Price. He was so good so fast that, by now, some expected him to be unhittable. Finish second in the Cy Young voting and people tend to expect dominance every year.

Remember what a ball of fun Price was two years ago? Remember how good he was in the big moments? Remember how he etched the initials of former teammate Tyler Morrissey (who was killed in a car crash) on his glove? Perhaps it means something, but Tuesday was the four-year anniversary of Morrissey’s death.

For the record, Price was aware of it, too. He talked to the Morrissey family before the start. Again. As he often does, he used Morrissey’s memory as motivation. Again.

In other words, yeah, he’s the same guy.

After the game, Rays manager Joe Maddon studied the Rays statistics and shook his head.

“He’s 3-1 with a 2.63 ERA,” Maddon said. “People have been, like, kind of criticizing him a little bit. Those are pretty good numbers right there. When you’re that good, there are a lot of high expectations attached to that kind of skill level. A guy like that has a kind of a speed bump, and it’s exaggerated a little bit.”

Maybe. But Price is also as talented as any pitcher on the staff, and it’s hard to imagine the Rays making a run at the postseason if he struggles. When a pitcher gets off to a slow start after an unsatisfying year, people are bound to notice.

“Absolutely, it’s out there,” Price said. “That’s in all sports. Everyone has critics. But I’m my own worst critic, so it didn’t bother me.”

Tuesday night, nothing seemed to bother Price, least of all the Angels. Maddon has suggested before that Price was still learning which of his pitches to use when, but for a night, he seemed to have figured it out.

Even more important, Price didn’t waste a lot this time. In his first three starts, Price would struggle through innings throwing 29-30 pitches. This time, he didn’t throw more than 18 in any one inning, and he had six innings in which he threw 14 or fewer.

In all, it was a start that suggests a restart. If Price keeps pitching like this, yes, the Rays can contend. If Price keeps pitching like this, yes, the Cy Young voters may remember his name.

As for Price, yes, his expectations are as high as they have ever been.

“I don’t see why they wouldn’t be,” he said. “I’m throwing the ball just fine.”

Fine, he said. Finally, some might add.

The Tampa Bay Rays are poised to compete for the American League East title in 2012. They have one of the deepest and most talented starting rotations in the Major Leagues. They have a solid offense and defense led by Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena and BJ Upton. Their bullpen has struggled at times, but Fernando Rodney has been a pleasant surprise at the back end of the Rays bullpen.

The Rays have a complete and talented team in most phases of the game. However, through the first 10% of the 2012 season, it has become apparent that the Rays bench is their biggest weakness. They have one of the weakest offensive benches in all of baseball.

They’ve already optioned Reid Brignac (.118 average, 1 RBI) and Stephen Vogt (0 for 13) to Triple-A Durham because of their early season struggles. Elliot Johnson (.091 average) and Jeff Keppinger (.196 average, 1 home run, 2 RBIs) remain on the Rays active roster in spite of their struggles.

The Rays have already attempted to bolster the bench by acquiring Brandon Allen off waivers from the Oakland A’s. Allen is a power hitting left handed batter who can be a DH, play first base and left field. Allen has shown exceptional power in the minor leagues (145 career minor league home runs), but has struggled at the Major League level (.205 average, 11 home runs, 38 RBIs in 331 career Major League at-bats).

Even though Allen has yet to have an at-bat for the Rays, they’re still pursuing additional options to bolster their bench.

On April 23, it was reported that the Rays were close to signing Hideki Matsui to a minor league deal.

Matsui is another power hitting left handed batter who can DH or play the outfield. He’s had a solid Major League career (.285 average, 173 home runs, 753 RBIs), but he’ll be 38 in June and is clearly in the twilight of his career. He’s seen his power numbers decline over the past three seasons. In 2009 he hit 28 home runs and collected 90 RBIs with the New York Yankees. In 2010 he hit 21 home runs and collected 84 RBIs with the Los Angeles Angels. In 2011 he saw his production slip to 12 home runs and 72 RBIs with the Oakland Athletics.

So, the question is can Matsui help the Rays in 2012? Based on what they have available on their bench, Matsui could provide an offensive upgrade. However, don’t expect to see Matsui in a Rays uniform anytime soon.

Matsui will be sent to extended spring training once he signs. He’ll need time to get in baseball shape before the Rays send him to Triple-A Durham.

It appears that the Rays plan is to give Brandon Allen an extended audition over the next four to six weeks while giving Matsui a chance to get into baseball shape and hopefully find his swing. If Allen struggles when he’s given a chance to play don’t be surprised to see Matsui in a Rays uniform before the All-Star break.

Hideki Matsui is no longer a premier player, but given the lack of depth on the Rays bench, Matsui could turn out to be a solid addition to the Rays bench in 2012.

Sean McDonnell has been a resident of the Tampa Bay area for the past 21 years. He is an avid fan of the Tampa Bay Rays; Tampa Bay Bucs and USF Bulls.

*statistics provided by Yahoo sports

Sources:

https://twitter.com/#!/JackCurryYES/status/194534018627280896

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/matsuhi01.shtml

Additional articles from this author:

Tampa Bay Rays Attendance Update: A Fan’s Review

James Shields Clearly Established as the Rays Ace: A Fan’s Take

Rays Feel Good Story Comes to an End as Upton Returns from the DL: A Fan’s Take

David Price Continues to Labor as Rays Pound Jays: A Fan’s Take

Rays Offense Continues to Struggle as They Await Upton’s Return: A Fan’s Take

ST. PETERSBURG — Sacrifice flies are far from flashy, and they won’t make many SportsCenter highlight reels.

But they score runs, and they were the story in the Rays’ 6-2 win over the Twins on Sunday in front of 26,507 at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay set a club record with four sacrifice flies, one shy of the single-game major-league record, in picking up its fourth win in its past five games.

“From the spectators’ perspective, it’s one of the most boring plays in all of baseball,” manager Joe Maddon said. “But from a dugout perspective, it’s very exciting. I cannot tell you how exciting it is to see that.”

Maddon might have been exaggerating a bit; the Rays dugout wasn’t exactly exploding with enthusiasm. But centerfielder B.J. Upton pointed out that since spring training, the No. 1 thing on hitters’ lists was doing better at scoring a runner from third with less than two outs. It’s something the Rays have struggled with, so a “productive out,” as Ben Zobrist calls a sacrifice fly, was much appreciated, considering Tampa Bay had a 2-0 lead in the fourth before getting their first hit off left-hander Francisco Liriano.

“I got to thinking about has there ever been a no-hitter and a loss?” third baseman Evan Longoria said. “Either way, we’re going to have to do those kind of plays to win games. We’re not a team that really is going to be able to rely on a three-run home run to win a whole lot of games.”

That was more than enough support for right-hander Jeff Niemann, who picked up his first win of the season, allowing just two runs and three hits over 5? innings. It came one day after Niemann said he got “chills” watching former Rice University teammate Phil Humber throw a perfect game Saturday for the White Sox.

“For a minute there, I didn’t think it was going to be real,” Niemann said. “It was fun seeing him go out there and do that. He put some pressure on me to do something myself.”

Niemann did his best Humber impression early on, carrying a no-hitter into the fifth until Clete Thomas broke it up with a single with two outs.

“It was weird, just with what Humber did the day before, and us being in college for three years together, pitching behind each other, it just kind of was almost, ‘Here it goes again,’ ” Niemann said. “It was fun.”

Some strong bullpen work by Jake McGee, who struck out Justin Morneau with the bases loaded in the fifth, and Fernando Rodney, who has finished all but one of the Rays’ wins, made the lead stick.

The Rays (9-7) started with two sacrifice flies in the third inning, when they loaded the bases with no outs before getting RBI flyouts by Desmond Jennings and Zobrist. In the fourth, Longoria doubled off the B-ring catwalk, advanced to third on a Jeff Keppinger flyout and scored on an Upton sacrifice fly to left, his first of two in the game. The Mariners were the last team to have as many sacrifice flies, recording five April 15, 2008, against the Royals.

“A sacrifice fly goes down as an RBI and no plate appearance,” said Jennings, who also hit a two-run homer. “So it’s a plus on both sides.”

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com.

DETROIT — Miguel Cabrera doubled and scored on Prince Fielder’s single, part of a snowy eighth-inning rally that gave the Detroit Tigers a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.

After Fielder’s tiebreaking single, a light snow shower passed briefly over Comerica Park. Jhonny Peralta added a sacrifice fly later in the inning, and Gerald Laird’s RBI single gave the Tigers a three-run lead. Phil Coke (1-0) pitched the eighth, and Jose Valverde finished for his first save of the season.

Valverde blew a save for the first time since 2010 in Thursday’s opener against Boston.

Austin Jackson homered for Detroit, which is the AL’s last unbeaten team after handing the Rays their first defeat.

Rick Porcello allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings for the Tigers in a game that began amid snow flurries with the temperature in the 40s. Porcello struck out four and walked one.

Tampa Bay’s Matt Moore allowed two runs and four hits in 6 2-3 innings. He walked five – one intentionally – and struck out four in his second career regular-season start. The 22-year-old also started a playoff game last year, not long after making his debut.

The Rays intentionally walked Cabrera in the fifth to load the bases for Fielder, and the move worked when he lifted a routine fly to left that ended the inning. With first base open in the eighth, Tampa Bay chose to pitch to Fielder. He singled up the middle off Jake McGee (0-1), and Cabrera lumbered around to score for a 3-2 lead.

Tampa Bay had gone ahead 2-1 in the seventh on an RBI infield single by Desmond Jennings, but Jackson homered in the bottom half off Moore.

Detroit has won its first four games – three in its final at-bat. The Rays lost for the first time after a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees. It was their first regular-season loss in nine games. They won their last five of 2011 to snatch a surprising playoff berth.

Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the third when Evan Longoria drew a bases-loaded walk. Detroit tied it in the bottom half when Moore’s wild pitch enabled Jackson to score.

NOTES: Tampa Bay OF Luke Scott missed the game and is day to day with a tight left hamstring. … Tigers manager Jim Leyland said INF Brandon Inge (strained left groin) was heading to Triple-A Toledo for a rehabilitation assignment Tuesday night. … Leyland also said LHP Adam Wilk will pitch Saturday against the White Sox in Chicago. Detroit had a vacancy in its rotation after Doug Fister went on the DL with a left side strain. … There also was a light snow shower in the fifth inning. … Tampa Bay used a starting pitcher age 30 or younger for a 900th consecutive game, a streak dating to 2006.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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The old saying warns that too much of a good thing may not be good after all. Just ask any child who couldn’t resist following up a hearty dinner with a plentiful bowl of ice cream.

The brain-trust of the Tampa Bay Rays, however, has chosen to defy this wisdom. In spite of weaknesses at other positions, the club clung to its chips and entered spring training with 6 worthy starting pitchers for 5 available spots.

Though all received a month of evaluation, the decision essentially became a competition between Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis for the final place in the rotation.

Rookie Matt Moore may be less experienced, but the Rays already revealed their substantial faith in the 22 year-old when he surprisingly earned the game 1 start in last year’s ALDS against a formidable Texas Rangers lineup.

With spring training reaching its final days, Manager Joe Maddon ended the suspense earlier this week by announcing the victor of this informal pitching battle.

5th year hurler Jeff Niemann will be assigned the last spot amongst the club’s talented array of starting pitchers. In coming up short, Tampa Bay further announced that 4th year player Wade Davis will head to the bullpen.

Both pitchers received similar playing time during the spring and produced comparable results. During the Grapefruit League schedule, Niemann has started 4 games for 13.1 innings and given up 16 hits for a 4.05 ERA with 11 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Davis has earned 5 starts for 18.1 innings and yielded 22 hits for a 4.91 ERA with 13 strikeouts.

Based on those numbers, perhaps a slight edge could be given to the 29 year-old Niemann. However, the decisive factors likely included that the Texas native is more experienced, possesses better control, and serves as an intimidating presence on the mound at 6’9″.

While Davis has handled the demotion nobly, this will be his first stint in the bullpen during his major league career. Though the Floridian worked from the pen in last year’s playoffs, each of Davis’ 64 appearances since 2009 has been starts.

Being used in shorter increments, The Rays may hope that Davis improves the inconsistent velocity on his fastball. His loss of speed became an issue in 2011 and is viewed as an impediment to maturing into an elite pitcher.

If a skeptic, one could consider the team’s recent rash of injuries, as well as the past offensive black holes at catcher and shortstop, and wonder if this excess of pitching could be better employed. Additionally, prospects Alex Cobb and Alex Torres both impressed at camp and will undoubtedly knock on the big leagues’ doors from Triple A.

In the Rays’ defense, this is a decision that many teams would execute. In his opening press conference of the spring, number crunching General Manager Andrew Friedman pointed out the inevitably of injuries, which typically mandate 7-9 starting pitchers over the course of 162 games.

Furthermore, nothing is more coveted in baseball than strong starting pitching. Given the game’s recent preference for small ball, superior pitching tends to overcome equally capable offense, especially in the middle of a pennant chase.

For these reasons, the Rays have resisted the temptation to deal the excess of starting pitching. As the team prepares for Opening Day, Jeff Niemann will remain in the rotation, while Wade Davis adds depth to the bullpen.

Yet, if the lengthy baseball season has taught us anything, expect this to remain a fluid situation.

Sources:

Yahoo! Sports, Rays.com, Draysbay.com, Rays press conference of 2/20/12

More by Jeff Briscoe from Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Competition at Shortstop Continues in Tampa Bay

Jeff Briscoe is a regular contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and a follower of the Tampa Bay Rays. He co-hosts The Sports Train radio show on 1580am WCCF in Southwest Florida.

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