The Rays’ lineup for Tuesday’s game looks rather different from the one that scored 16 runs against the Red Sox on Monday.
Sam Fuld, LF
Johnny Damon, DH
BJ Upton, CF
Felipe Lopez, 2B
Sean Rodriguez, 3B
Ben Zobrist, RF
Kelly Shoppach, C
Dan Johnson, 1B
Elliot Johnson, SS
It’s a curious middle of the order. BJ Upton does hit southpaws fairly well, but—excepting a trio of homers—Jon Lester has dominated him to the tune of a .650 OPS. Meanwhile, Felipe Lopez hasn’t faced Lester and is, well, Felipe Lopez.
It’s not the toughest lineup Jon Lester has had to face in his life, but it is April. Hopefully, Lester will take advantage of the situation to establish some momentum after his strong start in Cleveland, rather than let his usual early-season problems interfere.