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.

Despite riding high in 1st place in the AL East, the injuries keep mounting for the Tampa Bay Rays. Certainly the baseball season is lengthy and such wounds are par for the course of 162 games. However, it appears that the injury bug has taken a liking to the confines of Tropicana Field and struck the team quite harshly during the first quarter of the season. Here is a look at the multiple members of the Rays that continue to spend far too much time in the training room.

Robinson Chirinos: The 2nd year catcher received his first taste of the major leagues in 2011, when he hit .218 in 55 at bats with the Rays. Expected to compete for the backup catching spot, the 27 year-old sustained a concussion in spring training and was placed on the 60 day disabled list in March. Jose Lobaton was instead named the team’s second catcher.

Sam Fuld: Though he cooled off late in the season, Fuld was a valuable utility outfielder for the Rays in 2011. Since manager Joe Maddon loves tinkering with the lineup, the 30 year-old was expected to provide depth off the bench in 2012. After injuring his wrist in an exhibition game, Fuld required surgery and was placed on the 60 day disabled list in early April. He is expected to miss at least 4 months, which makes a return in August or September possible.

Kyle Farnsworth: With 25 saves, Farnsworth was surprisingly effective as the Rays’ closer last year. Despite elbow soreness in September, the team believed an off-season of rest would help and picked up the veteran’s option for 2012. After pitching in spring training, however, the problem re-surfaced and Farnsworth was immediately shut down. Tampa Bay placed him on the 60 day disabled list and continues to hope surgery is not needed.

Jose Lobaton: The Venezuela native began the season as the club’s backup catcher. He played in 4 contests before being removed from a mid-April game with a sore shoulder. Lobaton was soon added to the 15 day disabled list, while Chris Gimenez has assumed the backup role for the Rays. Lobaton has recently begun rehabbing with the minor league Charlotte Stone Crabs, where he has played in 2 games and is hitless in 5 at bats.

Evan Longoria: No injury stung more bitterly than the loss of the Rays’ best hitter, who was hitting .329 with 4 home runs and 19 RBI during a torrid first month of 2012. After already overcoming an injured wrist in spring training, Longo tore his left hamstring on a stolen base attempt during an April 30 game. He was immediately placed on the 15 day disabled list and is expected to need 6-8 weeks to heal. Though Will Rhymes was added to the roster in his place, Sean Rodriguez and Jeff Keppinger have received most of the playing time at 3rd base.

Brandon Allen: It seemed like Rays fans hardly knew Allen, before he was sidelined with a right quad strain. The 26 year-old began the season with the Oakland A’s, but the first baseman/outfielder was claimed off waivers by the Rays on April 19. He was signed to provide a lefty bat off the bench and did deliver a game-winning home run in an April 26th game against the Los Angeles Angels. Allen is on the 15 day disabled list and could return by the end of May. Brandon Guyer was recalled from Durham to fill his role and serve as an extra outfielder.

Desmond Jennings: In his first full season as the Rays’ everyday left fielder, Jennings strained his left knee when sliding into home plate on May 6. Hoping to avoid placement on the growing DL, the 25 year-old was limited to pinch hitting duties for the past week while receiving treatment on the knee. With the strategy not working, the Rays finally placed Jennings on the 15 day disabled list retroactive to May 12. Utilityman Stephen Vogt was recalled in his place and Matt Joyce will likely be shifted to left field.

Jeff Niemann: The tall righty won the competitive job to serve as the club’s 5th starting pitcher in spring training. In 6 starts, it appeared Joe Maddon made the correct decision, as Niemann sported a solid 3.37 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 33 innings of work. However, Niemann disappointingly sustained a fracture to his right fibula upon being hit by a ball during a May 14th start against the Toronto Blue Jays. He is expected to miss at least a month and was added to the 15 day disabled list on May 15. Bullpen pitcher Wade Davis and minor-league prospect Alex Cobb are likely candidates to assume Niemann’s spot.

Sources:

Yahoo! Sports, Sportsillustrated.cnn.com, TBO.com.

More by Jeff Briscoe from Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Rays and Orioles Meet in 1st Place Showdown

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.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — During pregame stretch Tuesday, shortstop Erick Aybar embraced Fernando Rodney and playfully tugged at the Tampa Bay Rays closer’s goatee. Rodney shook hands with Albert Pujols and hugged several Angels relievers.

There were no such pleasantries between Rodney and Angels Manager Mike Scioscia, not after Rodney, the former Angels reliever, fell out of favor with Scioscia and was buried on the bench in August and September.

“I haven’t talked to him, I won’t seek him out,” Rodney said of Scioscia. “There’s nothing to really say about last year. All I can say is I’m here, I have an opportunity, and I’m doing great.”

Indeed, Rodney has a 1.23 earned-run average and five saves in nine games, limiting opponents to an .083 average in 71/3 innings. Only four of 26 batters he has faced have reached base, two on singles and two on walks.

This will come as a surprise to Angels fans who remember Rodney as the hard-throwing right-hander who couldn’t find the strike zone and could not be trusted in key situations for much of 2011.

Rodney opened the season as the Angels closer and lost the job to rookie Jordan Walden in the first weekend. He appeared in 25 games through May but sat out five weeks of June and July because of a back strain and appeared in only 14 games the rest of the season, finishing with a 3-5 record, 4.50 ERA, 28 walks and 26 strikeouts in 32 innings.

“I don’t know how you can make a decision like that in the first three games,” Rodney said. “They took me out of the closer spot, and the other guy led the league [with 10] blown saves. I don’t know how that works.”

Scioscia said Rodney’s problems started in September 2010, when he “wasn’t as sharp as he usually is,” the manager said. “That seemed to carry over into 2011, when he was not as comfortable. He missed five weeks with the back injury and never got back in sync. The arm was there, but he couldn’t locate it.”

Where’s Mark Trumbo?

Mark Trumbo knew he could play five positions this season. The utility player did not, however, expect to play all five within a five-game span.

But there was Trumbo in right field Tuesday night, capping a five-game string in which he started at designated hitter Thursday, left field Friday, third base Saturday and first base Sunday.

“It’s fairly interesting,” said Trumbo, who was pushed off first by the signing of Pujols. “At the same time, it’s exciting.”

Tropicana Field’s greyish, opaque roof can make it difficult for veteran outfielders to pick up the ball, but Trumbo handled the only ball hit to him, going back on Carlos Pena’s first-inning drive before scooting in to catch it.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

The 2012 MLB regular season is finally underway. It will be a long road to October baseball but one every team and fan is excited to travel this season. The beginning of the year brings promise, as many memories will surely be created this season. At this point, anything can happen!

The highlight of the day will be when the Detroit Tigers host the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Tigers and Rays are two of the best teams in the American League. Even early on in the season, there is little doubt both of these teams will be battling it out in the post season for the opportunity to represent the AL in the World Series.

In the Opening Series, the Rays made quick work of the New York Yankees, sweeping them in a three-game series, while the Tigers did the same thing against the Boston Red Sox.

Check your local listings for game times and channel listings in your area. With MLB.TV all games are also available nationwide (local blackouts apply).

Note: All start times Eastern

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians, 12:05 p.m.

St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds, 12:35 p.m.

Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays, 12:37 p.m.

Tampa Bay Rays at Detroit Tigers, 1:05 p.m.

Washington Nationals at New York Mets, 1:10 p.m.

Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m.

Kansas City Royals at Oakland Athletics, 3:35 p.m.

Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres, 6:35 p.m.

Miami Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies, 7:05 p.m.

New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles, 7:05 p.m.

Atlanta Braves at Houston Astros, 8:05 p.m.

Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers, 8:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Minnesota Twins, 8:10 p.m.

San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies, 8:40 p.m.

Pittsburgh Pirates at Los Angeles Dodgers, 10:10 p.m.

Sources:

All data provided by MLB.com

Paul Rados is a Cleveland based freelance sportswriter and Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook.

Though Tampa Bay Rays CF B.J. Upton continues to feel better, today he acknowledged that being ready to open the season on April 6 is not likely.

“Definitely not at this point,” Upton said. “(But) it’s not out of the question.”

Upton, who has played in just part of one minor-league game since a March 14 outfield collision with Desmond Jennings, said Monday he was confident he would be ready for the opener. But manager Joe Maddon made it clear Upton would first have to get back on the field and go through some form of a spring training before being cleared to play.

Which led to Upton on Tuesday sounding much more resigned to not being ready at the start of the season. “If it doesn’t happen, so be it, there’s too much baseball to worry about one series of games. I just rather be healthy all year than try to rush back for a weekend or so.”

Also, “It’s just going to take time for me to get back into playing shape. I’m cool with it, whatever I have to do to get back and be healthy is what I’m going to do, so I don’t know.”

Upton said his lower back continues to get tight and at times “won’t loosen up.”

Josh Beckett had no problem pitching against a division rival so close to the start of the regular season.

Beckett tossed five innings of one-hit ball and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-0 on Tuesday.

“Josh is working on his changeup a little, and I thought threw a lot of really good pitches today,” manager Bobby Valentine said. “I think he got his work in, put up a bunch of zeros, was competitive working against their hitters and I think that’s what he needed. He’ll have one more short (start). But he had pretty good stuff today.”

Beckett struck out five and walked three while lowering his spring ERA to 0.95 in five starts. He threw 84 pitches, 49 for strikes.

The All-Star right-hander thinks he is very close to being ready to start the season, but still has things to work on.

“As far as arm strength and stuff goes there’s still stuff you got to figure out during the season, too,” he said. “I think if you hit the ground running in April, you’re probably not very old. So spring training’s, in my opinion, a little bit long. But it’s to get everybody ready.”

Beckett is scheduled to start Boston’s home opener on April 13 against the Rays. This was the only time he faced them in spring training.

“I think you could face a team once during spring training,” he said. “But, yeah, I definitely think there comes a familiar approach, if you will, especially when it comes to how you got to a pitch or how you got a guy out. The more times he sees that the more times he’s going to have either video or a mental log of, ‘OK, this is how he got me out. This is what he’s going to do this time.’”

Tampa Bay was shut out for this third time this spring. The Rays managed just three hits; a double by Jose Lobaton, and singles from Desmond Jennings and Ben Zobrist.

Cody Ross hit a three-run homer off Joel Peralta in the second. He leads the Red Sox with four home runs this spring.

With Tampa Bay’s James Shields pitching in a minor league game, reliever Fernando Rodney started for the Rays and threw one hitless inning.

Rays right-hander Brandon Gomes, coming off back surgery, recorded two outs in the seventh and was charged with four runs. He walked four and allowed one hit.

Rays manager Joe Maddon said he felt Gomes, coming off back surgery, was close to being completely healthy but not quite there yet. Gomes agreed.

“I’m confident I’m still very close to where I need to be,” he said.

NOTES: The Red Sox made a series of roster moves. SS Jose Iglesias and 1B Lars Anderson were optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. RHPs Justin Germano and Doug Mathis and OF Josh Kroeger were reassigned to minor league camp. … The Red Sox are off on Wednesday, but will have several pitchers in minor league games. RHPs Clay Buchholz and Andrew Bailey are scheduled to pitch in the Triple-A game, while RHPs Aaron Cook and Vicente Padilla are scheduled to pitch in the Double-A game. … Maddon said RHP Jeff Niemann would remain in the rotation, with RHP Wade Davis going to the bullpen. Maddon did not set the order, but the rotation also includes James Shields, David Price, Jeremy Hellickson and Matt Moore. … Rays CF B.J. Upton, who has been hampered by an ailing back, expects to be in the lineup on opening day. … Rays OF Sam Fuld will get a second opinion on his ailing right wrist. … Tampa Bay SS Reid Brignac, who has been limited by an ailing foot, said if he gets through a minor league game on Tuesday, he will play in the major league game Wednesday.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — 

Josh Beckett had no problem pitching against a division rival so close to the start of the regular season.

Beckett tossed five innings of one-hit ball and the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 8-0, yesterday.

“Josh is working on his changeup a little, and I thought threw a lot of really good pitches today,” manager Bobby Valentine said. “I think he got his work in, put up a bunch of zeros, was competitive working against their hitters and I think that’s what he needed. He’ll have one more short (start). But he had pretty good stuff today.”

Beckett struck out five and walked three while lowering his spring ERA to 0.95 in five starts. He threw 84 pitches, 49 for strikes.

The All-Star right-hander thinks he is very close to being ready to start the season, but still has things to work on.

“As far as arm strength and stuff goes, there’s still stuff you got to figure out during the season, too,” he said. “I think if you hit the ground running in April, you’re probably not very old. So spring training’s, in my opinion, a little bit long. But it’s to get everybody ready.”

Beckett is scheduled to start Boston’s home opener on April 13 against the Rays. This was the only time he faced them in spring training.

“I think you could face a team once during spring training,” he said. “But, yeah, I definitely think there comes a familiar approach, if you will, especially when it comes to how you got to a pitch or how you got a guy out. The more times he sees that the more times he’s going to have either video or a mental log of, ‘OK, this is how he got me out. This is what he’s going to do this time.’ ”

Lackey apologizes

Red Sox pitcher John Lackey has apologized for using “a thoughtless choice of words” during an interview this week.

Speaking with a Boston Globe columnist, Lackey said it was “retarded” to make too much of reports about some Red Sox starters drinking beer and eating fried chicken in the clubhouse last year during games when they weren’t pitching.

Yesterday, Lackey issued a written statement released by the Red Sox.

“I apologize for my thoughtless choice of words that appeared in print earlier today. I meant no harm, and I am sorry to all I offended,” he said.

Lackey is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will not pitch this season. He is entering the third season of a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Red Sox.

Diamond Dust

The Red Sox yesterday optioned first baseman Lars Anderson and shortstop Jose Iglesias to Triple-A Pawtucket. The club also reassigned right-handed pitchers Justin Germano and Doug Mathis and outfielder Josh Kroeger to minor league camp. … Boston is off today, but will have several pitchers in minor league games. Clay Buchholz and Andrew Bailey are scheduled to pitch in the Triple-A game, while Aaron Cook and Vicente Padilla are scheduled to pitch in the Double-A game.

© Copyright 2012 Globe Newspaper Company.

Beckett goes 5 shutout innings, Red Sox beat Rays

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) Josh Beckett had no problem pitching against a division rival so close to the start of the regular season.

Beckett tossed five innings of one-hit ball and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-0 on Tuesday.

“Josh is working on his changeup a little, and I thought threw a lot of really good pitches today,” manager Bobby Valentine said. “I think he got his work in, put up a bunch of zeros, was competitive working against their hitters and I think that’s what he needed. He’ll have one more short (start). But he had pretty good stuff today.”

Beckett struck out five and walked three while lowering his spring ERA to 0.95 in five starts. He threw 84 pitches, 49 for strikes.

The All-Star right-hander thinks he is very close to being ready to start the season, but still has things to work on.

“As far as arm strength and stuff goes there’s still stuff you got to figure out during the season, too,” he said. “I think if you hit the ground running in April, you’re probably not very old. So spring training’s, in my opinion, a little bit long. But it’s to get everybody ready.”

Beckett is scheduled to start Boston’s home opener on April 13 against the Rays. This was the only time he faced them in spring training.

“I think you could face a team once during spring training,” he said. “But, yeah, I definitely think there comes a familiar approach, if you will, especially when it comes to how you got to a pitch or how you got a guy out. The more times he sees that the more times he’s going to have either video or a mental log of, `OK, this is how he got me out. This is what he’s going to do this time.’”

Tampa Bay was shut out for this third time this spring. The Rays managed just three hits; a double by Jose Lobaton, and singles from Desmond Jennings and Ben Zobrist.

Cody Ross hit a three-run homer off Joel Peralta in the second. He leads the Red Sox with four home runs this spring.

With Tampa Bay’s James Shields pitching in a minor league game, reliever Fernando Rodney started for the Rays and threw one hitless inning.

Rays right-hander Brandon Gomes, coming off back surgery, recorded two outs in the seventh and was charged with four runs. He walked four and allowed one hit.

Rays manager Joe Maddon said he felt Gomes, coming off back surgery, was close to being completely healthy but not quite there yet. Gomes agreed.

“I’m confident I’m still very close to where I need to be,” he said.

NOTES: The Red Sox made a series of roster moves. SS Jose Iglesias and 1B Lars Anderson were optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. RHPs Justin Germano and Doug Mathis and OF Josh Kroeger were reassigned to minor league camp. … The Red Sox are off on Wednesday, but will have several pitchers in minor league games. RHPs Clay Buchholz and Andrew Bailey are scheduled to pitch in the Triple-A game, while RHPs Aaron Cook and Vicente Padilla are scheduled to pitch in the Double-A game. … Maddon said RHP Jeff Niemann would remain in the rotation, with RHP Wade Davis going to the bullpen. Maddon did not set the order, but the rotation also includes James Shields, David Price, Jeremy Hellickson and Matt Moore. … Rays CF B.J. Upton, who has been hampered by an ailing back, expects to be in the lineup on opening day. … Rays OF Sam Fuld will get a second opinion on his ailing right wrist. … Tampa Bay SS Reid Brignac, who has been limited by an ailing foot, said if he gets through a minor league game on Tuesday, he will play in the major league game Wednesday.

Updated March 27, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Go ahead, pencil the Tampa Bay Rays into the playoffs again. You certainly won’t upset Joe Maddon’s confident bunch.

There may be teams with more star power and money, but none enters 2012 with loftier expectations than the Rays, who have earned postseason berths three of the past four seasons despite one of the major leagues’ lowest payrolls.

Maddon and his players have proven they can go toe-to-toe with the big-spending New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the rugged AL East, and they believe they have everything it takes – superior pitching, strong defense and an improved offense – to win it all this year.

”Expectations should be the fuel that we need to get this done,” said Maddon, who guided Tampa Bay to division titles in 2008 and 2010 before erasing a nine-game deficit last September to edge the Red Sox for the AL wild-card spot on the final night of the regular season.

After reaching their first World Series, where they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies four years ago, the Rays were eliminated by the Texas Rangers in the opening round of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.

With a projected starting rotation of James Shields, David Price, Jeremy Hellickson, Jeff Niemann and rookie Matt Moore, and a lineup built around three-time All-Star Evan Longoria and bolstered by the offseason acquisitions of sluggers Carlos Pena and Luke Scott, Maddon and his players concede it would be a major disappointment to not play deep into October.

”We have all the necessary tools and pieces in place to really make an impact,” said Pena, the franchise career home run leader, who returns after spending last season with the Chicago Cubs.

”I love the idea of raised expectations. … It’s nothing to run away from, it’s a good thing,” Maddon said.

Executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who boosted the payroll by more than 50 percent to about $65 million, is comfortable with the attention the team has received from national media, too.

”I think our guys have gotten to the point with the culture that Joe has created in the clubhouse with our coaching staff that it’s not an impediment and it’s not an issue,” Friedman said. ”It’s not a risk factor that I think it might be other places.”

Maddon said a talented nucleus that includes B.J. Upton, Ben Zobrist, Matt Joyce and Desmond Jennings has the work ethic, maturity and resolve to not allow all the good things that are being said go to their heads.

Maddon was impressed with the number of players who participated in offseason workouts at Tropicana Field this winter and senses a commitment to do whatever it takes to ”get to the last game of the year – and win it.”

”Nobody just shows up any more. It is about winning,” said Maddon, who’s entering his seventh season with Tampa Bay, a perennial last-place team before his arrival in 2006. He signed a $6 million, three-year contract extension this winter that could keep him in the Rays dugout through 2015.

”I’m talking about a self-motivated group of people. It’s at the point now, I believe – and this is the optimal point to be – where everybody does their job,” Maddon added. ”You walk in the door. I don’t have to worry about motivating so and so and so and so. They’re self-starters, they’re self-motivators. That’s the way it should be.”

Despite struggling to score runs, the Rays won 91 games a year ago. Pitching and defense were the key, and that doesn’t figure to change this season.

Shields was a first-time All-Star who finished with a team-best 16 victories and 11 complete games. Price suffered from a lack of run support and went 12-13 with a 3.49 ERA after winning 19 games in 2010, but Hellickson took up the slack by going 13-10 with 2.95 ERA to capture AL rookie of the year honors.

”We place high expectations on ourselves, but we don’t really worry about what everyone’s saying. We just go out there and do our thing,” Shields said.

Tampa Bay got more than 1,000 innings out of its rotation a year ago, and Maddon is confident another 1,000-plus innings season would give the Rays an excellent opportunity to reach the playoffs again.

”Of course, they’re high-end guys that can win a lot of games and pitch to a low ERA, but there’s a lot of luck involved sometimes that you really can’t calculate,” the manager said. ”I like the idea of making the goal to pitch ‘X’ number of innings as a group. If they do, then that really takes a lot of heat off the bullpen, which makes the bullpen better.”

Tampa Bay took advantage of Boston’s monumental collapse last year to overcome a slow start in April and May to slip past the Red Sox for a postseason spot.

When the Rays assembled for spring training in February, Maddon stressed the importance of getting off to a better start this season.

”We prove to ourselves that we can come from behind and win … but it’s much better to do it from the other side,” Maddon said. ”I think that’s going to be paramount.”

After working on offspeed pitches in a simulated game, Clay Buchholz focused on them some more Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Relying on his curveball and changeup, Buchholz allowed one run and four hits in five innings as the Boston Red Sox won 8-4.

His lone run allowed came on Evan Longoria’s second-inning homer.

“You’ve got a bunch of big-name guys in this lineup, and they’ve been really good for the last three or four years,” Buchholz said. “So, it’s definitely tough to go out there and try to work on things and make good pitches consistently to these guys.”

Jarrod Saltalamacchia caught Buchholz and downplayed the bursitis on his left hip that sidelined him for a few days.

“It’s honestly something that just flared up a little bit,” Saltalamacchia said. “If this was during the season I’d be playing, but with spring training you don’t want to take a chance.”

Buchholz struck out four and walked none. New Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said thought his pitcher and catcher worked well together.

“You know, at first they didn’t. They weren’t on the same page because they didn’t realize that Clay just wanted to throw more changeups today and less curveballs in the first inning,” Valentine said. “He worked real good, and other than the back-to-back changeups to Longoria and the fastball that everybody knew was coming, I thought he was perfect. Real good outing.”

Rays left-hander Matt Moore, back from a mild abdominal strain, gave up four runs, two hits and three walks in 2 1-3 innings, leaving after he walked the bases loaded in the third.

“For me right now, I’m trying to feel a lot of stuff and just to get a clean arm stroke with each pitch and I wasn’t too clean today with especially my changeup,” Moore said. “The breaking ball was there, so I was pretty happy about that. That pitch felt good. The fastball felt good, just wasn’t locating too good, especially early. “

Moore allowed solo homers to Cody Ross and Josh Kroeger, and threw just 26 of 52 pitches for strikes.

“He’s got electric stuff,” Ross said. “His fastball has a lot of life to it, some movement. He’s got a good breaking ball. He was struggling a little bit with his changeup, and he’ll probably tell you that. He’s got a ton of upside. To be as young as he is, to be competing like he is, is pretty neat to see.”

Ross, who has a history of struggling in spring training, homered for the second straight day and is hitting .455. With Carl Crawford recovering from a wrist injury, Ross likely will get playing time at the start of the season.

“It’s nice to feel good and give me confidence going into the season and it’s a grind when you feel terrible in spring training and then you don’t have to play catch up at the beginning of the season,” Ross said.

Longoria’s homer was his first hit of spring training. He was 2 for 3 with a walk, two runs and an RBI.

“Clay threw the ball well,” Longoria said. “I just spot up a couple of good pitches, changeups and curveballs, and eventually got him to throw a fastball that I can handle. It’s about adjustments and really just getting it back to underneath our belts and getting comfortable so I thought today overall was pretty good for everybody.”

Rays leadoff man Desmond Jennings upped his spring average to .381 with two hits.

“I thought in general we had good at-bats today,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “The guys, the varsities, really, I thought their at-bats were much better.”

NOTES: Rays CF B.J. Upton (sore back) could play Tuesday when the Rays travel to Jupiter to play the Miami Marlins but more than likely will play in a minor league game. … Rays LHP David Price threw in a minor league game on the back fields of Charlotte Sports Park. He gave up three runs, six hits and one walk in 4 1-3 innings with one strikeout. … Rays SS Tim Beckham was reassigned to minor league camp. Rays RHP Dane De La Rosa, RHP Matt Bush, C Steven Vogt and OF Brandon Guyer were optioned to the minors.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) – After working on offspeed pitches in a simulated game, Clay Buchholz focused on them some more Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Relying on his curveball and changeup, Buchholz allowed one run and four hits in five innings as the Boston Red Sox won 8-4.

His lone run allowed came on Evan Longoria‘s second-inning homer.

”You’ve got a bunch of big-name guys in this lineup, and they’ve been really good for the last three or four years,” Buchholz said. ”So, it’s definitely tough to go out there and try to work on things and make good pitches consistently to these guys.”

Jarrod Saltalamacchia caught Buchholz and downplayed the bursitis on his left hip that sidelined him for a few days.

”It’s honestly something that just flared up a little bit,” Saltalamacchia said. ”If this was during the season I’d be playing, but with spring training you don’t want to take a chance.”

Buchholz struck out four and walked none. New Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said thought his pitcher and catcher worked well together.

”You know, at first they didn’t. They weren’t on the same page because they didn’t realize that Clay just wanted to throw more changeups today and less curveballs in the first inning,” Valentine said. ”He worked real good, and other than the back-to-back changeups to Longoria and the fastball that everybody knew was coming, I thought he was perfect. Real good outing.”

Rays left-hander Matt Moore, back from a mild abdominal strain, gave up four runs, two hits and three walks in 2 1-3 innings, leaving after he walked the bases loaded in the third.

”For me right now, I’m trying to feel a lot of stuff and just to get a clean arm stroke with each pitch and I wasn’t too clean today with especially my changeup,” Moore said. ”The breaking ball was there, so I was pretty happy about that. That pitch felt good. The fastball felt good, just wasn’t locating too good, especially early. ”

Moore allowed solo homers to Cody Ross and Josh Kroeger, and threw just 26 of 52 pitches for strikes.

”He’s got electric stuff,” Ross said. ”His fastball has a lot of life to it, some movement. He’s got a good breaking ball. He was struggling a little bit with his changeup, and he’ll probably tell you that. He’s got a ton of upside. To be as young as he is, to be competing like he is, is pretty neat to see.”

Ross, who has a history of struggling in spring training, homered for the second straight day and is hitting .455. With Carl Crawford recovering from a wrist injury, Ross likely will get playing time at the start of the season.

”It’s nice to feel good and give me confidence going into the season and it’s a grind when you feel terrible in spring training and then you don’t have to play catch up at the beginning of the season,” Ross said.

Longoria’s homer was his first hit of spring training. He was 2 for 3 with a walk, two runs and an RBI.

”Clay threw the ball well,” Longoria said. ”I just spot up a couple of good pitches, changeups and curveballs, and eventually got him to throw a fastball that I can handle. It’s about adjustments and really just getting it back to underneath our belts and getting comfortable so I thought today overall was pretty good for everybody.”

Rays leadoff man Desmond Jennings upped his spring average to .381 with two hits.

”I thought in general we had good at-bats today,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. ”The guys, the varsities, really, I thought their at-bats were much better.”

NOTES: Rays CF B.J. Upton (sore back) could play Tuesday when the Rays travel to Jupiter to play the Miami Marlins but more than likely will play in a minor league game. … Rays LHP David Price threw in a minor league game on the back fields of Charlotte Sports Park. He gave up three runs, six hits and one walk in 4 1-3 innings with one strikeout. … Rays SS Tim Beckham was reassigned to minor league camp. Rays RHP Dane De La Rosa, RHP Matt Bush, C Steven Vogt and OF Brandon Guyer were optioned to the minors.

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By Tim Dierkes [March 16, 2012 at 10:51pm CST]

Surprisingly, the Rays augmented their offense through free agency.

Major League Signings

• Carlos Pena, 1B: one year, $7.25MM.
• Luke Scott, DH: one year, $6MM.
• Kyle Farnsworth, RP: one year, $3.3MM.  Club option exercised.
• Fernando Rodney, RP: one year, $2MM.
• Jose Molina, C: one year, $1.8MM.
• Jeff Keppinger, 2B: one year, $1.525MM.
• Total spend: $21.875MM.

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

Trades and Claims

Notable Losses

For some MLB teams, Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, Alex Torres, and Alex Cobb would all have rotation spots.  For the Rays, they rank #5-8 on the depth chart.  After fielding offers for various starting pitchers for the offseason’s first few months, the Rays chose to maintain their rotation depth and simply sign a pair of free agents to bolster the offense.

The Rays inked Pena and Scott for a total of $13.25MM in January to replace first baseman Kotchman and designated hitter Damon.  Damon didn’t understand why the two positions were considered means to upgrade the offense, but the increased power potential from Pena and Scott is obvious.  The Rays can’t afford to pay full sticker price for free agent power.  Pena was available on a one-year deal because he’s batted .216 over the past three seasons and slugged .402 when he was last in the American League in his previous Rays stint.  Scott had been non-tendered by the Orioles after an ugly 2011 season was cut short by July shoulder surgery, and he’s limited defensively.  Damon and Kotchman were far from sure things themselves, but Pena and Scott have higher offensive ceilings.

The team’s unheard-of rotation depth is likely to be fully utilized in the course of the season, as most teams need seven starters in a good year.  Almost all pitchers want to remain starters as long as possible, and whether Davis or Niemann goes to the bullpen to start the season, the move will be temporary.

The Rays’ bullpen needed some tinkering, and executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman made some unpredictable acquisitions in Rodney, Badenhop, and Lueke.  In the Rodney signing press release, Friedman provided a euphemism for Rodney’s control issues, saying, “Fernando’s pure stuff is top-notch and can beat hitters both in and out of the strike zone.”  Having walked almost eight batters per nine innings in a 2011 season shortened by a back injury, I thought Rodney was in line for a minor league deal.  He still throws over 95 and gets tons of groundballs, and it’s likely the Rays feel pitching coach Jim Hickey can get Rodney’s walk rate down to a tolerable level.  Badenhop is an extreme groundballer as well, a nice fit for the best defensive team in baseball.  The 29-year-old allowed just one home run in 63 2/3 innings last year for the Marlins.  

Though light on experienced big league catching, the Rays also traded Jaso to the Mariners for Lueke.  The Rays are no strangers to controversial players, and Lueke comes with the baggage of the 2008 rape charge for which he later pled no contest for false imprisonment with violence.  Friedman said upon the trade, “We researched the 2009 incident that Josh was involved in thoroughly and in great detail.  We’re satisfied that he is going to be the kind of person and teammate that we look for and we expect him to contribute positively to our group.”  The Rays may have lowered the bar in their search for undervalued players, suggested John Romano of the St. Petersburg Times in November.

The Rays appear to be aiming for improved defense behind the plate, having traded Jaso and declined Shoppach’s option.  Since they didn’t receive offense from the position anyway in 2011, it made sense to double-down on defense.  Using the 36-year-old Molina as more than a backup is an interesting experiment given his strong defensive skills, but if he breaks down, inexperienced catchers Jose Lobaton, Robinson Chirinos, and Chris Gimenez could be handling the American League’s best rotation with regularity.  Expect the Rays to keep a close eye on the catching market this summer.  There’s also uncertainty at the shortstop position currently, but Hak-Ju Lee may be ready as early as next season.

The Rays kept the well-regarded Friedman-Maddon duo in place, as Friedman declined to interview for the Astros GM job and Maddon signed a three-year extension.  Friedman authored yet another precedent-setting contract for pitching phenom Matt Moore, signing him to a five-year deal despite just 17 days of Major League service.  There’s risk in guaranteeing $14MM to a pitcher so green, but barring injury the Rays probably saved tens of millions of dollars and snagged a pair of free agent years, at their option.  Some young players are less receptive to this type of contract, perhaps including young Rays Desmond Jennings and Jeremy Hellickson, who are represented by the Boras Corporation.

The Rays hope they’ve found a way to improve their offense without affecting their rotation depth.  If the offense sputters, Friedman will still be in a strong position this summer, as few clubs can part with quality starting pitching without missing a beat.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

The Boston Red Sox will play a slate of 72 regular-season games against their AL East rivals that include the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays. They’ll have 36 home games and 36 away games.

The Red Sox will host their first divisional series of the season when they play the Rays from April 13 through April 16. Their first series against the Yankees will occur at Fenway Park from April 20 through April 22. The Red Sox will finish their season with a three-game series in New York from October 1 through October 3.

Here is a brief rundown of Boston’s schedule against divisional opponents for the 2012 MLB season. All series against the Yankees are italicized and in bold.

Complete MLB schedule can be found HERE.

April 2012 (7 Home, 3 Road)

April 9-11: at Toronto Blue Jays

April 13-16: Tampa Bay Rays

April 20-22: New York Yankees

May 2012 (6 Home, 5 Road)

May 4-6: Baltimore Orioles

May 16-17: at Tampa Bay Rays

May 21-23: at Baltimore Orioles

May 25-27: Tampa Bay Rays

June 2012 (6 Home, 3 Road)

June 1-3: at Toronto Blue Jays

June 5-7: Baltimore Orioles

June 25-27: Toronto Blue Jays

July 2012 (6 Home, 6 Road)

July 6-8: New York Yankees

July 13-15: at Tampa Bay Rays

July 20-22: Toronto Blue Jays

July 27-29: at New York Yankees

August 2012 (0 Home, 6 Road)

August 14-16: at Baltimore Orioles

August 17-19: at New York Yankees

September And October 2012 (11 Home, 13 Road)

September 7-9: Toronto Blue Jays

September 11-13: New York Yankees

September 14-16: at Toronto Blue Jays

September 17-20: at Tampa Bay Rays

September 21-23: Baltimore Orioles

September 25-26: Tampa Bay Rays

September 28-30: at Baltimore Orioles

October 1-3: at New York Yankees

MLB schedules subject to change due to rainouts or any other unanticipated postponement.

Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid-90s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood’s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie’s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months. He can be found on Twitter HERE.

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