Up until first pitch, use the comments section to predict who you think will be the Sunburst Player of the Game. (be sure to use a valid email address while leaving the comment). The commenter that correctly predicts who we will name the Sunburst Player of the Game the most times prior to the all-star game, will win two tickets to a second-half game. Runners-up get their choice of a t-shirt. [Click HERE for rules]
Check Marc Topkin’s blog for the starting lineups.
[Update] Marc Topkin is reporting that Maddon has agreed to a three-year extension that should be finalized in the next few days.
Noah Coslov of MLB.com is reporting that the Rays and Joe Maddon are currently negotiating a long-term extension.
After speaking with a source on the inside of negotiations, Maddon and the Rays are currently discussing a multi-year contract extension...I was told that he feels very strongly about the unfinished business from a year ago and was certainly not going to go public with any sort of personal contract issue while his team struggled out of the gates this season…There isn’t a timetable on a new deal, but it’s not expected to linger on much longer.
Maddon is in the third year of his original deal, that is scheduled to expire at the end of the season.
Certainly very few people are worried that Maddon would not manage the Devil Rays ($25) beyond 2009, but keep in mind that this is a team that is already $15-20 million over budget for next season and Maddon is certainly worthy of a substantial raise.
Joe Maddon Contract Extension [Noah Coslov's Wheelhouse]
Three years ago on Rays Index there was actually a time that we liked Aubrey Huff and he was winning games for the Rays instead of making a living hitting home runs against them.
C’mon 5 More Minutes…Yes! [Rays Index]
Time to bring back the GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe.
click above image for boxscore
THE GOOD: James Shields. It is only appropriate that we are currently calling the team the “Devil Rays” ($21) because for Shields, last night must have felt like 2007 all over again. An absolute gem and no W to show for it. Somewhere, Brian Stokes is jumping up and down yelling “it wasn’t me!, it wasn’t me!”
THE BAD: 3rd Inning. First and third, 1 out. BJ Upton strikes out. Carl Crawford strikes out. No runs…7th Inning. Jason Bartlett on third, 1 out. Aki Iwamura strikes out. Gabe Kapler flies out. No runs…8th Inning. First and third with 1 out, again. Evan Longoria strikes out. Carlos Pena misses a double by 1.2 inches, then walks. Jason Bartlett strikes out. No runs…9th Inning. Willy Aybar on second, 1 out. Dioner Navarro flies out. BJ Upton pops out softly…10th Inning. Lead off single by Carl Crawford. Doesn’t score. Leadoff runners on base. Three times the Devil Rays ($22) had a runner on third with less than 2 outs. They should have scored in every one of those situations. As it was, a run in ANY of the situations and it is a Win. Six times a batter struck out to end an inning. 13 strike outs total and only 3 walks. Devil Raysian ($23) performance if we have ever seen one.
THE TELLING: Dioner Navarro was out of the lineup for the third straight night with pink eye even though he was originally penciled into the lineup. Somehow Joe Maddon submitted the correct lineup card…With Pat Burrell out of the lineup, and presumably not wearing pants, Joe Maddon used Jason Bartlett in the fifth spot to offer at least some protection for Carlos Pena who has hit his first power outage of the season.
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: James Shields.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
Durham 10, Rochester 1. Carlos Hernandez pitched 7 scoreless innings, allowing only 2 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 4…Matt Joyce was 3-4 with a double, a walk and 3 RBI…Justin Ruggiano was 2-4 with a double and a walk…Reid Brignac finished 0-2 with 2 walks and Ray Sadler hit his 5th home run.
Mississippi 6, Montgomery 5. Jason Cromer allowed 6 runs in 5 innings…Another 3-hit game for Desmond Jennings who was 3-4 with a walk to get his average back up to .400. He also has a .457 OBP and a 1.077 OPS.
Charlotte vs St. Lucie (gm 1 susp. rain).
Charlotte vs St. Lucie (gm 2 ppd. rain).
Bowling Green (no game scheduled).
Notes from Down on the Farm…
