Tarps Will Come Off At Trop

The people have spoken, and the Rays have conceded.

Should the American League Championship Series return to Tropicana Field for Games 6 and 7, the team will remove the tarps that have blocked off upper-level seats all year to allow thousands more fans in the building.

The Rays previously had said they would not take that step unless they reached the World Series, when Major League Baseball would require them to make all seats available. But high demand for playoff tickets apparently prompted the Rays to back down from their stance.

"This was our decision and based on the input and feedback from the fans," Rays president Matt Silverman said. "We want as many people as possible to be able to enjoy this."

The caveat is the 5,762 seats that will be uncovered and put into use had been taken out of play for a reason.

"Some are obstructed-view, some don't have seatbacks, and they're pretty high up," Silverman said. "But you're in the ballpark and you're there making a difference to the team."

That's all the fans had asked for, and the Rays acquiesced while warning that upper-deck lines for bathrooms and concession stands will be longer as the total capacity of the Trop pushes up to between 40,000 and 41,000.

Speaking of Game 6, fans who preregistered for an opportunity to buy tickets will be notified via e-mail this morning if they'll have a chance to do so. Online sales to those afforded the opportunity will begin at 5 p.m. today, with any remaining tickets going on sale Thursday at 9 a.m.

Who Will It Be?

As the Rays' expected starter for Game 5, James Shields participated in a news conference before Wednesday's game. But there's a chance he might not make that start.

Manager Joe Maddon acknowledged Wednesday that Shields might be pushed back to start Game 6 at Tropicana Field, with Scott Kazmir the alternative for Thursday.

The reasoning behind such a switch would be that Kazmir has been far more effective at Fenway Park (4-4, 3.02 ERA) than Shields (0-3, 10.12 ERA), while Shields boasts a 2.59 ERA at the Trop this year. The final decision was to be made late Tuesday night or today.

"I'm here to pitch, that's it," Shields said. "Whatever they want me to do, I'm here to pitch. I'm ready to go Thursday."

Take A Load Off

While the Red Sox will hold an optional workout today at Fenway Park, just as they did Sunday, the Rays once again decided not to practice at all. Why?

"Because we don't need to," Maddon said. "Primarily for me the workout would be for the pitchers. If we needed to throw, that would be the primary reason I would want to do it."

The reason Maddon doesn't feel the need for his hitters to take more batting practice has nothing to do with their hot hitting the past three games.

"At this time of the year, I really prefer saving swings as opposed to expending them," Maddon said.

This & That

Evan Longoria's first-inning homer Tuesday was his fifth of the postseason, a major-league rookie record. Miguel Cabrera held the mark with four in 2003, with Florida. ... The Rays' 16 homers have tied the record for the most by a team in its first postseason. The 1995 Mariners did it in 11 games, while the Rays hit the mark in only eight.

Marc Lancaster