It looks like the weather at Target Field should be a heckuva lot better this evening than the snow of last night. I’m actually seeing sunshine as I write this. Better weather, better game?
It was a busy day at work so I don’t know much about what happened in the afternoon game other than the score was pretty ugly (hello, oxymoron!). The injury update was covered earlier, so I’ll just say I hope things get better soon. Having one, or maybe even two, of the key guys injured or ill is one thing, but it’s starting to feel like a bit of an epidemic. And I just want the guys to all feel better. It’s no fun for them being hurt or sick either.
I’m interested in seeing how Swarzak does. He was the starting pitcher at the Red Wings game I attended back in August 2009, and he only lasted 2.1 innings, so… I’m maybe not his biggest fan. (The Red Wings did win in the end, but after it went into extra innings I couldn’t stay for because I had other plans. I hate having to leave games before they’re over.) He can totally sway my opinion, though.
On with the lineups:
| Tampa Bay | @ | Minnesota |
| Fuld, LF | Span, CF | |
| Damon, DH | Tolbert, SS | |
| Upton, B, CF | Kubel, DH | |
| Joyce, RF | Morneau, 1B | |
| Zobrist, 2B | Cuddyer, RF | |
| Kotchman, 1B | Tosoni, LF | |
| Rodriguez, S, 3B | Valencia, 3B | |
| Jaso, J, C | Butera, C | |
| Johnson, E, SS | Hughes, L, 2B | |
| Niemann, P | Swarzak, A, P |
At least the Rays didn’t make it into double digits of runs? At least Swarzak did okay considering he had only three days’ rest and flew in just today? At least it wasn’t a shutout? Hey, I’m trying to stay positive.
Late word is that we’ll be seeing more roster changes tomorrow. Burnett up, Swarzak down? Slowey up? I’m not exactly sure what’s going on, but all will become clear in the light of day. I hope.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| Tampa Bay | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 0 |
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |