Notebook: Yanks to provide early test

ST. PETERSBURG The Yankees make their earliest visit to Tropicana Field since 2004 tonight, and Rays manager Joe Maddon had some interesting comments about the defending world champions before Thursday's game.

On how the Yankees compare to last year's team: "They're still good. I don't think they're any better than last year. I think they're just as good, which is what, 103 wins good? So they're still quite a force."

On the Rays' zero World Series championships compared to the Yankees' 27: "They've had a little head start. We have not had as many years to attempt to do what they've done, nor the financial powers they've had over the last century."

On the spending advantage the Yankees have over much of baseball: "People often talk about what's going on today in regards to imbalance. The Yankees have done that for years. I mean, they used to buy the St. Louis Browns' best player on an annual basis to make them better going into the World Series."

On the connection the Yankees have to the Bay area because their spring training home is in Tampa: "So many things that happen for the Yankees are generated through Tampa. I never knew what that was about until I moved here. Actually, in some ways, we infiltrated their territory, because they were here before the Devil Rays."

After going a majors-best 20-8-2 during spring training and winning their opening series against Baltimore, the Rays will be challenged in a weekend series against a franchise that has dominated them.

The Rays are 69-133 against New York, their second-worst record versus any opponent, and they've won the season series only once (2005).

"Whether we're ready or not, we're going to get tested," LF Carl Crawford said. "We know it's going to be a tough series, and we'll definitely know what our level of play is after they leave."

1B Carlos Peña, whose 2009 season ended Sept.7 against the Yankees when he was hit by a CC Sabathia pitch, said the Rays will treat the three-game series like any other.

"I think when you start differentiating who you're playing, that's when you know you are raising or lowering the level of your intensity, and we're not about that," he said. "We're trying to maintain our level of play."

Other lineup

Facing a starting left-hander Thursday for the first time this season, the Rays opened with Ben Zobrist at second, Gabe Kapler in right and Kelly Shoppach at catcher.

Maddon said that's how the Rays generally will line up against lefties, at least at this juncture of the season.

"It's not etched in stone that Shop is going to get all the lefties and (Dioner Navarro) is not, but I'd say he's going to get a preponderance of lefties, based on his power against them in the past," Maddon said.

Shoppach and Kapler, who bat right-handed, entered Thursday as .299 and .291 career hitters against lefties. Navarro, a switch-hitter, has a .279 average against lefties.

In Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Orioles, Shoppach went 0-for-1 with a walk, Kapler went 1-for-1 with a walk and Navarro had a pinch-hit RBI groundout and a walk.

Odds and ends

The Rays missed the chance for their first season-opening sweep since 2002 against the Tigers. ... All three games in the series were decided by one run. ... 3B Evan Longoria went 5-for-12 in the series with two home runs, five RBIs and a double. ...

RHP James Shields says his wife, Ryane, is doing well after giving birth to the couple's second daughter Wednesday. Shields said he watched the Rays' 4-3 victory Wednesday night on TV. "It was a happy day for me and a happy day for the team," he said. ... INF Reid Brignac was presented with the Al Lopez Award (a large plaque) before the game, recognizing him as the Rays' top rookie during spring training. The award was presented by Al Lopez III, grandson of the Tampa Hall-of-Famer.

Team president Matt Silverman, Maddon, Brignac, Kapler and LHP David Price attended the Great Tampa Chamber of Commerce "Welcome Home" Luncheon. Silverman and Maddon spoke, and the players took questions. ... OF Matt Joyce of Tampa (strained elbow) started a rehab assignment Thursday night at Triple-A Durham as a DH. He also has started a throwing program.

After Tuesday's record TV rating (4.8) for a season opener on Fox Sports Florida, Wednesday's game posted an even higher rating of 5.0. The rating peaked at 6.9 (approximately 125,000 homes) from 9:45-10 p.m. If a quarter of those viewers would show up at the Trop, the Rays might be able to keep Crawford.