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.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 24 (UPI) — David Price hurled a five-hit shutout Tuesday and the Tampa Bay Rays belted four homers in their 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Price (3-1) tamed the Angels on five hits, issuing only one walk while striking out six en route to his second career shutout and first since 2010.

The left-hander allowed only one runner to reach as far as third base and tossed 80 of his 119 pitches for strikes in the dominating performance, which handed the Rays a win in the opener of a three-game set.

Desmond Jennings, Luke Scott, B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena each hit solo homers in the victory.

The Angels’ Ervin Santana (0-4) lost a fourth straight start to start the season, allowing five runs on eight hits over five frames.

The Tampa Bay Rays have one of the deepest and most talented starting pitching rotations in the Major Leagues. They’re in the same class as the starting rotations for the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals.

Every starting rotation has an ace. The Phillies have Roy Halladay, the Giants have Tim Lincecum, the Angles have Jered Weaver and the Nationals have Stephen Strasburg.

Over the past two seasons James Shields has re-established himself as the clear ace of the Rays staff.

In 2007, when the Rays were still the perennial bottom feeding Devil Rays, Shields first became entrenched as the most consistent pitcher in Tampa Bay. It was his first full season in the Major Leagues and he posted a solid 12-8 record with a 3.85 ERA while throwing 215 innings.

Shields continued to be the face of the Rays pitching staff in 2008 when he anchored a rotation that led the Rays all the way to the World Series. Along the way Shields posted a 14-8 record with a 3.56 ERA over 215 innings. He tossed three complete games and two shutouts. In 2008 he lived up to his nickname, “Big Game”.

Unfortunately, Shields saw his effectiveness decrease in 2009 when he went 11-12 with a 4.14 ERA.

David Price, the Rays flame throwing lefty, surpassed Shields as the ace of the Rays staff in 2010 while leading the Rays to their second AL East title in three years. During that season Price went 19-6 with a 2.72 ERA.

One of the few disappointments for the Rays in 2010 was the performance of James Shields. His record slipped to 13-15 and his ERA ballooned up to 5.18. Rays fans stopped calling him “Big Game” and his nickname became “James Yields”.

Before the 2011 season, the Rays coaching staff talked about how they had corrected Shields mechanics and expected him to once again be one of the elite pitchers in the American League. Shields and the Rays were optimistic that he would return to the form he displayed from 2007-2008, but Rays’ fans were skeptical.

In 2011, Shields wasn’t the same “Big Game” Rays fans saw in 2007 and 2008. He was even better. He posted career bests in wins (16), ERA (2.82), complete games (11), shutouts (4), innings pitched (249.1) and strike outs (225). His exceptional performance was rewarded by being chosen for his first All-Star game and finishing third in the AL Cy Young voting.

Based on his stellar performance in 2011, the Rays named Shields their opening day starter for the 2012 season. At the start of the season the Rays talked about how they were fortunate to have two number one starters in their rotation. Shields was 1 and David Price was 1-A.

The 2012 season got off to a shaky start for Shields. During the season opener, against the New York Yankees, he gave up six earned runs in just five innings. However, in his last three starts (3-0), Shields has been lights out. He’s thrown 24.1 innings and allowed just three runs en route to victories over the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins.

While continuing to prove that he is one of the top pitchers in the AL, Shields has clearly established himself as the true number one starter in the Rays rotation.

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:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/shielja02.shtml

Additional articles from this author:

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

Are the Rays Early Season Pitching Woes a Cause for Concern?: A Fan’s Take

Four Possible Replacements for Sam Fuld: A Fan’s Take

Can the Tampa Bay Rays hang with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees in the American League East? As I predicted in my preview of the division, they’ll be in the thick of the race. But in terms of fantasy baseball, does it really matter? Tampa has a talented team and these five Rays will help you stay in the race for your fantasy baseball championship — and that’s all that matters, right?

Desmond Jennings (OF) – Some fantasy owners may take B.J. Upton over Jennings, but I rolled the dice last year on Upton’s upside and won’t do it again. I’d rather ride with Jennings, who in 247 at-bats last season banged out 10 homers and stole 22 bags. Project those numbers over a full season — and Jennings should get plenty of playing time in 2012 — and you have a major category contributor. The former top prospect may be a reach before round eighth, unless you play in a keepers league.

James Shields (OF) – Shields was a mess in 2010, but he bounced back in a big way last season. In addition to hurling an MLB-best 11 complete games, he went 16-12 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. Shields appears to have unlocked his potential and with the Rays holding a contract option for next season, he should be extra motivated to duplicate last season’s performance. With an abundance of quality pitchers in the draft, however, you can wait until the eighth round to pick Shields.

Ben Zobrist (2B/OF) – Zobrist is one of the more underrated players in fantasy baseball. He provides solid, across-the-board production, especially for a middle infielder. Over the last three seasons, he is averaging 19 homers, 86 RBI and 20 stolen bases. And that includes a down year in 2010. Furthermore, Zobrist walks a ton and is a doubles-hitting machine, making him valuable in OPS leagues. If you’re still looking for a second baseman by round five, don’t let Zobrist get away, as the position is thin.

David Price (SP) – After winning 19 games in 2010, Price slumped to a record of 12-13 last season. His overall numbers, however, weren’t terrible. His ERA jumped to 3.49 from 2.72 the year before, but his strikeouts went up to 218 and his WHIP dropped to 1.14. Those numbers indicate Price may have been the victim of bad luck last season and is due for a bounce-back season. The price is right in the fifth round.

Evan Longoria (3B) – Longoria blasted 33 home runs and knocked in 99 runs, but his career-low .244 batting average frustrated many fantasy baseball owners in 2011. Remember, he missed nearly the first month of the season and batted .263 in May. In September, however, he pulverized the baseball with a .289 batting average, seven homers and 22 RBI. In my opinion, the 26-year-old is poised for a huge season and possibly a run at the AL MVP. Draft him in the second round.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, draft projections are based on participation in a 10-team fantasy baseball league with standard 5×5 scoring.

More fantasy baseball from this Yahoo! contributor:
Fan’s Take: Top Five Boston Red Sox in Fantasy Baseball
Fan’s Take: Top Five Toronto Blue Jays in Fantasy Baseball
Fan’s Take: Top Five Baltimore Orioles in Fantasy Baseball
Adam Martini is a freelance sports writer who roots for the New York Mets (and any team that is playing the New York Yankees ). A dedicated fantasy baseball player since 1998, his games of choice growing up were Strat-O-Matic and MicroLeague Baseball
Sources

Baseball-Reference.com.

The Official Site of Major League Baseball.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rays face a problem most teams would love to have: a surplus of starting pitchers.

On Tuesday, manager Joe Maddon used two of them — David Price and Matt Moore — in the same game.

Price worked into the fourth inning, and Moore made his spring debut with a hitless 1 2-3 innings in the Rays’ 7-7 10-inning tie with the Baltimore Orioles.

Price threw 60 pitches in 3 2-3 innings and allowed the Orioles’ biggest inning of the spring — four runs — keyed by a three-run homer by Jai Miller. Miller also had two doubles.

Moore, the heralded left-hander who made his major league debut in mid-September and started the first game of the ALDS against Texas on Oct. 1, struck out three and walked one after missing time with abdominal soreness.

It was Price’s third start of the spring, and he hadn’t allowed a run in his first three innings. In his last start March 8, Price suffered a neck spasm after drying himself with a towel. It turned out to be nothing serious, but Maddon joked before the game that it was B.Y.O.T. for the Rays.

Price said he air dried this time, but the attention was on Moore, who showed enough to the Rays that they signed him to a five-year contract after just three regular-season games.

“Matt Moore was exceptional today. He looked pretty comfortable out there,” Maddon said.

Maddon watched Moore throw simulated games and was impressed.

“He was throwing really well there too, but not as sharp as I saw today,” Maddon said.

Moore joked that he had already worked in the playoffs, but spring training presented other problems.

“Now, the butterflies are out of the way,” he said. “It was a warm day, so it didn’t take much for me to get my body going. I felt like I’m supposed to feel.”

Price had hoped to complete four innings.

“We’re getting there,” he said.

He was happy to see another left-hander do well and liked Moore’s stuff, too.

“He’s got the equalizer on the changeup,” Price said. “Most hitters don’t see that very good.”

Tampa Bay scored five runs in the ninth for a 7-5 lead, and Ryan Flaherty hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning for the Orioles.

Baltimore scored its most runs of spring training.

“We had some good at-bats. It’s the time of the spring where you start getting some more sense of urgency as you move forward,” manager Buck Showalter said.

Starter Jason Hammel pitched three innings for the Orioles, allowing one run and a hit.

Notes: Baltimore 2B Brian Roberts, who hasn’t played since last May because of a concussion, took batting practice and fielded ground balls before the game. It was the first time he’s done that in public view. “It’s one thing to hit on the back field with three coaches shagging and another thing with all the guys out there and people in the stands and music on,” Roberts said. … Orioles OF Nick Markakis will play Wednesday for the first time after January surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle. He’ll be the designated hitter and isn’t scheduled to play in the field until March 20. … Rays DH Luke Scott faced Baltimore for the first time since the team didn’t renew his contract in December. He was 0 for 2 with a walk. … Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria was hitless in three at-bats in his second spring game. … Maddon will have his head shaved Thursday to generate awareness for pediatric cancer. He’s encouraging his players to join him. “If you want to get your hair cut off, 80-degree weather is the perfect time,” he said.

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Rays face a problem most teams would love to have: a surplus of starting pitchers.

On Tuesday, manager Joe Maddon used two of them – David Price and Matt Moore – in the same game.

Price worked into the fourth inning, and Moore made his spring debut with a hitless 1 2-3 innings in the Rays‘ 7-7 10-inning tie with the Baltimore Orioles.

Price threw 60 pitches in 3 2-3 innings and allowed the Orioles‘ biggest inning of the spring – four runs – keyed by a three-run homer by Jai Miller. Miller also had two doubles.

Moore, the heralded left-hander who made his major league debut in mid-September and started the first game of the ALDS against Texas on Oct. 1, struck out three and walked one after missing time with abdominal soreness.

It was Price’s third start of the spring, and he hadn’t allowed a run in his first three innings. In his last start March 8, Price suffered a neck spasm after drying himself with a towel. It turned out to be nothing serious, but Maddon joked before the game that it was B.Y.O.T. for the Rays.

Price said he air dried this time, but the attention was on Moore, who showed enough to the Rays that they signed him to a five-year contract after just three regular-season games.

”Matt Moore was exceptional today. He looked pretty comfortable out there,” Maddon said.

Maddon watched Moore throw simulated games and was impressed.

”He was throwing really well there too, but not as sharp as I saw today,” Maddon said.

Moore joked that he had already worked in the playoffs, but spring training presented other problems.

”Now, the butterflies are out of the way,” he said. ”It was a warm day, so it didn’t take much for me to get my body going. I felt like I’m supposed to feel.”

Price had hoped to complete four innings.

”We’re getting there,” he said.

He was happy to see another left-hander do well and liked Moore’s stuff, too.

”He’s got the equalizer on the changeup,” Price said. ”Most hitters don’t see that very good.”

Tampa Bay scored five runs in the ninth for a 7-5 lead, and Ryan Flaherty hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning for the Orioles.

Baltimore scored its most runs of spring training.

”We had some good at-bats. It’s the time of the spring where you start getting some more sense of urgency as you move forward,” manager Buck Showalter said.

Starter Jason Hammel pitched three innings for the Orioles, allowing one run and a hit.

Notes: Baltimore 2B Brian Roberts, who hasn’t played since last May because of a concussion, took batting practice and fielded ground balls before the game. It was the first time he’s done that in public view. ”It’s one thing to hit on the back field with three coaches shagging and another thing with all the guys out there and people in the stands and music on,” Roberts said. … Orioles OF Nick Markakis will play Wednesday for the first time after January surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle. He’ll be the designated hitter and isn’t scheduled to play in the field until March 20. … Rays DH Luke Scott faced Baltimore for the first time since the team didn’t renew his contract in December. He was 0 for 2 with a walk. … Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria was hitless in three at-bats in his second spring game. … Maddon will have his head shaved Thursday to generate awareness for pediatric cancer. He’s encouraging his players to join him. ”If you want to get your hair cut off, 80-degree weather is the perfect time,” he said.

PORT CHARLOTTE — Rays RHP Alex Cobb said he has been upset with his fastball location during camp, even though Friday was just his second appearance since August surgery.

Cobb found little solace after he watched, and heard, one of his errant fastballs hit Orioles LF Nolan Reimold in the jaw in the first inning of a 3-3 tie at Charlotte Sports Park.

Reimold was on the ground for several minutes before getting up on his own. He was carted off the field and taken to a hospital, where a CT scan was negative. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said the ball hit Reimold’s helmet and jaw equally, and he was relieved to hear Reimold had no breaks, just a loose tooth, but it could have been worse.

Said Cobb, “That’s probably the worst feeling you can have as a pitcher is seeing someone like that, being the cause of a guy taking a step back in his career possibly. It’s just something you never want to see on a baseball field. And when you’re the cause of it, it’s a feeling you can’t describe.”

Said Rays manager Joe Maddon: “It’s an awful feeling, an awful moment for everybody.”

Cobb said he got Reimold’s phone number through their common agent and planned to check on him. Other than that moment, Cobb was happy with how he felt during his three shutout innings, in which he allowed two hits and two walks and struck out two.

The fastball command will come as he works his way back from surgery to remove a blood clot and blockage in the area of his first right rib.

“He’s got great fight,” Maddon said. “When you hit someone like that, it can be unsettling, but he was okay after that, and I liked that. That’s just part of this game; it stinks sometimes.”

ON TRACK: 3B Evan Longoria (bruised right hand) was encouraged after taking batting practice, and he hopes to play in the next few days.

Longoria, who has been limited since getting hit by a Matt Bush pitch March 1, said he felt great after taking his regular swings in the cage.

The key will be any residual soreness Longoria has today; he didn’t expect any. Longoria planned to face LHP Matt Moore in live batting practice today. Though he doesn’t want to put a timetable on his return, if all goes well, Longoria could be in the lineup Sunday against the Pirates.

“It’s only been, what, five, six days, but it always seems like eternity,” Longoria said of being sidelined. “I’m really looking forward to getting back out there. Fortunately we have a lot of time left.”

HELPING HAND: INF Sean Rodriguez got X-rays and saw a hand specialist in St. Petersburg about his injured left index finger. Rodriguez said though the knuckle is badly sprained and swollen, he should be back in two to three days. “When I talked to the hand doctor, he said it’s all pain tolerance,” Rodriguez said. “I said, ‘In that case, I’m good.’ “

PRICE CHECK: LHP David Price‘s neck felt better, but it was still stiff, one day after having minor spasms while toweling off. Price said he didn’t know when he would throw next, but he still didn’t expect the injury to throw him off schedule.

MISCELLANY: 3B Matt Mangini had a two-run single and OF Brad Coon hit a solo homer for the Rays (2-5-1). … LHP Alex Torres struggled with his command, walking three and hitting a batter in two innings. … The attendance at Charlotte Sports Park was 4,179. … SS Reid Brignac was off after playing two days straight, Maddon said.

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

PORT CHARLOTTE — Just when the Rays were starting to feel better, INF Sean Rodriguez left Thursday’s split-squad game in Fort Myers with a left index finger injury.

The Rays called it a sprain and might send him for X-rays today. Rodriguez said he was confident — or at least optimistic — that it wasn’t anything serious that would cost him time in the competition with Reid Brignac for the starting shortstop job. He was hurt trying to tag Twins CF Denard Span on a first-inning steal attempt.

“I think it’s just jammed,” Rodriguez said after arriving back in Port Charlotte with his finger in a makeshift splint. “We’ll see.”

Otherwise — well, in addition to the couple of days LHP David Price might miss from his rogue towel incident — the Rays’ injury list is finally shrinking.

OF Sam Fuld, limited due to inflammation in his right wrist, is set to make his debut today after going through live batting practice.

“Ready, able, of avail,” Fuld said.

The three pitchers who threw in the morning have also been cleared for their first games. RHP Brandon Gomes (coming off back surgery) will pitch Sunday, RHP Kyle Farnsworth (cautious handling) on Monday and rookie LHP Matt Moore (lower abdominal strain) on Tuesday.

3B Evan Longoria took swings at flipped balls with no issues from his bruised right hand and, assuming no problems this morning, will go through the first of two planned batting practice days before being cleared for his first game.

Meanwhile, DH Luke Scott, will be held back a few more days. Scott, recovering from right shoulder surgery in July, said he felt fine physically taking batting practice, but his mechanics, specifically his front hip, were way off.

“Definitely not ready,” he said.

Brignac was scuffed up after Tigers INF Audy Ciriaco slid into him, unexpectedly, on a steal attempt.

FOR STARTERS: Manager Joe Maddon will talk to the pitchers today and announce the obvious and expected selection of RHP James Shields as the starter for the April 6 opener.

TALL AT SHORT: INF Tim Beckham was used at second base for a second straight day. Maddon said it’s an effort to increase his versatility for the future, not the precursor to a position change.

“He is a shortstop. That’s not changed,” he said.

PITCHING IN: LHP Jake McGee was encouraged after a scoreless inning against the Twins in his spring debut, which was delayed after he was struck on the left elbow by a ball when watching batting practice.

“It felt good to get out there and feel comfortable and be able to let it go and not have any thought about my arm at all,” McGee said.

Prospect RHP Chris Archer got off to a shaky start in Fort Myers, putting the first two on and falling behind C Joe Mauer 3-and-1. But after some calming words from 1B Carlos Peña, he got out of trouble and worked two scoreless innings.

“I felt normal,” Archer said.

RHP Jeremy Hellickson pitched in relief against the Tigers in Port Charlotte. And as usual when he comes out of the pen, it didn’t go well as he allowed three runs on four hits in his second inning.

“I’d like to do a little better than I did, but I felt really good,” he said. “That was the main thing.”

GAME DETAILS, VS. TWINS: The Rays won 1-0 when shortstop prospect Hak-Ju Lee sparked a two-out ninth-inning rally. Lee walked, stole second and, with a large lead, hustled home on an infield error on Beckham’s grounder. “That was excellent baserunning by Hak,” bench coach Dave Martinez said. “That wins ball games.” … LF Desmond Jennings had two opposite-field singles.

GAME DETAILS, VS. TIGERS: The Rays lost 8-1 with ex-mate OF Delmon Young hitting a three-run homer off LHP Cesar Ramos after 3B Miguel Cabrera got the first of his three hits then stole third. … Maddon said Ramos might not have been fully ready after Price’s early departure. … LHP J.P. Howell had a rough eighth, allowing three hits and two walks.

MISCELLANY: With a large dose of Tigers fans, the Rays had their first spring sellout, announced at 6,926. … Hellickson signs autographs from 5 to 6 today at the Port Charlotte Wal-Mart.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP)—David Price felt fine on the mound—his
activity off it was the problem.

Price left Tampa Bay Rays’ 8-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday with
minor neck spasms sustained while he was drying his neck with a towel between
innings.

“It’s happened to me two times before,” Price explained. “The towel just
catches the back of my head and it pulls my neck forward. I just felt it a
little bit in back of my neck and just wanted to be cautious with it.”

Price gave up two scoreless innings for the Rays in his second spring start,
giving up three hits with a walk and a strikeout. He was slated to pitch a third
inning.

Price and Rays manager Joe Maddon said it won’t be a setback and that Price
should be fine within a few days.

“I felt all right,” Price said of his outing. “That’s the best I’ve felt
all spring training, body-wise, arm-wise. I didn’t feel any soreness, any
stiffness anywhere, so that was good.”

Doug Fister was sharp for the Tigers, pitching three scoreless innings,
Delmon Young hit a three-run homer and Miguel Cabrera added three big hits for
the Tigers.

Detroit manager Jim Leyland credits the early offensive prowess to the
amount of batting practice against pitchers they saw early in camp.

“That makes a difference,” Leyland said.

Young, who took Rays reliever Cesar Ramos deep in the third inning, said
that while the team is feeding off of Prince Fielder and Cabrera, pitchers
aren’t using their full assortment of pitches yet.

“You could see with Price and (Jeremy) Hellickson, they’re just throwing
fastballs right now,” said Young. “They weren’t mixing their breaking balls
or anything. Then when the season comes around and they start mixing it up and
when the lights come on, then you see the real hitters.”

Cabrera barely missed a home run with one out in the top of the third inning
when he launched a ball off the top of the left-center field wall.

“That’s OK,” Cabrera said. “Big doubles.”

The slugger went on to steal third base on his own before Young homered.

The Rays, still without Evan Longoria and Luke Scott, only mustered three
hits.

“They’re a pretty good ballclub and we didn’t have any offensive momentum
to keep us in the game,” Maddon said. “We didn’t hit. They hit.”

Hellickson pitched two innings for the Rays, giving up three runs on four
hits and striking out two. The right-hander was sharp in the fifth inning but
was roughed around by the Tigers in the sixth.

The reigning AL Rookie of the Year said he was more worried about throwing
strikes and working on his pitches than the results.

“It’s nice to go out there and do a little better than I did, but I felt
good,” Hellickson said of his outing.

NOTES: Rays 3B Evan Longoria (hand) took swings in a batting cage Thursday,
but must take batting practice a few more times before playing in a game. …
Rays LF Sam Fuld (wrist) will play Friday. … Rays DH Scott (shoulder) will
not play Friday. … Rays LHP Matt Moore (lower abdominal strain) threw batting
practice to Scott and Fuld and will pitch Tuesday. … Tigers SS Ramon Santiago
had three hits on Thursday. … Cabrera said he’s not worried about the lack of
groundballs hit his way thus far.

PORT CHARLOTTE — If nothing else, Rays pitcher David Price might have cleaned up in the race for oddest injury of the spring.

Price was forced to leave Thursday’s game with a neck spasm after toweling himself off too vigorously.

Seriously.

Call it over-toweling.

Price claimed he was simply drying his head in the dugout after his second inning against the Tigers and, well, let’s just let him tell it.

“The towel just catches the back of my head, and it pulls my neck forward,” he said. “I just felt it a little bit in back of my neck and just wanted to be cautious with it.

“There’s a little pop, and it just spasms up and gets a little tight.”

Amazingly, Price said this has happened to him twice before — last spring and in September — and it usually takes 2-3 days to work itself out.

Naturally, Rays manager Joe Maddon had some suggestions to avoid such issues in the future:

• The athletic training staff serves as “cornermen,” like legendary boxing trainer Angelo Dundee, for Price: “Get in there, towel him down, get in his face, the shroud of David, that kind of thing. Let’s stop having him towel himself down. We have plenty of people that can do that here.”

• More instruction and repetition such as how legendary basketball coach John Wooden had his players practice putting on their socks to avoid blisters: “David might need better technique when it comes to toweling himself down. He’s been doing it for 20-some years now but apparently doesn’t have it down yet.”

• Put it in the hands of home clubhouse/equipment manager Chris Westmoreland: “We might need more fabric softener in the towels.”

Price, who said he felt the best he had all spring on the mound, ended up throwing 38 pitches (24 strikes) over two innings, one less than scheduled. Neither he nor Maddon expect his schedule to be disrupted, though the incident was frustrating.

But not enough, of course, to throw in the towel.

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@tampabay.com.

PORT CHARLOTTE — Rays officials are eagerly awaiting official word from Major League Baseball that the playoff field will be expanded to include an additional wild-card team in each league for this season.

Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said he expects the change to be implemented. With all parties operating under commissioner Bud Selig‘s deadline of today, an announcement is expected today and FoxSports.com reported Wednesday the plan is “a go.”

The new format would seem to help the Rays in that it allows another team — potentially a third-place team — to make the playoffs. But it also puts a greater premium on winning the division because the two wild-card teams would first meet in what is expected to be a one-game playoff.

Because the regular-season schedule has been released, MLB, players union and TV network officials have been working out details of when the games will be played, how revenues will be split and where they will be shown.

MOORE BETTER: LHP Matt Moore said his mildly strained lower abdomen “felt great” after playing catch at 75 feet, but there is still no timetable for him to return to the mound.

The Rays say they are not concerned but just being cautious and that unless Moore’s absence carries into next week, it will not prevent him from being ready to start the regular season.

“(Head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield) is going to try to accelerate it a little bit more (today),” manager Joe Maddon said.

GAME BOYS: Most of the Rays will participate in a four-inning intrasquad game after an abbreviated workout this morning.

The concept is for pitchers to get the chance to face hitters in more game-like conditions. But the bigger benefit is the situational work the Rays will do between innings on specific offensive and defensive plays and implementing their signs (which is a reason why the game is not open to the public.)

“We have this opportunity to set things up and have our guys react accordingly to that,” Maddon said.

LHP Cesar Ramos and RHP Josh Lueke will start followed by RHPs Alex Cobb, Matt Torra, Marquis Fleming, Matt Bush and LHP Alex Torres. The teams will be managed by bullpen catcher Scott Cursi and video coordinator Chris “Chico” Fernandez. Among those not listed to play: 1B Carlos Peña, C Jose Molina, LF Sam Fuld and DH Luke Scott.

THE RUNDOWN: The Rays worked on pickoffs and rundowns Wednesday, a focal point of their efforts to control opponents’ running games.

“We’re not any smarter than anybody else,” Maddon said. “At the end of the day, it always comes down to who executes better than the other team.”

PITCHING IN: After LHP David Price starts Saturday’s exhibition opener, the rest of the rotation has RHP Jeremy Hellickson on Sunday, RHP Wade Davis on Monday, RHP Jeff Niemann on Tuesday and RHP James Shields on Wednesday.

MISCELLANY: 3B Evan Longoria taped a national TV commercial for MLB, one of 10 players to be featured. … The Rays will partner with four Charlotte County area charities to raise funds during the spring: the YMCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity and the Homeless Coalition. … There is an event tonight for spring season-ticket holders, including a question-and-answer session with Ben Zobrist and broadcast of the Countdown to Opening Day radio show from 7 to 8 on 620-AM.

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@tampabay.com.

The Tampa Bay Rays did a lot more than win a wild-card spot last year.

Left for dead in the first half of the year, the Rays did not climb from the abyss with a sensational winning streak. Instead, they steadied themselves and played solid baseball from the All-Star break on and took advantage of a horrendous stretch run by the Boston Red Sox to win the American League wild-card spot.

The rally to the playoffs featured all aspects of the games. The Rays depended on their starting pitching, solid fielding, clutch hitting and gutsy relief pitching. The Rays never lacked for confidence during the season, but their long rally has allowed them to reassess themselves at the start of the 2012 season.

No longer are they the little team chasing the New York Yankees and the Red Sox. They view themselves on equal footing with those two rivals and they believe in their hearts that a World Series title is a legitimate possibility.

The rest of the baseball world is coming around to their way of thinking, but they are not as sold as the Rays are themselves. Many American League observers believe Tampa Bay has bypassed Boston in the American League East and will be able to challenge the Yankees but won’t be able to beat them.

Ben Zobrist, an All-Star in 2009 who should see the majority of his action at second base this year, believes his team has only one thing to concern itself with—winning the World Series. He told the Tampa Tribune there is nothing else for his team to focus on at this point.

“We’re planning on winning the World Series this year. That’s the goal,” Zobrist said. “And from Day 1 here, looking forward, that’s what we’re focused on.”

Zobrist admits expectations have changed dramatically over the years. “When I first got into spring training with the Devil Rays at the time, the atmosphere was we were just trying to get above water,” Zobrist said. “After the last few years the expectations just keep going up, so we’re going to have to work really hard and try and meet those.”

This year’s team will depend on the pitching of David Price, James Shields and Jeremy Hellickson, but the Rays’ clutch hitting may be the difference maker this year. The Rays follow the lead of 3rd baseman Evan Longoria in this area. Even though he was troubled by nagging injuries throughout much of the first half of the season, he still hit 31 home runs and drove in 99 runs last year. A healthy Longoria could hit 40 home runs and drive in 125 runs.

Add in centerfielder B.J. Upton, Zobrist and Matt Joyce and the Rays should be able to mash the ball consistently.

The best asset the Rays have won’t pitch a single inning or get one base hit. Joe Maddon is the best manager in baseball and once he wins a World Series, he will get that recognition. If he can ever win multiple World Series titles, Maddon’s name will get mentioned with the great managers in history.

Those who sell him or his team short risk getting run down the way the Red Sox were a year ago.

Reference:

Tampa Bay Online—Rays Embracing High Expectations for 2012

http://www2.tbo.com/sports/rays/2012/feb/25/4/spsporto6-high-expectations-embraced-by-team-ar-362634/#fbcomments

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—Matt Moore has parlayed a brief, impressive
major league debut into a long-term contract with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The young left-hander agreed Friday to a deal that guarantees him $14
million over five years. It includes club options that could more than double
the value over eight seasons.

The budget-minded Rays have made the playoffs three of the past four years
and are counting on Moore to be part of a talented pitching rotation that will
enable them to remain competitive with the big-spending New York Yankees and
Boston Red Sox in the AL East, arguably baseball’s toughest division.

The deal announced at Tropicana Field contains club options for the 2017,
2018 and 2019 seasons that could make it worth about $39.75 million over eight
years.

“Matt was signed and developed in this organization,” Rays executive vice
president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. ” And as we’ve said many
times before, for us to have any chance of sustaining this level of success,
it’s very important for us to develop championship-caliber players and people
like Matt.”

The hard-throwing 22-year-old made his big league debut for the Rays in
mid-September, going 1-0 with a 2.89 ERA in three appearances, including one
start.

Moore started Game 1 of Tampa Bay’s AL Division Series against Texas,
working seven shutout innings to beat the Rangers and become the youngest
pitcher to start and win a team’s first game of the postseason. He began the
2010 season at Double-A Montgomery was a combined 12-3 with a 1.92 ERA in 27
starts with Montgomery and Triple-A Durham.

Friedman said the club began discussions on a contract “right at the end of
the season and really started ramping up in the last two or three weeks.”

Moore was a little surprised the Rays approached him about a long-term deal
at this stage in his career. In 2008, the Rays took a similar approach in giving
third baseman Evan Longoria a multi-year contract before he had spent much time
in the majors.

“There’s not very much of a case to be built except for what I’ve done in
the lower levels in the minor leagues,” said Moore, who allowed three earned
runs, struck out 15 and walked three in 9 1-3 innings over three regular-season
appearances.

“I understand the potential and all that is there, and the hype,” the
left-hander added. “I had a great time when I was here last year. And like
Andrew said, they drafted me in 2007 and this is the only place I’ve known. I’m
looking forward to calling it home for the next eight years. … I feel like the
risk is being shared on both ends. I’m happy where we are.”

Barring a trade, the Rays will enter spring training with six talented young
starters, with Moore joining a rotation currently comprised of David Price,
James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson, Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann.

Friedman said the team has no plans to begin next season with a six-man
rotation, but did not speculate on how the situation will play out, including
whether one member of last season’s rotation could wind up in the bullpen.

“This contract doesn’t specifically answer that question,” Friedman said.
“We’re fortunate in that we have more than five pitchers who are more than
capable of pitching in the American League East. There’s a lot more of the
winter to go. My guess is it’ll take until we get into spring to really answer
those questions.”

In the meantime, the Rays are excited to have Moore locked up long-term.

“We’ve already seen glimpses of his talent, but more than that he’s shown
he has the mettle to compete in the American League East,” Friedman said.
“It’s a difficult environment. … He’s gotten a lot of experience quickly, but
we’re all excited to see what Matt can do over the long term.”

ST. PETERSBURG — The Tampa Bay Rays are constantly living on the edge of darkness.

Their victories are cobbled together piece by piece, a testament to a work ethic that’s appreciated by the enlightened baseball fan anywhere from Walmart to Wall Street.

Their losses are often spirited and scrappy, with an occasional black eye.

Such were the bumps and bruises from Monday night’s 4-3 loss to the Texas Rangers in Game Three of the American League Division Series.

As usual with all things involving Rays baseball, things turned on a series of several snapshots and not the mighty thunder of one play.

David Price gutting out 102 pitches in 6 2/3 innings, when he was probably only good for 90.

J.P. Howell living up to his advance billing as an undependable relief pitcher.

The silence of the Tampa Bay Rays bats, dead when it mattered most _ only one hit in eight attempts with runners in scoring position.

The collective patchwork adds up to the burdensome task of having to win two consecutive games in order to advance to the second round.

“Of course we want to come out on top, but believe me this thing is not over,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

Maddon admitted afterward he was enthralled by the 3-hour, 51 minute drama that unfolded in the Trop, where the home team hung onto a 1-0 lead until the critical seventh inning.

A sellout crowd of 32,828 _ the first sellout since Opening Day _ joined Maddon for the ride, embracing usual frenetic energy from the home team. On most nights, the Rays have to jab- jab- jab for runs with a lineup that isn’t tailored for the long ball.

In reality, it’s not even a fair fight.

The Rangers have five guys who hit 25 or more homers in the regular season. The Rays have one.

The Rangers payroll is at $91.8 million. The Rays are at $41.9 million.

Do the math: The Rays are playing with house money.

They were supposed to be like the rest of us, watching the baseball playoffs on our hi-definition TVs from the comfort of our home.

The casual fan should have no business rooting for the Rangers, really.

Who wants to root for Richie Rich when Johnny Blue Collar is up there hustling to make a play?