The Sports Xchange
MLB Team Report – Tampa Bay Rays – INSIDE PITCH
Ump incident draws fines but no apology
The Rays hope a series of small fines issued from MLB on Thursday resolves an ongoing controversy stemming from an incident Sunday between Rays pitcher David Price and umpire Tom Hallion.
Hallion was fined for his actions, as Price claimed Hallion cursed him during the game, and in denying that accusation Hallion called Price a liar. Price and teammates Jeremy Hellickson and Matt Moore were fined $1,000 for the posts they made on their Twitter accounts reacting to Hallion’s denial.
Manager Joe Maddon said he was glad it was over.
“I just wanted to make sure that it died a quick death,” he said. “It just gained way too much traction; it didn’t deserve all of that, I didn’t believe.”
Hellickson and Moore shared that viewpoint and said they were unhappy but glad it was resolved.
But, Price told the Tampa Bay Times and other outlets he was not happy with how it was resolved.
“Whatever happened to Hallion, I just wanted an apology,” Price said. “I didn’t want any money to come out of his pocket, I didn’t want him to get fired or fined or suspended or anything like that. I just wanted what I thought was fair to me and the rest of this team, and that was an apology.”
To this point, that has not been made.
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MLB Team Report – Tampa Bay Rays – NOTES, QUOTES
Moore looks to stay perfect
RECORD: 12-15
STREAK: Lost two
PAST 10 GAMES: 5-5
NEXT: Rays (Matt Moore, 5-0, 1.13) at Colorado (Jeff Francis, 1-2, 7.29)
PLAYER NOTES:
–LHP Matt Moore, who starts Friday at Colorado, has held opponents to three hits or fewer in four of his first five starts. He went 5-0 with a 1.13 ERA in April. Last year Moore went 0-1 with a 4.68 ERA in four April starts and was 1-5 with a 4.76 ERA in his first 10 starts. He has never faced the Rockies.
–LHP Jake McGee gave up a career-high five hits and five runs in his blown save and loss Wednesday against the Royals. He is 0-for-3 in save opportunities. Left-handers are hitting .315 and right-handers .320 off him.
–RHP Jamey Wright leads the bullpen with 12 appearances and 11 2/3 innings. Wright, 38, has played 18 years in the majors, and the Rays are his 10th club. Since moving to the bullpen in 2008, Wright has thrown 369 1/3 innings, the second most relief innings in the majors.
–IF/OF Ben Zobrist recorded his 10th multi-hit game of the season, fourth on the road, Wednesday. His 20 RBI ranks a tie for eighth in the American League. He has five hits in his past 14 at-bats against right-handed pitching after recording just five hits in his previous 40 at-bats against righties.
–1B Matt Joyce doubled in the first inning Thursday, the first time in this three-game series that he did not homer in the opening frame. That, however, was wiped out as the game was called after 3 1/2 innings because of rain, sleet and snow. Joyce’s streak of homering in three straight games is still alive going into the series Friday at Colorado. He has five home runs and eight RBI in his past 13 games, 11 of them starts.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We just can’t keep doing this. We’ve given up way too many leads this year. We actually did a lot of things well, another good offensive night. We scored runs to win the game, two games. For the pitching to come apart is really unusual for us. Overall, we have to do a lot of things better, but we have to maintain leads. We normally do.” — Manager Joe Maddon, after the Rays blew a 6-1 lead against Kansas City on Wednesday.
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MLB Team Report – Tampa Bay Rays – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–C Jose Molina (right thigh) was injured on April 27 and did not play April 28. Molina is day-to-day with the injury, which Rays manager Joe Maddon did not think was a long-term concern. He returned to the lineup April 30.
–SS Yunel Escobar (tight right hamstring) did not play April 25-28. He left the April 24 game vs. the Yankees in the sixth inning. He worked out and reported no pain April 26. He was back in the lineup April 30.
–DH Luke Scott (right calf strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 24. He was sidelined the last week of spring training. He was sent on a rehab assignment at Class A Charlotte (Fla.) on April 23 and was activated from the DL on April 30.
–RHP Jeff Niemann (sore right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 28, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 16. He had season-ending surgery April 10 to repair his rotator cuff and labrum. The expected recovery time is nine-to-12 months.
–RHP Juan Carlos Oviedo (Tommy John surgery in September 2012) went on the 60-day disabled list on March 31. He will spend most of the season rehabbing his elbow, with the possibility he could help the Rays in September. Plus, they hold a 2014 option.
ROTATION:
LHP David Price
RHP Jeremy Hellickson
RHP Roberto Hernandez
LHP Matt Moore
RHP Alex Cobb
BULLPEN:
RHP Fernando Rodney (closer)
RHP Joel Peralta
LHP Jake McGee
RHP Kyle Farnsworth
LHP Cesar Ramos
RHP Jamey Wright
RHP Brandon Gomes
CATCHERS:
Jose Molina
Jose Lobaton
INFIELDERS:
1B James Loney
2B Kelly Johnson
SS Yunel Escobar
3B Evan Longoria
DH Luke Scott
INF Ryan Roberts
INF/OF Sean Rodriguez
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Sam Fuld
CF Desmond Jennings
RF Ben Zobrist
OF Matt Joyce
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