ANGELS NOTEBOOK: FAMILIAR FACE TO GREET ANGELS IN TAMPA BAY DUGOUT.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA  Staff Writer

CLEVELAND -- There figures to be a long line of Angels players outside of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' dugout today.

The Angels will meet the Devil Rays for the first time since longtime Angels coach Joe Maddon left the organization this offseason to take his first managerial job.

Maddon spent all 31 years of his professional baseball career with the Angels, including the past 12 as a coach on the major-league staff. He was the team's bench coach for the past 10 seasons.

``Tim (Salmon) and I have known him for a long time,'' Garret Anderson said. ``I've known him for 17 years. From that standpoint, a guy you have been around for a long time, you get to know him pretty well. But this game, it's full of people leaving and going on to do different things. It was good for him to get the opportunity to be a manager.''

Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who had known only Maddon as his bench coach until this season, tried to downplay the pregame exchange of lineup cards.

``I think that once we get into the routine it's really like we're playing another team,'' Scioscia said. ``... I think there will be a little sentiment, but once the game starts and we're prepping for them you're just getting into a game.''

Romero happy with coaches' advice: J.C. Romero said he got some positive feedback during a meeting Sunday designed to get him back on track. Scioscia was on hand as was pitching coach Bud Black, bullpen coach Orlando Mercado, bullpen catcher Steve Soliz and catchers Mike Napoli and Jose Molina.

``We just talked about the game, the things (Scioscia) sees, things I should do,'' Romero said. ``I can't wait to get out there and put some things into practice. Everything was positive, that's what I like about this team. No matter if you're struggling, they keep a positive attitude and that helps as a player.''

Since not allowing an earned run in his first four outings in an Angels uniform, Romero has given up 19 earned runs in his past 18 outings.

Record breaker: Joe Saunders set a Triple-A Salt Lake record with 31 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings pitched. Saunders went 7 2/3innings Saturday night before giving up a run to surpass the franchise mark of 27 1/3scoreless innings set by Kevin Gregg in 2003 and matched by Jered Weaver last month.

Local watch: Jamie Shields, the Devil Rays' starter today, had an 11-0 record with a 2.35 ERA as a junior at Hart High of Newhall in 1999. The Santa Clarita resident also had 123 strikeouts in 71 1/3 innings while leading the Indians to the CIF Division II championship. Before he delivers his firstpitch of every game, Shields draws the number 25 on the back of the mound in honor of childhood friend Nolan LeMar, who was killed in a car accident in 2001.