GameThread: Rays (55-36) @ Orioles (29-62), 7:05

The Rays come into Baltimore having just lost two out of three to the Yankees, so you know they are looking to make up for that against the Orioles. Two youngsters will face off tonight as rookie Wade Davis will try to outpitch 21 year old Chris Tillman.

In 2009, Davis faced the Orioles twice and twice he beat them. The first was on 17 September in Davis' third career start and he just embarrassed the O's with a complete game shut out in which he struck out ten. The second time was ten days later when he mercifully beat the Orioles in a more run-of-the-mill fashion, pitching seven innings and allowing one run.

2010 has been an up-and-down year for Davis. In his seventeen starts he is walking too many (4 BB/9) and not striking out enough (5.9 K/9). He's had a fair number of short outings and has yet to pitch past the seventh inning. But don't let that fool you; Davis was named the Rays' third best prospect by Baseball America prior to the season, and given the Rays' system, that's nothing to sneeze at.

Poor Chris Tillman. He's been on a roller coaster ride all season and will now be making his second start since being called up from AAA for the second time. Hopefully he'll replicate what he did in Texas before the All-Star break, when he out-dueled the Rangers new ace, Cliff Lee. Tillman kept the Rangers off balance into the 8th inning and ultimately allowed just one run on his way to the victory. It was the longest and best of his brief big league career.

Luke Scott has been activated and will be in tonight's lineup. Say what you will about Luke (and I know some of you have plenty to say) but his return makes the lineup better immediately. Corey Patterson, who is nursing a sore heel, is again not available.

Lineups:

Rays: Ben Zobrist RF, Carl Crawford LF, Evan Longoria 3B, Carlos Pena 1B, Matt Joyce DH, John Jaso C, B.J. Upton CF, Jason Bartlett SS, Sean Rodriguez 2B

Orioles: Felix Pie LF, Miguel Tejada 3B, Nick Markakis RF, Ty Wigginton 1B, Luke Scott DH, Adam Jones CF, Scott Moore 2B, Craig Tatum C, Cesar Izturis SS