SB Nation Cleveland - Indians Vs. Rays: Ubaldo Jimenez Roughed Up As Tampa Splits Series

Indians Vs. Rays Final Score: Cleveland Splits Series After 6-0 Shutout In Game Four

2012-07-19T19:31:16Z

The Cleveland Indians were unable to wrap up a series victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday, and instead finished the four-game set with a split after dropping Game 4 by a score of 6-0. They had previously won Game 1 on Monday by a score of 3-2 and then blew things up in Game 3 with a 10-6 win. Game 2 was a 4-2 win for Tampa Bay.

Once again, Ubaldo Jimenez found himself unable to last more than a couple innings, giving up a homerun to Luke Scott in the third inning and then getting shelled in the sixth inning. He was pulled in the sixth after giving up a single to Carlos Pena that scored B.J. Upton. Upton had reached base after scoring Desmond Jennings, Jose Molina and Sean Rodriguez with a double to left field.

Scott Barnes would come in and allow a run as well, but the damage was done anyway and Jimenez was handed his ninth loss of the season. David Price picked up the win for the Rays, pitching seven full innings with two hits and three walks against seven strikeouts. He improved to 13-4 on the season for his efforts.

Cleveland will try to get back in the swing of things as they return home and face the Baltimore Orioles in another four-game series, before playing host to the rival Detroit Tigers. Game one of the Orioles series is set for Friday.

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Catcher Lou Marson Does Not Catch, CB Bucknor Hit In Face

2012-07-19T18:42:56Z

The Indians are well on their way to a series split in Tampa Bay against the Rays, with Ubaldo Jimenez giving up five runs. One Jimenez offering, however, connected not with a Rays' bat but right in the heart of the home plate umpire CB Bucknor's facemask. The hit-by-pitch would be the start of the bases-loaded, four-run rally off Jimenez that blew the game open. An animated gif of the incident after the jump:

Via @BubbaProg:

You'll remember Bucknor was the target of the Tribe's ire during Tuesday night's loss, with Asdrubal Cabrera barking at the notoriously mediocre ump for some calls he made out at second base.

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Indians Vs. Rays: Cleveland Goes For Series Win In Tampa Bay

2012-07-19T13:47:11Z

The Cleveland Indians will take a 2-1 series leads into the final game of a four-game set with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Cleveland, which is a half-game behind the Detroit Tigers and 3.0 games back of the Chicago White Sox, will start Ubaldo Jimenez, who is 8-8 with a 5.09 ERA.

Jimenez seemed to be returning to form before getting shelled his last time out against the Blue Jays. He had a 2.93 ERA over his previous seven starts but then gave up seven hits, four walks and eight earned runs in 2.1 innings. The 2.1 innings were the fewest of the season, and the eight earned runs tied a career high.

The Rays, meanwhile, will send All-Star David Price to the hill. Price, 12-4 with a 2.80, leads the AL with 12 wins.

First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. Eastern.

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Indians Vs. Rays Final Score: Cleveland Uses 7th Inning Rally To Drop Tampa Bay, 10-6

2012-07-19T02:43:24Z

With the American League Central race continuing to heat up, the Cleveland Indians rallied to negate a poor start by pitcher Justin Masterson on Wednesday night in a clutch 10-6 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Masterson walked a season-high seven batters over just 4.1 innings, and served up four Tampa Bay runs before exiting the game much earlier than he initially hoped. After four consecutive two-out singles by Indians hitters in the seventh inning that saw them jump out to a 5-4 advantage, Cleveland catcher Carlos Santana promptly smashed his first home run in more than two months to break the game open and take Masterson off the hook.

Cleveland shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera also continued to reverse his latest trend after suffering through a 1-for-25 slump earlier in the month, and posted a 3-for-5 night to record his fourth hit of the series. Along with connecting on 14 base knocks as a team, Indians batters No. 1-6 in the lineup combined to go 13-for-29 against Rays pitchers, and managed to score a run against three different Tampa relievers.

Now with a 2-1 lead in the series, the Indians can try to keep things going on Thursday as Ubaldo Jimenez will take the mound to close out the four-game set.

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Indians Vs. Rays: Starting Lineup For Wednesday Night

2012-07-18T21:23:20Z

On Wednesday night, the Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay Rays will play the third game of a four game set, which has seen each team come away with a victory thus far.

Here are the projected starting lineups:

Indians

1. Shin-Soo Choo, Right Field

2. Asdrubal Cabrera, Short Stop

3. Jason Kipnis, Second Base

4. Michael Brantley, Center Field

5. Carlos Santana, Catcher

6. Travis Hafner, Designated Hitter

7. Johnny Damon, Left Field

8. Casey Kotchman, First Base

9. Jack Hannahan, Third Base

Pitcher: Justin Masterson

Rays

1. B.J. Upton, Center Field

2. Carlos Pena, First Base

3. Ben Zobrist, Second Base

4. Matt Joyce, Right Field

5. Jeff Keppinger, Third Base

6. Luke Scott, Designated Hitter

7. Desmond Jennings, Left Field

8. Jose Lobaton, Catcher

9. Elliot Johnson, Short Stop

Pitcher: Jeremy Hellickson

Indians Vs. Rays: Cleveland, Tampa Bay Gear Up For Game Three Of Series

2012-07-18T14:26:09Z

After two games, the Tampa Bay Rays have had a lot more success in the standings during their series than the Cleveland Indians, moving up to second in the AL East despite splitting the games. Cleveland is still stuck in third place of the AL Central, pushing to get above the Tigers and White Sox.

If they want to do that, their starting pitcher is going to need to do some trend bucking. Justin Masterson (6-8, 4.14 ERA) has never won a game at Tropicana Field, going 0-4 there and 1-7 overall against the Rays in his career. He is coming off an impressive 1-0 win over Toronto where he held the Blue Jays to only five hits in seven innings, so now's the time to get a win against Tampa if ever there was one.

He'll be facing an opponent who is dealing with his own struggles, Jeremy Hellickson (4-6, 3.48 ERA). The 2011 Rookie of the Year started off the season 4-0 but has lost his last six games which has ballooned his ERA a bit. One of those games was a loss to the Indians, back on July 5.

The game will be at Tropicana Field at 7:10 p.m. ET.

Indians Vs. Rays Final Score: Tampa Bay Takes Game 2 As Indians Lose 4-2

2012-07-18T02:11:31Z

The Cleveland Indians lost to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays Tuesday night by a final score of 4-2. Josh Tomlin takes the loss for the Indians, giving up seven hits, four runs and one walk while striking out one over 5.2 innings.

Tampa Bay took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a two run home run by Carlos Pena and an RBI triple from Luke Scott, and that was more than Cleveland's offense could answer. The Tribe picked up only four hits on the night. Tampa Bay starting pitcher Matt Moore had control issues, walking five, but the Indians were unable to take advantage. They were 1-5 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.

The four game series now stands tied at one game each. Game 3 of the series is scheduled for Wednesday night at 7:10 p.m. ET.

Indians Vs. Rays: Starting Lineups For Tuesday

2012-07-17T20:48:36Z

Still in third place in the American League Central after Monday's win, the Cleveland Indians will look to stay on pace in game two from Tampa Bay on Tuesday evening.

Leadoff hitter Shin-Soo Choo will seek to continue his red-hot summer from the plate on Tuesday, after finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of key doubles in the opener. Choo is smashing opposing pitchers to the tune of a .327 average in July, which is actually slightly lower than his impressive .333 mark over the entire month of June.

Pitcher Josh Tomlin will open the game for the Indians on the mound in search of his sixth victory of the season. Tomlin served up a gem against the Rays back on July 5th before the All-Star break with seven innings of one-run ball where he allowed a mere two hits.

Here are the starting lineups for Tuesday:

Indians
1. Shin-Soo Choo - RF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera - SS
3. Jason Kipnis - 2B
4. Michael Brantley - CF
5. Jose Lopez - 3B
6. Carlos Santana - DH
7. Shelley Duncan - LF
8. Casey Kotchman - 1B
9. Lou Marson - C
Josh Tomlin - SP

Rays
1. B.J. Upton - CF
2. Carlos Pena - 1B
3. Ben Zobrist - 2B
4. Matt Joyce - RF
5. Jeff Keppinger - 3B
6. Luke Scott - DH
7. Desmond Jennings - LF
8. Jose Lobaton - C
9. Elliot Johnson - SS
Matt Moore - SP

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