Alright kids, it’s almost that time for the Rays 20 game April gauntlet. Over the next few weeks, the Rays will face the Tigers, Red Sox, Twins, Angels, Blue Jays and the Rangers (in no specific order), which will be no easy task. Today marks the beginning of that gauntlet, with a three game set in cold and blustery Detroit, against the Numero Uno power ranked Tigers. If anything though, the Numero Dos ranked Rays may be able to do something that the Red Sox couldn’t: beat the Tigers. Why? Pitching, and what seems to be a fully capable set of batters. Matt Moore will lead the charge today against RHP Rick Porcello. Tampa Bay also stands to rectify last season’s paltry 1-6 record against the Tigers. This series promises excitement, especially if the Rays continue to mash the ball as they did against the Yankees.
The Rays, and Ray fans alike, didn’t get the opportunity to see Prince Fielder last season when they took on the Brew-crew during intraleague play. That situation will be vastly different this season, as Tampa Bay will be seeing Fielder this season in spades. He, along with a few other players on the Tigers roster (like Miguel Cabrera), is a major offensive threat that’s capable of able of doing some major damage. Like Cabrera also, Fielder is predominantly a fastball hitter.
To his credit, Moore has an overpowering fastball. Like David Price, Moore will need to make sure that he keeps the velocity up in the 95 MPH+ range, and down in the zone. We all saw how effective Price was on Saturday, and it would be foolish to think that Moore would be any different, going into things with a similar approach. Young Matt, thankfully, has the ability to locate his pitches well. And, with such an overpowering fastball, it’s easy to gloss over the fact that Moore also has a very good curveball and change-up. Those pitches are huge assets when talking about pitching to Cabrera and Fielder. One needs only to take a look at both Fielder and Cabrera’s career splits to see that they’re more apt to do damage on misplaced fastballs than they are on curve balls and change-ups. Moore has another advantage, at least over Fielder: Moore is a left handed pitcher, and Fielder hits righties better than he does lefties. If Moore, like Price, frames up those secondary pitches with well placed fastballs low in the zone, he will be extremely effective pitcher on the bump today.
In other news, Jeff Keppinger will be filling in at DH today for Luke Scott who left Sunday’s game with leg tightness. Scott received a cortisone shot on Monday, and will probably sit on the bench for this series. We can, probably, expect him to be ready for action in the Red Sox series. Today’s starting lineup is below. As always, Let’s Go Rays!
Rays starting lineup 4/10/12:
Jennings CF
Pena 1B
Longoria 3B
Joyce LF
Zobrist RF
Keppinger DH
Rodriguez 2B
Molina C
Brignac SS
Moore P