[Ruden]

Dagens Officiella-spel från oss i Segertåget är idag följande:

Houston Astros (F. Paulino) - San Diego Padres (J. Garland)
Spelstopp: 9/5 01.05
Spel: San Diego Padres (J. Garland)
Odds: 1.769 @ Pinnacle
Insats: 5u

Resultat:

Houston Astros (F. Paulino) 1 - 2 San Diego Padres (J. Garland)

Oakland Athletics (B. Sheets) - Tampa Bay Rays (W. Davis)
Spelstopp: 8/5 22.05
Spel: Tampa Bay Rays (W. Davis)
Odds: 1.685 @ Pinnacle
Insats: 5u

Resultat:

Oakland Athletics (B. Sheets) 4 - 2 Tampa Bay Rays (W. Davis)

Oakland Athletics 2010: 15W-15L, Hemma: 11W-7L
Tampa Bay Rays 2010: 22W-7L, Borta: 13W-1L

Oakland Athletics runs 2010: snittar 4.23 runs per match
Tampa Bay Rays runs 2010: snittar 5.93 runs per match

Ben Sheets 2010: 7.12 ERA, 30.1 innings, 42 hits, 24 earned runs, 16 strikeouts
Wade Davis 2010: 2.79 ERA, 29 innings, 21 hits, 9 earned runs, 22 strikeouts

Davis är en betydligt bättre pitcher än Sheets och här ska Rays ha god chans att ta sin 14:e bortaseger för säsongen i sin 15:e bortamatch!! Därför ser vi det som ett bra spel.

Preview

Spoiler:

Sometimes a friendly rivalry can be a good thing.

It's certainly been the case for Rays starting pitchers as they lead the Majors with a combined 18 wins and a 2.41 ERA.

Rays left-hander David Price continued that trend by allowing no earned runs over 7 1/3 innings in a 4-1 win over the A's on Friday, and right-hander Wade Davis will look to keep it going on Saturday when he starts opposite A's righty Ben Sheets.

"Everybody's throwing so well that you don't want to be the guy that's holding everybody down," Davis said. "It's definitely been fun and hopefully we can keep it going."

Davis has been solid in just his second season in the Majors with a 3-1 record and 2.79 ERA in five starts. But he's simply been part of impressive rotation that includes James Shields (4-0 with a 3.15 ERA), Matt Garza (5-1, 2.09), Jeff Niemann (2-0, 2.23) and Price (4-1, 1.91).

Davis, though, said he hasn't been surprised by his club's pitching staff that currently has helped the Rays to the best record in the Majors at 22-7 and a five-game winning streak.

"No doubt," said Davis, when asked if he expected such a great start. "They're all super competitive. They go out there to win every game."

Meanwhile, the A's rotation has also been solid with a 4.33 ERA, but Sheets has struggled a bit with 1-3 record and 7.12 ERA. He's especially had trouble recently, as he's allowed 17 earned runs over his last two starts, totaling just a combined 7 1/3 innings.

Sheets didn't have answer for why he's struggled so much this season, but pointed to shaky command and adjusting to the American League after eight seasons with the Brewers.

"Coming to a new league, it's kind of like you're a rookie all over again," Sheets said. "There's no comfort zone. You try to go off the scouting reports, but you also try to stay true to yourself. I feel like as I see them more, I'll be better. But I gotta be better than this.

"I feel like my stuff is right there. My stuff's fine. My breaking ball is not fine. My breaking ball is absolutely hitting a wall every time I throw it. I'll keep working on that and try to get it breaking like I know it should."

Rays: Rodriguez gets in on the action
Second baseman Ben Zobrist was held out of the lineup for just the second time this season on Friday and Sean Rodriguez started in his place. The move certainly worked out with Rodriguez going 1-for-3 with a two-run double in the seventh inning that gave the Rays two insurance runs. Zobrist, who is batting .266 this season, even chipped in with a pinch-hit single and a run scored in the ninth inning after replacing Gabe Kapler.

A's: Duchscherer to the DL, Ramirez called up
The A's rotation took a hit on Friday when right-hander Justin Duchscherer was placed on the 15-day disabled list with left hip inflammation, retroactive to April 30, and was replaced on the 25-man roster by reliever Edwar Ramirez. Duchscherer was 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in five starts before his injury and said he expects to be back when he is eligible on May 5. "If I feel like this, I don't see why I wouldn't be able to pitch then," he said. "I feel great.

Worth noting
A's left-hander Brett Anderson, who is on the 15-day disabled list with a combination of forearm tightness and elbow tendinitis, tossed 30 throws "pain-free" in the outfield on Friday, A's manager Bob Geren said. Anderson is expected to rejoin the rotation in 2-to-3 weeks. ... A's second baseman Mark Ellis (hamstring) and outfielder Travis Buck (oblique muscle) are eligible to be reinstated from the disabled list at any time, and Geren said the former is likely closer to being lifted off the DL than the latter. Catcher Kurt Suzuki (intercostal strain) is also eligible to come off the DL on Sunday but isn't expected to be activated until next week. ... Rays third baseman Evan Longoria saw his 12-game hitting streak come to end on Friday when he went 0-for-1 with three walks.

Pitchers

Ben Sheets - Oakland Athletics

Spoiler:

Roughed up in his last two starts, Sheets will face the Rays seeking his second win of the season. On Sunday in Toronto, Sheets lasted just 3 1/3 innings, giving up nine runs (all earned) on 10 hits. Sheets has faced the Rays once before, when they tagged him for eight runs (all earned) and nine hits in four innings on April 27 in Tampa Bay. In six starts this year, Sheets has a higher walks-per-nine-innings rate (4.7) than any other year in his career. His previous high is 2.9, which he accumulated in each of his first two years in the Majors.

Wade Davis - Tampa Bay Rays

Spoiler:

Davis outdueled AL Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke on Sunday to earn his third win of the season. The 24-year-old right-hander held the Royals scoreless on three hits while walking three and striking out five in seven innings of work. Davis has great command of his pitches, and he isn't afraid to throw a breaking ball in any situation. Aside from his quality stuff, Davis always seems to maintain his composure, which might be his biggest asset. Davis will be making his second career start against Oakland. He picked up the win against the Athletics on April 27, when he allowed four earned runs in five innings in a game won by the Rays, 8-6.

Dagens Officiella-spel från oss i Segertåget blir därför följande:

Tampa Bay Rays (W. Davis) @ 1.685 5u - LOSS
San Diego Padres (J. Garland) @ 1.769 5u - WIN

Motivering för det andra Officiella-spelet från oss i Segertåget kommer senare...