RAYS EXTRA: Howell jersey

Tag : Printed Jersey

Spotted in the Tropicana Field on Friday night was a fan wearing a J.P. Howell (below) jersey.
"Noooo," Howell said when he heard the news. "I've never seen one."
It wasn't a member of his family, Howell said.
"They don't even have a Howell jersey," he said.
But there it was, No. 39 with "HOWELL" printed across the backmixing in with the Crawfords, Longorias, Uptons and Kazmirs.
"I think it was handmade," Howell said. "Had to be handmade. Idon't think he could buy that at any store. I didn't think anyonewould have one of my jerseys."
"I have one," said one of the Tampa Bay Rays batboys.
"Oh, that's funny, dude," Howell said.
STAT OF THE DAY
0: Number of starts this season for Dallas Braden who will come out of the Oakland A's bullpen and start tonightagainst the Rays. Braden is 1-0 with a 4.80 ERA in nine reliefappearances. He was 1-8 as a starter last season.
FIRST PLACE
The Rays have been in first place or tied for first place for 41days this season. The most days they had ever been in first or tiedfor first in their first 10 years was 16.
They've also been above .500 for 86 days, 14 more days than theywere above .500 in their first 10 years combined.
HALF DAY
Edwin Jackson lasted just 4 1/3 innings Sunday. It was just the second time inthe Rays' past 34 games that a starter hasn't worked at least fiveinnings.
TONIGHT'S GAME
ATHLETICS AT RAYS
7:10 p.m., ION, 1250-AM
Andy Sonnanstine (10-4, 4.58), the Rays' only 10-game winner, will start tonightfor the first time since July 10.
The Rays are 14-5 when Sonnanstine (below) starts, including 7-1 inhis past eight outings. He's also matched up well against some ofthe better pitchers in the majors. Sonnanstine has beaten Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox twice, the Toronto Blue Jays' Dustin McGowan and A.J. Burnett , Ervin Santana of the Los Angeles Angels and Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs.
Sonnanstine is making his third career start against the A's. He is1-1 after being pounded for nine hits and seven runs in six inningson May 21 in Oakland.