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.

Read More: Cody Ross (LF – BOS)

The Tampa Bay Rays lost to the Red Sox, 5-3, on Thursday night in the second game of a quick split two-game series at Tropicana Field. The Rays edged out the Sox by a run on Wednesday, but Boston came back to get one off the Rays before interleague play gets underway this weekend. A two-run single by Cody Ross in the top of the 8th inning proved to be the difference. Burke Badenhop gave up a lead-off single to Dustin Pedroia and was tanked for J.P Howell, who promptly walked David Ortiz. Joe Maddon’s third reliever of the inning, Wade Davis, gave up the two-out, two-run single to Ross.

Starter Matt Moore struck out eight in six innings, but gave up a run in each of the first three innings, including two solo homers by Ross and Marlon Byrd. The offense got two back with a run in the third and fourth, but they could never string together a big rally against Felix Doubront, who was credited with his fourth win of the season.

The Rays now host Atlanta for a weekend interleague series at the Trop. Game 1 on Friday will feature a solid pitching matchup of Tommy Hanson and James Shields.

For more news and updates from around the league, be sure to drop by Baseball Nationor the Rays blog DRaysBay. For more on the Red Sox visit SB Nation’s Red Sox blog Over The Monster. And for a peak at the analysis behind the numbers, head over to Beyond the Box Score.

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.

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.

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

The Tampa Bay Rays rallied for an impressive victory on Wednesday afternoon, scoring four in the ninth to beat the Detroit Tigers, 4-2.

After being held to one hit by Tigers ace Justin Verlander through the first eight innings, the Rays got three off him in the ninth, Evan Longoria singling in Desmond Jennings to tie it.

Jeff Keppinger got them started with a single. After Reid Brignac struck out, Jennings singled to right. Carlos Pena walked, with Keppinger scoring on a ball-four wild pitch. Longoria then singled in Jennings.

After the Tigers went to the bullpen, Elliot Johnson drew a walk and Ben Zobrist singled in two runs to put them ahead.

The Rays were stifled much of the afternoon, with just Zobrist’s fifth-inning single to show for their efforts.

James Shields pitched well for the Rays, allowing a first-inning run on a single by Miguel Cabrera, and the other in the fifth when he balked on a throw to third after Andy Dirks doubled and went to third on a ground out.

The Rays face the Tigers again on Thursday afternoon, with Jeff Niemann on the mound.

The Tampa Bay Rays have been extremely successful in producing quality home grown talent in their short 15-year history.

The Rays — were heralded as having the second best farm system in 2011 by Baseball America — have continually developed top-notch talent through their minor leagues. A few examples include current Rays’ David Price, Matt Moore, Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton.

This article will look at five players in the Rays’ system who could have an impact in the near future.

Chris Archer – relief pitcher

After dominating the minor leagues in 2009 and 2010, Archer took a step back in 2011.

The 23-year old Archer — the Rays number three prospect — was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in 2011 as part of the Matt Garza transaction. Archer could reach the majors later in 2012 if he improves his control as well as his strikeout totals.

Archer — possesses a major league quality fastball and slider — was effective in his three innings of work (.100 batting average against) though he did have control issues (three walks).

In 2011, Archer posted a 9-7 record with a 4.09 ERA with 130 strikeouts and 86 free passes in 147.1 innings. While his strikeout total wasn’t awful it was lower than his two most productive years of 2009 and 2010. Archer — a combined 21-7 with 268 strikeouts and 121 walks in 251.1 innings in 2009 and 2010 — has averaged 4.7 strikeouts and 2.6 walks per game in his last three seasons.

Tim Beckham – shortstop

The 22-year old Beckham — the overall number one draft pick in 2008 — will start 2012 at triple-A Durham. Beckham played for Team USA in the XM Futures game in 2011 and was tabbed as the seventh best prospect by Baseball America prior to 2012. Baseball America also named Beckham as having the best arm in the entire Rays organization for a third straight year.

Beckham — set career highs in offensive numbers in 2011 — started to show the power last year that has always been expected of him. Beckham hit .271 with 12 homers, 70 RBI and 17 stolen bases last season while spending time with double-A Montgomery and triple-A Durham

Beckham — 2-for-12 with Durham so far in 2012 — struggled in his 24 spring training at-bats as he recorded just one hit. Beckham isn’t expected to arrive in Tampa until 2013

Cole Figueroa- utility

The 24-year old Figueroa was acquired by the Rays as part of the deal that sent shortstop Jason Bartlett to San Diego in 2010. Figueroa — is off to a sizzling start to the year at double-A Montgomery — is probably the most major league ready of any of the five prospects listed here.

Figueroa — 1-for 1 during spring training — is currently batting .500 (6-for-12) with a 1 homer, two doubles and 6 RBIs. Figueroa hit .283 with 5 homers and 51 RBIs in 2011.

Figueroa — can play both second and short — has good knowledge of the strike zone and has decent speed.

Hak- Ju Lee – shortstop

The 21-year old Lee was acquired by the Rays in the deal that sent pitcher Matt Garza to the Chicago Cubs in 2011. As long as Lee — is superb with the glove— continues to hit he could reach the majors before Beckham.

Lee — currently hitting .333 (4-for-12) with 2 RBIs at double-A Montgomery — hit .278 with 4 RBIs in 18 spring training at-bats.

Lee – named the Florida State’s League most exciting player by Baseball America following the 2011 season — has been selected to participate in the Futures game twice.

Mikie Mahtook – outfielder

The 22-year old Mahtook made his major league debut in the 2011 Arizona Fall League after being selected by the Rays with the 31^st pick in the 2011 draft as a junior out of LSU.

Mahtook — a very good all-around hitter — is off to a fast start with the high single-A Charlotte Stone Crabs in 2012. Mahtook is currently hitting .455 (3-11) with 3 RBIs and 1 stolen base to go along with 2 walks. In 18 AFL games with Saguaros, Mahtook hit .338 with 3 homers with 14 RBIs and 5 stolen bases in 78 plate appearances.

Daniel Benjamin has played fantasy baseball for three years.

Source:

MLB.com

MILB.com

Baseball America

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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