Yanks Going Through Motions, Send Ponson to Hill

James Shields, RHP (12-8, 3.64)
Rays (87-57)
Sidney Ponson, RHP (8-5, 5.10)
Yankees (77-69)

Scouting Report:
Rays: Shields earned a no-decision against the Blue Jays in his last start. The right-hander pitched well, allowing just three runs on six hits over eight innings. Shields walked two and struck out three as he was stopped in his effort to win his career-high 13th game of the year. In seven career starts against the Yankees, Shields is 0-6 with a 6.86 ERA. He will look to reverse that in the Rays' first game of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium -- their last visit to the historic ballpark.

Yankees: Ponson got back in the win column on Sept. 6 at Seattle, tossing six innings of three-run, five-hit ball in the Yankees' 7-4 decision over the Mariners -- their only victory of the weekend. The right-hander has been a little rougher over the longer stretch, faring just 1-3 with a 7.89 ERA through his last six starts after going 3-1 with a 4.73 ERA in his first seven starts for New York. He'll be facing the Rays for the third time this season and his second as a Yankee, having hurled six innings of one-run ball in a July 9 no-decision at Yankee Stadium.