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Weber Powers Rays Past Red Sox

The Associated Press

Weber smacked a three-run double against the Boston Red Sox during the sixth inning.

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By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 7, 2009

Updated: 03/07/2009 06:20 pm

PORT CHARLOTTE - Opening day starter James Shields looked solid in his spring debut, and outfielder Jon Weber came off the bench to drive in six runs Saturday, as the Rays thrashed a watered-down Red Sox team 15-7 in Saturday's Grapefruit League game at Port Charlotte Sports Park.

The Rays won the fourth consecutive Grapefruit League game, taking advantage of sloppy Boston defense and pitching (six errors, seven walks, nine unearned runs) to score 15 runs on only seven hits.

Weber, who didn't enter the game until the sixth inning, went 2-for-2 with a three-run home run and three-run double. Catcher Shawn Riggans had two hits and two runs, shortstop Jason Bartlett had two runs and a stolen base on slow-mo knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Outfielder Ray Sadler also hit a home run.

"We capitalized by playing hard," manager Joe Maddon said. "I like the way we ran the bases again today. We caught the ball on defense – we only made one mistake ourselves. So I liked all of that."

Shields, a 14-game winner last year and one of the Rays' heroes of the postseason, pitched two innings and threw 22 pitches. He allowed two hits and one run while striking out Jed Lowrie and Brad Wilkerson His wild pitch to Josh Bard in the second inning after Jeff Bailey doubled led to a run.

"The first inning felt good. The second inning, I kind of got a little lazy and a little ahead of myself, rushing a little," Shields said. "But that's what spring training is all about."

Shields got to ease his way in against a much softer Red Sox lineup when he takes the mound for the Rays on opening day (April 6) at Fenway Park.

"I'm not going to lie, I was kind of glad they didn't bring their A squad over here," he said.

Relief pitcher Grant Balfour also made his spring debut and was hit in the upper right forearm by a line drive from Nick Green. He appeared from the training room afterward wearing a sleeve over a bandage and said he didn't think the injury would cause much of a setback.

"Go the out. That's the main thing, right?" Balfour said about still being able to pick up the ball and make the throw to first.

The hard-throwing Aussie pitched one inning and gave up one hit while walking one. He said his fastball "was a little off" after he felt sharp in the bullpen.

Center fielder B.J. Upton, recovering from off-season shoulder injury, took pre-game batting practice for the first time. He looked fluid, made solid contact and even knocked a couple of balls out of the park. He said he hopes to get into a spring game in the next couple of weeks, but that wouldn't necessarily mean he would be ready for the likely cold-weather season opener.

Righthander Wade Davis, a projected minor leaguer who has turned heads with two strong starts this spring, will "more than likely" make his final start of the spring Sunday, Maddon said.

The Rays will soon begin paring down their 63-man camp, and Maddon indicated Davis will be one of those who eventually gets moved to the minor league camp, which is underway for pitchers and catchers and opens for all players Tuesday.

"We're seeing what he's capable of doing, and it's not that far into the future in regard to him helping us," Maddon said. "He's part of that patient process you always want to utilize. He's made a great impression here. Absolutely fantastic."

Davis said he has thrown the slider he added to his repertoire only once this spring – for a strike to St. Louis' Albert Pujols on Monday – and that he wants to start working on his off-speed pitches.

"I haven't had a chance to mix in any off-speed stuff, which isn't necessarily a bad thing," he said. "I've gained a lot of confidence in my fastball. At some point I'll need to work on getting that in, but I've still got a lot of time left to get some work in and get stretched out further this

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