Another night, another disappointing result against the Yankees. Okay, so Edwin Jackson didn't have the exceptional start tonight I was expecting… I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong, but I still think he has the spirit and resilience to be the steadfast ace the Tampa Bay organization envisioned when they signed him. Lately, the Yankees have figured out how to eclipse the Rays in a subtle but successful way. They've outscored Tampa Bay, 22-11, during the last four meetings. As far as foes go, Hideki Matsui and Andy Pettitte have to be on top of the list. Despite some early trouble, Pettitte was able to regroup and finish up the game on a high note. Pettitte gave up nine hits (seven in the first three innings), three runs, struck out five and walked three in seven innings. He's 14-3 against Tampa Bay overall, including 8-1 in games at Tropicana Field. Matsui hit his third home run of the season to set the tone for the game in the second inning. He also had a RBI in the fourth inning, scoring Bobby Abreu, on a ground out to first. With runs by Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter in the fifth inning, the Rays managed to score only one run in the sixth inning… Jason Barlett's single to Jeter scored Jonny Gomes. J.P. Howell, Trever Miller and Gary Glover pitched four scoreless innings to give the Rays a chance to rally, but Bartlett's single in the ninth wasn't enough. Mike DiFelice, Gomes and Bartlett were the only Rays to have more than one hit. Catcher DiFelice is currently hitting .429. Mariano Rivera got the final three outs for the save, his fifth in five opportunities, including a strikeout (Elliot Johnson). The entire Rays team wore No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. Only Joe Girardi, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter and Rivera, whose regular number is 42, wore No. 42 for the Yankees. 61 years ago, Robinson made his major league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. After two consecutive losses, the Rays travel to Minneapolis for a brief two-game series against the Minnesota Twins. James Shields will face Livan Hernandez tomorrow night. Hernandez is 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA. Shields, on the other hand, is 1-1 with 3.00 ERA. Hernandez now looks to win four straight decisions for the first time since playing for Washington. Against Tampa Bay, he's just 2-2 with a 5.77 ERA in six career starts. Since the Rays played against the Yankees 6 out of the first 14 games, it will be nice to see some new faces for the opposing team. I projected an up-and-down type of year… if the season is going to resemble a see-saw, we're bound for an upswing, right?
