I am on spring break vacation this week with my family in Houston, so I've piled this series all together.  With my XM radio, and of course Yanks on national television, it was easy to stay up with the series.

Game 1.
Sonnanstine was great.  This is a pitcher I've always had a good feeling about.  Last year, I thought was a pretty good year for him even if the record didn't show it.  This year a great outing against the Yanks for his first win.  TB 13 NY 4

Game 2
I've not always had a good feeling about our 4 and 5 starters.  In my mind, they just aren't reliable. Jackson is good, but not great, and totally beatable.  I was tentative thinking the Yanks would want some revenge for the drubbing yestersday.  He pitched very well, even though you never had the feeling the Yanks were out of it, and a 6-1 lead isn't rock solid against this lineup.  Jackson had some high pitch counts but did a great job. TB 6 NY 3

I have to say a word about the Yanks radio team.  XM carries every game and they default to the home team's broadcast team.  I found them very enjoyable to listen to, and they were never condescending.  Of course it is hard to look down on a team that is currently winning the game.  Listening to a woman color commentator was interesting, she definitely knew more about the game than the guy and corrected him repeatedly.  They were fun.

Game 3
Out all day so I missed Shield's gem.  The only mistake,  a two run homer to Matsui.  Otherwise a great outing.  This puts a serious hole in my 20 win goal for Shields, but against Wang you are going to have to pitch perfectly. One mistake was all it took to lose the game. Hats off to their starting pitcher.  NY 2 TB 1

Game 4
This game was on national televsion, so I was able to watch.  I was impressed with Hammel through the first five innings.  As I said before, I'm not comfortable with our 4 and 5 guys, but he did all right.  Mussina was in his "good" phase, setting down almost everyone on our teamOf course in the latter innings, even though we were down by 1 run, you didn't have the feel that the Rays were going to come back from this one.  When the Yanks piled on more, you knew it was over.  NY 6 TB 1

3-3 is not a horrible road trip.  It's not that great, but splitting a four game series in NY isn't something to be ashamed about.  Home opener tonight, wish I could be there.

Top of the 6th

Is that Navarro 2 for 2 today?  That's a huge positive since we got almost no production from the catcher last year.  We just chased the starter.  Oh look.at that commercial..the Rays care, because they don't smoke. The question is...does tobacco count?

Why in the world would you send navarro on a double steal with Carl at the plate? Especially if Carl pounds one in the 7th?

Side Note...My father asked me about Miguel Cabrera.  He's a big Tiger's fan.  I told him they traded up on offense and down on defense from their previous third baseman.  Cabrera gets an error and a home run in his first game.

Nice defensive gem for another leadoff hit turned double play.  With Aki on 2nd up the middle defense just got twice as good.  Much better than Zobrist and Harris from last year.

7th inning

Shields 5 pitches for the inning.  He had been saying he wanted to pitch all 9....I say let him go.

8th inning

Well, now it's time to see if the Rays are better than last year.  The final six outs go to the bullpen.  Soooo many Shields wins were changed to losses last year by this bullpen.

you know...we should just let Roberts go to 1st base every time he comes to the plate.

whoa...what a huge break.  Mora steps in front of the catcher after he strikes out do a wack double play.  You could tell Mora knew it too right after he did it.  Well...I'll take it. Still  TB 6 BAL 2

9th inning

Navarro 3 for 3...where has he been?

Here we go...bottom of the 9th with Dan Wheeler

Crawford amazing catch  1 out  Millar pops up 2 pitches 2 outs

well can't breath easy yet.  Pena makes a great stop, but Wheeler bobbles the ball to get Huff on first

The RAYS WIN! Good news..Rays are in first place.  Shields with a great outing, totally impressed by the way he came back after 2 runs in the first.  Shields 20 wins this year...hey didn't I say something about begining of the year predictions?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top of the 5th.

This Orioles have caught some quick line drives.   1-2-3 down for the Rays.  The telecast is sure playing some dramatic music.  I think the community is starting to get behind the Rays, but there's always some hesitation.  "Well, they are good, but probably 78 wins this year, fourth place."  "great young team! Let's go for .500"

Now I've watched this team since 1998.  I know their potential, and I know the history of the team.  Why not be cautious the other way with predictions?  I wish our newspaper guys would say third place, contending for a wild card!  90 wins!  Why not?  What does it matter if they are wrong?  Who ever remembers preseason picks?  How hard is it to pick the Sox or the Yankees every dang year?

Roberts just keeps getting on base!  He is sooo pesky.  I was hoping the Orioles would trade him along with Bedard and Tejada, but as of this point, he's still here, annoying the Rays.  He's a great hitter.

Carl played the second out of the fifth much better than the first inning. He probably has some pregame jitters too.  Nice throw by Navarro for out 3    BAL 2 TB 4

My kids and I scooted out of school as quick as possible to get home for the 3:05 start. 

 I have watched every opening day, and the last four that we have lost seemed to be because the pitcher was so amped up. Again, Shields seemed to follow the same pattern, giving up two runs in the first.  It's now TB 4 BAL 2.  Nice HR by Hinske, would love to see him follow the Carlos Pena plan this year.

Bottom of the fourth.

Huff leads off with a single.  He was a pretty good player for us, but now that he's a bird, seems like he saves his hits just for us.  Nice DP to get out of that.  Aki did some nice work there at 2nd.