For the first time since September of 2017, the Tampa Bay Rays will welcome back former manager Joe Maddon to Tropicana Field, as Maddon will bring in his Los Angeles Angels for a weekend series. Andrew Kittredge (5-1, 1.27 ERA) will open Friday’s contest, taking on Griffin Canning (5-4, 5.07 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10.
Rays Starting Lineup
Diaz 3B
Choi 1B
Franco SS
Meadows DH
Margot LF
Wendle 2B
Kiermaier CF
Mejia C
Phillips RF
Angels Starting Lineup
Ohtani DH
Rengifo RF
Walsh 1B
Rendon 3B
Stassi C
Ward LF
Iglesias SS
Lagares CF
Fletcher 2B
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
