Rays at Pirates

The Rays make their first of three visits to McKechnie Field this season. And I'll send out a big "THANK YOU" to the Rays traveling Secretary Jeff Ziegler for giving me three games within an 11-mile drive of my Palmetto home.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Actually, McKechnie Field is worth the drive from anywhere, and there are a couple of hundred residents of western Pennsylvania who will back me up on that.

Carlos Pena makes his spring debut. He'll be at first base and will get two at-bats.

Carlos Hernandez, the one-time Houston prospect, starts today for the Rays. Joe Maddon said a few minutes ago that Hernandez has a shot at the No. 5 spot in the rotation or a spot in the bullpen, so I guess I need to add his name every time I write about the No. 5 spot or the bullpen.

Check out the lineups. Notice Shawn Riggans at DH? That's because Pat Burrell went back to San Francisco for his sister's wedding this weekend. Also, Maddon wants to give Riggans some more at-bats.

Here are the lineups:

Rays
Fernando Perez CF
Justin Ruggiano LF
Evan Longoria 3B
Carlos Pena 1B
Gabe Gross RF
Dioner Navarro C
Shawn Riggans DH
Elliot Johnson 2B
Reid Brignac SS
Carlos Hernandez P

Pirates
Andrew McCutchen LF
Freddy Sanchez 2B
Nate McLouth CF
Ryan Doumit C
Adam LaRoche 1B
Craig Monroe RF
Brandon Moss DH
Neil Walker 3B
Jack Wilson SS
Jimmy Barthmaier P

Team Puerto Rico vs. Rays

The Puerto Rican National Team is in town for a WBC tune-up against the Rays tonight at Charlotte Sports Park.

Because of the Rays off-day Thursday, Joe Maddon has some of the big guns in there tonight ... Jason Bartlett, Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria and Dioner Navarro. Is Ben Zobrist a big gun? He did start in right field in Game 1 of the World Series, so ... You make the call.

Here are the lineups:

Puerto Rico National Team
Bernie Williams LF
Ivan Rodriguez DH
Carlos Beltran CF
Carlos Delgado 1B
Alex Rios RF
Geovany Soto C
Mike Aviles SS
Ramon Vazquez 3B
Alex Cora 2B
Jonathan Sanchez P

Rays
Jason Bartlett SS
Carl Crawford LF
Evan Longoria 3B
Gabe Kapler RF
Dioner Navarro C
Ben Zobrist DH
Morgan Ensberg 1B
Adam Kennedy 2B
Mitch Talbot P

Rays hang 10 in third

The Rays learned something during the third inning. The scoreboard at Charlotte Sports Park can only goes as high as nine runs per inning.

The Rays turned it over to 0 with a 10-spot.

Reid Brignac started it off with a solo home run to the right field bullpen for his first hit of the spring, snapping an 0-for-11 start.

Ray Sadler and Ben Zobrist both drove in a pair of runs with doubles.

Pat Burrell, Gabe Kapler, Dioner Navarro and Adam Kennedy each walked with the bases loaded.

The Rays lead 10-1.

Astros at Rays

Andrew Giddens, the 13-year-old from east Bradenton who beat Hodgkin's lymphoma, fired the ceremonial first pitch to home plate before the Rays game with the visiting Astros today.

They are about ready to start here on a chilly afternoon at Charlotte Sports Park.

Here are the lineups:
Astros
Michael Bourn CF
Edwin Maysonet SS
Darin Erstad RF
Jason Michaels LF
David Newhan DH
Chris Johnson 3B
Jason Smith 2B
Mark Saccomanno 1B
J.R. Towels C
Brandon Backe P

Rays
Jason Bartlett SS
Carl Crawford LF
Ben Zobrist 1B
Pat Burrell DH
Gabe Kapler RF
Dioner Navarro C
Adam Kennedy 3B
Ray Sadler CF
Reid Brignac 2B
Jeff Niemann P

Rays at Cards

The Rays are in Jupiter today, the first of two trips to the East Coast this spring.

They are playing the Cardinals, and former Ray Trever Miller is scheduled to pitch an inning. Won't be seeing Chris Perez, the Bradenton product competing for the closer's job with the Cards. He threw an inning Sunday.

Wade Davis, who was outstanding against the Yankees last week, makes his second start of the spring.

Here are the lineups:

Rays
Adam Kennedy 2B
Justin Ruggiano CF
Evan Longoria 3B
Ben Zobrist SS
Gabe Gross RF
Chris Richard 1B
Morgan Ensberg DH
Shawn Riggans C
Jon Weber LF
Wade Davis P

Cardinals
Skip Schumaker 2B
Joe Thurston LF
Albert Pujols 1B
Rick Ankiel CF
Joe Mather 3B
Jon Jay RF
Brian Barton DH
Jason LaRue C
Tyler Greene SS
Adam Wainwright P

Two three baggers for CC

There are few things more exciting in baseball than watching Carl Crawford speed around the bases for a triple. The Rays left fielder did that in the third inning that scored Jason Bartlett.

It was Bartlett's second triple of the game.

Jason Hammel went four innings for the Rays, the longest outing of any pitcher this spring.

Evan Longoria has two doubles.

The Rays lead 3-0 after five innings.

Rays and Jays

Good news! The win has shifted here at Charlotte Sports Park. It's now blowing from left to right for today's game with the visiting Blue Jays. That means the fans inside the stadium can read the banner flying from the flag pole beyond left field that proclaims the Rays "2008 American League Champions."

It's a strong breeze, so the sign is easy to read.

It wasn't that way for the first two games when the wind blew from right to left, meaning the lettering on the flag was backwards to those inside the stadium.

A quick check of the field and no, the distances to the outfield walls haven't gotten any deeper.

The rain is gone, the clouds remained and the wind is blowing out to right.

There will be baseball, and here are the lineups:

Jays
Wayne Lydon CF
Russ Adams 2B
Adam Lind DH
Scott Rolen 3B
Jason Lane LF
Brian Jeroloman C
Adam Loewen RF
David Cooper 1B
John McDonald SS
Jesse Litsch P

Rays
Jason Bartlett SS
Carl Crawford LF
Evan Longoria 3B
Pay Burrell RF
Ben Zobrist 2B
Dioner Navarro C
Gabe Kapler DH
Morgan Ensberg 1B
Fernando Perez CF
Jason Hammel P