Maybe Lou's boys sold their souls in exchange for this mastery of the Jays. Tampa is 33 games under .500 against everyone else, but seven games over against Toronto. It was getting ridiculous a long time ago, and sadly, there's no reason to expect any change tonight.
Jorge Sosa is coming off the best game of his life, a 4-hit shutout of the Mariners. Mark Hendrickson hasn't survived the fifth in his last three starts, allowing 22 hits and 14 runs in his last 10.2 innings. I've been one of Lurch's most patient supporters, but even I am starting to believe his time in the rotation is running out. He still could be an asset in the 2004 bullpen.
The Rays have won three in a row and five of six. The Jays were on a decent roll themselves, until lackluster efforts by Kelvim Escobar and Cory Lidle seemed to affect the whole team's attitude. A solid start will help turn things around, so we may have to wait until tomorrow afternoon.
Strangely, Frank Catalanotto (.462 OBP vs. Sosa) isn't in the lineup. Neither is Greg Myers, but I'll never complain about Phelps as DH, and Josh has hit very well in this park. Kevin Cash's glove is keeping Crash's bat on the bench; that's sacrificing the present for the future.
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