Rays News

"It's doubtful there was a happier looking person on the planet yesterday than the Blue Jays' Gregg Zaun. Bounding around third base with unbridled joy after connecting for a dramatic grand slam in the bottom of the 13th inning, Zaun looked as gleeful as an eight-year-old on Christmas morning as he leapt into the waiting throng surrounding home plate. It was a storybook ending for the Jays and Zaun as they won one the hard way, 7-4, over a stunned Tampa team. Zaun, making his first start since Aug, 30, came to the plate against veteran closer Troy Percival with his team down a run, two out, the bases full and a big chunk of the crowd of 34,649 having left the stadium. He connected on the ..."

"Hands-down, the remarkable run of the Tampa Bay Rays this season has been the best and most encouraging story in baseball. As they roll into Fenway Park tomorrow for their first of six remaining games against the Red Sox - three here, three next week in St. Petersburg, Fla. - all eyes will understandably be on the battle for first place in the American League East. That turf war, with each club unable to win on the road against the other all season - and the early June brawl not forgotten - should merit nearly all the attention and hype it proceeds. But with each team seemingly assured of making the playoffs, the Rays have already won a war far more important than this latest skirmish with ..."

"Finding themselves in the unique position of chasing Tampa Bay with only three weeks remaining, the Red Sox found themselves riveted to the clubhouse television prior to last night’s game vs. the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark, opening pulling for the Blue Jays to upend the Rays in Toronto. With two outs in the 13th inning and Toronto trailing 4-3, nearly 20 members of the Sox quietly applauded when Tampa Bay closer Troy Percival walked Scott Rolen to load the bases with two outs. A few players good-naturedly poked fun at the intense Blue Jays catcher, while Dustin Pedroia turned to J.D. Drew and declared that Zaun would be swinging at the first pitch. Pedroia was correct. Zaun jumped ..."

"Gregg Zaun was saying he'd been having a good laugh the other day about going 0-for-August. In what now amounts to his weekly start behind the plate, Zaun had a lot more fun yesterday. In fact, as he put it, "the most fun I've had at the ballpark in a long time." A two-out, walk-off grand slam – in the 13th inning, yet – will sometimes do that for you. Zaun's first-pitch poke off Tampa Rays closer Troy Percival – just over the fence in sharp right – hoisted the Jays to an implausible seventh straight triumph, this one 7-4. Cruising 3-0 into the eighth behind seven strong innings from Shaun Marcum and a brace of Lyle Overbay homers, B.J. Ryan succumbed to a Tampa three-spot in the ninth. ..."

"3B Evan Lon­goria rejoined the active roster for Saturday's game but is targeting Friday for his more important return to the lineup. Longoria may be used for late-inning defense or pinch-running for the next few days as he continues his recovery from his fractured right wrist. "I've been wanting to be activated the last five days just to be in there and prepare myself mentally," Longoria said. "I don't think it has any bearing on the time frame. I think we're still going to probably shoot for the first game in New York." Longoria, out since being hit by a pitch Aug. 7, crossed a significant threshold Saturday when he swung a regular bat with "just very, very minimal pain," but he has ..."

"While the Blue Jays grind toward a possible third-place finish, Roy Halladay grinds toward his second 20-win season. Along the way right fielder Alex Rios, under the direction of manager Cito Gaston and hitting coach Gene Tenace, has put together his best second-half surge. It is all working for Toronto these days, albeit a bit too late in the game. With a 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays last night, the Jays won their sixth in a row, which is their longest win streak of the season. The Jays kept the heat on the third-place Yankees who started the day 11/2 games in front of them. The victory, Halladay's fifth in a row, improved his record to 18-9. The two-homer night for Rios gave him ..."

""Mark my words, watch out for Tampa Bay next season." -- Peter Ciccarelli, Aug. 30, 2007. It was an old-fashioned baseball night at a restaurant, a few miles south of the San Francisco airport. Eight people telling stories, sharing laughs. When Ciccarelli -- a long-time baseball man -- spoke, conversation stopped, like in an E.F. Hutton commercial. Tampa Bay beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-6, 372 days ago, their 54th win of the season, to surge to within 26 games of the first-place Boston Red Sox. "They're going to be over .500 and then you watch," Ciccarelli said. "I'm the biggest Joe Maddon fan -- next to his mother -- he told me once he had the pitching in place, he'd have the defence ..."

"While it's suddenly crunch time for the Tampa Rays, the Blue Jays continue to roll in their relatively pressure-free role as spoilers. Anchored by another solid Roy Halladay performance and fuelled by a pair of Alex Rios homers, the Jays notched a season-high sixth successive win last night by fending off the AL East front-runners 6-4. It was only the Jays' fifth win in 16 meetings with one of this season's major-league, feel-good stories, but comes at a likely very telling time for the Rays. With their third loss in four games since plumping their lead to a season-best 5 1/2 lengths, the Rays, given a Red Sox cruise in Texas, are now only 2 1/2 up. Worse, last night marked the opener of a ..."

"There were some big moments in the Rays' 6-4 Friday night loss to the Blue Jays. A three-run Toronto rally in the second after Andy Sonnanstine was staked to a 2-0 lead. An Alex Rios homer in the third that put the Jays up 4-2. Roy Halladay freezing B.J. Upton on strike three with two on to end the seventh. Rios hitting a two-run homer off Grant Balfour in the eighth to provide the final margin. B.J. Ryan fanning Carlos Pena to end the game with two on. But it was a little play - Akinori Iwamura failing to get down a good bunt on a safety squeeze that would have tied the score in the seventh - that made the largest difference. "If we get the bunt down properly … that was a whole different ..."

"The underlying theme in Joe Maddon's messages to his team back when winning was still a novelty rarely wavered. He wanted to see his players go all-out and maintain their focus from the first pitch through the last, knowing that just one slip-up down the stretch could cost them everything they had worked so hard to achieve. Friday night's 6-4 loss to the Blue Jays was one of those games. Though the Rays had a chance to win it up until Carlos Pena's final mighty cut missed B.J. Ryan's full-count fastball, a handful of poorly timed lapses left them wanting. "We played well," Maddon said. "We just hung a couple pitches and didn't execute one play, and therein lies the difference in games. If ..."

"The Rays brought OF Fernando Perez to the majors Sunday - just in time to make him eligible for the postseason roster - because he can do things no one else in the organization can. In case you were wondering about that "unique skill set" cited by Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman when Perez was recalled, it was on full display Friday night as the 25-year-old made his major-league debut. Perez came in to pinch run for Dioner Navarro after the catcher singled with one out in the seventh inning and eventually rounded the bases to score on an infield single by Jason Bartlett. But Perez's real star turn came in the ninth. Needing base runners with a 6-3 deficit, Perez faced down ..."

"The Yankees know it will take a miracle now. They understand the consequences of every loss. They are seven and a half games from a playoff spot with 22 to play, a few more losses from the abyss. That reality set in on the Yankees Thursday as they fell to the Tampa Bay Rays, 7-5, scoring all of their runs in the ninth inning. As they packed for an overnight trip across the country, there was no satisfaction in taking two of three games in this series. "The thing is, it seems like we're finally playing a lot better now," Johnny Damon said. "Hopefully, it's not too late. We know we have some very good teams in front of us." The Seattle Mariners, at least, are not one of them. The Yankees ..."

"An overnight flight to the Pacific Northwest did nothing to soothe Darrell Rasner's feelings on Friday. Rasner, the Yankees' fifth starter, was hammered in his start at Tampa Bay on Thursday, and he felt the need to tell Manager Joe Girardi he was sorry. "I know, from Raz, the effort is always there," Girardi said. "The kid's got a lot of heart. He came in and apologized and I said: 'You don't need to do that. We know you're doing everything you can.' " Girardi gently told Rasner that he would be moving to the bullpen, and Rasner accepted the assignment. Alfredo Aceves will be taking his spot in the rotation on Tuesday in Anaheim. Aceves allowed one run in five innings of relief on ..."

"Sweep or weep. The intelligent money is on pinstriped tears flowing like Niagara Falls shortly. After taking two of three from the Rays and winning three of four overall, the Yankees dropped a 7-5 decision to Tampa Bay last night in front of 26,080 at Tropicana Field. With a chance to sweep the AL East leaders the Yankees boarded a plane for Seattle having won three of four but losing a half-game to the wild card-leading Red Sox, who hold a commanding 71/2-game lead over the Yankees. "We need more than series. We need to string together a lot of wins. We've got a lot of ground to make up," a glum manager Joe Girardi said after a five-run, ninth-inning rally fell short - highlighted by ..."

"With Evan Longoria's return from the disabled list uncertain, 3B Willy Aybar's role continues to loom large. The 25-year-old switch-hitter has filled in admirably, both offensively and defensively. The latter is an aspect of Aybar's game that is better than even manager Joe Maddon expected. Thursday, Aybar flashed a bit of both in the Rays' 7-5 victory against the Yankees. He capped a five-run second with a two-run single then added a solo homer in the fourth. In the third, Aybar made one of the game's biggest defensive plays, diving to his left to snag a sharp grounder by Derek Jeter before throwing him out. In the 23 games Longoria has missed with a fractured right wrist, Aybar has hit ..."

"This is what an ace does. He calms a dugout's nerves, pitch by pitch and inning by inning. He assumes a team's burden, at a time when no one else seems capable. He takes over a game when it is absolutely needed most. Yes, this is what an ace does. He pitches like Scott Kazmir. There is no other position like a starting pitcher in baseball. It is as close as you can get to a player singlehandedly winning in a team sport. And that makes an ace practically irreplaceable. Which is why Kazmir's six-inning, one-hit performance Thursday night was so much larger than a single line in a boxscore. It kept the word "panic" out of any conversation as the Rays head into their most meaningful road trip ..."

"All-Star 3B Evan Longoria will accompany the Rays to Toronto, Boston and New York starting today, but his return from a fractured right wrist still isn't imminent. Despite consecutive losses to the Yankees on Tuesday and Wednesday in which substitute 3B Willy Aybar wasn't as sharp defensively, Manager Joe Maddon said there's no heightened sense of urgency for getting Longoria back. "We've had that sense of urgency from the moment he went down," Maddon said. Longoria, who is batting .278 with 22 home runs and has a .971 fielding percentage, has been on the disabled list since Aug. 11. The Rays had targeted early this week for his return, but Longoria has continued to experience "nagging ..."

"The mantra in the Rays' clubhouse from Wednesday night through Thursday afternoon was straightforward and consistent: "Hey, it's only two games," said any player or staffer who was asked - and some who weren't. No reason to panic after consecutive losses to the Yankees, everyone insisted - just as they had after dropping a pair in New York before the All-Star break to fuel a seven-game skid that has been the low point of their season. Fears that the Rays might stray down a similar path this time around were alleviated Thursday night, but not before a late scare the home team could have done without. Tampa Bay drove Yankees starter Darrell Rasner from the game before he could record five ..."

"Having spanked the Rays in the first two games of the series, the Yankees should have had all the momentum in the world as they went for the sweep Thursday night. But as the old baseball adage goes, momentum is only as good as your starting pitcher. In the Yankees' case, that wasn't very good at all. The Rays rocked Darrell Rasner for five runs in 1-1/3 innings, bashing their way to a 7-5 win over the Yankees to salvage the final game of the three-game set and leave the Bombers 11 games out in the AL East with 22 to play. Rasner gave up six hits and two walks, recording just four outs before heading to the bench. It was the eighth consecutive start since the All-Star break without a ..."

"Of all the baseball players in all the world, Alex Rodriguez had to walk into the first use of replay in MLB history. Of course he did. Controversial technology. Controversial person. Milestone home run. "There are about 800 players in the big leagues and the odds of me being in controversy are 2-1, it's funny," Rodriguez said after his ninth-inning, two-run blast to left off Troy Percival at Tropicana Field resulted in the first official use of replay. Following a 2-minute, 15-second viewing of tapes in a room behind the Yankees' dugout, the umps returned to the field, and third-base umpire Brian Runge's original call was upheld. Rodriguez' 31st homer helped the Yankees turn back the AL ..."

"Injured 3B Evan Longoria wasn't ready for the Yankees series, and though the Rays don't have a definitive timetable, the All-Star's availability for next week's Red Sox series could be in question. Longoria, on the disabled list since Aug. 11 with a fractured right wrist, has yet to swing a regular bat, much less face live pitching, and manager Joe Maddon said he isn't sure when he will. Maddon said Longoria would need at least two to three days after a batting practice session (without discomfort) before getting back in the lineup. The Rays travel to Fenway Park Monday through Wednesday to face the second-place Red Sox. "We're in a holding pattern in regard to that," Maddon said. "He's ..."

"The Rays and Yankees made a bit of history Wednesday night as instant replay was employed for the first time in a major-league game. A towering Alex Rodriguez home run off Troy Percival that sailed over the left-field foul pole with two outs in the top of the ninth inning was the fodder for the debut of a system put into place last week. As soon as third-base umpire Brian Runge called the ball fair, Rays catcher Dioner Navarro jumped in the air in protest. Rays manager Joe Maddon came out of the dugout and conversed individually with home plate umpire Greg Gibson, Runge and crew chief Charlie Reliford, who was working second base, and convinced the umpires the play should be reviewed. "We ..."

"We've got your instant replay right here. Try another bad loss to the Yankees. Gulp. This time it was 8-4. Gulp. Did you think this would be easy? The Rays September Song is two games old. It's karaoke time and so far they're lip-syncing the '07 Mets. Hey, wasn't it 19 minutes ago that they were the kings of August? In three short days, with Dustin Pedroia starring as Roy Hobbs, the Red Sox have chopped 2 1/2 games off Tampa Bay's AL East lead. The Sox came from 4-0 down to beat the Orioles on Wednesday. Gulp. The lead is three. In two long nights at Tropicana Field, the Yankees have pulled a Night of the Living Dead. And the Rays have turned human, sloppy human. They can't even get their ..."

"The Bombers won their third in a row Wednesday, continuing the blazing start to their 10-game road trip with a 8-4 victory over the first-place Rays at Tropicana Field. The win pulled the Yankees within 10 games of Tampa Bay in the AL East, but the Bombers gained no ground in the wild-card race after the Red Sox came from behind to beat the Orioles earlier in the day at Fenway. With 23 games to go, the Yankees still trail the Red Sox by seven games, though the Bombers' last two victories have moved Boston within three games of the Rays at the top of the division. Carl Pavano looked sharp early, but after allowing a two-run home run by Gabe Gross with two outs in the fourth and putting ..."

"Alex Rodriguez lost a home run in May because of an umpire's blown call, and soon baseball began to explore instant replay seriously. The system was put in last week across the majors, and the first test came Wednesday night at Tropicana Field - on another long drive by Rodriguez. There are 800 players in the big leagues, so what are the odds that I'd be involved in this, 2 to 1?" Rodriguez said. "How do I get myself into this?" This blast, off Tampa Bay's Troy Percival in the ninth inning, soared down the left-field line, carrying over the foul pole and crashing into a catwalk. Rodriguez stood at the plate and curled his neck to watch the ball's flight, then clapped his hands and trotted ..."

"Like a drunk looking to live, the Yankees are taking life one day at a time. "Let's win on the day we play," Mike Mussina said after beating the first-place Rays 7-2 last night in front of 21,629 at Tropicana Field that included Hal Steinbrenner. "We have to win every day we play." That, of course, will be impossible. But for the underachieving Yankees to trick themselves that they still have a chance to reach October, it's the only way they can think. Behind Mussina's clutch pitching, Joba Chamberlain's return from the disabled list, Alex Rodriguez's milestone homer, Xavier Nady's two-run blast and several mistakes by the Rays, the Yankees won their second straight game. Yet, in a season ..."

"Tuesday night, the too-old, too-slow, left-for-dead Yankees did just as Hank Steinbrenner pleaded of them earlier this season. The team that remains a distant third in the AL East standings played like the front-running Rays for an evening and beat Tampa Bay 7-2. With lockdown starting pitching backed by aggressive base-running and a couple of massive home runs, the Yankees continued to hold sway over the Rays as they have much of the season. New York, one of only two AL teams with a winning record against the Rays this season (Cleveland is the other), topped Tampa Bay for the eighth time in 13 meetings. An easy Boston victory against Baltimore brought the Red Sox within four games of the ..."

"So many emotions have washed over the Yankees this season, most of them negative. They let August go by without much of a fight, but there is one last chance to make a playoff push. They are hopeful now, because there is no other choice. "I think we've gone through the frustrating and disappointing points," General Manager Brian Cashman said during batting practice Tuesday. "The focus is on the small things - concentrating on today's game, trying to pick up a game a week and get to Fenway Park and making that series meaningful. That's the simple way to look at it." Cashman continued: "Is it too much to ask to pick up a game a week, or something along those lines? It's not out of the realm ..."

"Third baseman Aubrey Huff was in a crouch, his elbows resting on his knees, his eyes staring straight ahead. Brian Roberts was near second base, his arms resting behind his back and his eyes fixed on the ground. In the outfield, Jay Payton stood completely still with his arms folded, while Nick Markakis paced back and forth with his back to home plate. By the sixth inning yesterday, the Orioles had the look of a beaten and battered team that couldn't wait for this three-day nightmare at Tropicana Field to end. When it finally did before an announced 32,379, the Orioles had absorbed a 10-4 loss and a humbling three-game sweep in which they were outscored 34-16. "We got our butts kicked," ..."

"With one month to go, a couple of things are clear about the American League East race. The first is that the Rays are never going to lose again. Second, if the Red Sox keep winning series as they have in their last four tries, the odds of sticking atop the AL wild card standings are looking pretty good as September dawns. Still, since yesterday’s 4-2 loss to the White Sox meant for the second series in a row the Red Sox could not quite complete a sweep, there is a gnawing feeling left behind from August that things could be better. So maybe they will not catch the Rays, but with Josh Beckett expected back later in the week, and Kevin Youkilis, J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell expected soon, the ..."

"September starts today. It will be a month like no other in Rays history. Oh, what pressure. We went to the pressure-packed Rays clubhouse at Tropicana Field after another sweep, after another 10-run fest against the Orioles. In the clubhouse, veteran Eric Hinske, the lovable Ski, counseled Evan Longoria, like Obi Wan to young Skywalker. "You've got to stay focused," Hinske said. Longo nodded. "The picks are only 90 seconds apart," Hinske said. They were awaiting the start of a team fantasy football draft. "You can't think about the games all the time," Hinske said. He was arranging a table and his computer so he could see the draft board. This was big, real big. Meet your fantasy team, ..."

"The Rays might be one of baseball's best teams, but who cares? Before this weekend, they averaged 15,191 in their previous six home games and drew the smallest crowds in the majors on four of those days - even though three of the games were against the West-leading Angels. Only two AL teams have worse attendance, the A's and Royals. -- The Red Sox aren't paying much to newcomer Mark Kotsay, whose salary is $7.35 million - $5.35 million of which is paid by the A's. -- The Giants committed $8.7 million to players taken in the first 10 rounds of the June draft, the most in the NL and fourth most in the majors. -- If Barry Bonds isn't signed today, it's over for 2008 (as if it wasn't already). ..."

"If nothing else, the 2008 Orioles have proved that they are a resilient bunch. Bad innings -- and there have been plenty -- are shrugged off. Bad losses are left at the ballpark with the understanding that tomorrow will bring another opportunity to make things right. But over the past two days here at Tropicana Field, the Orioles' resiliency has been tested, perhaps more than at any time this season. In yesterday's series opener, they watched their best pitcher (Jeremy Guthrie) turn in his worst start of the season and their hottest hitter (Melvin Mora) leave the game with a hamstring injury. Today, they squandered a four-run lead in the fifth inning, tied the score on Nick Markakis' ..."

"The signs of another long and grueling September had been evident long before Jeremy Guthrie suddenly resembled every other Orioles starter and Melvin Mora limped off the field with the assistance of head athletic trainer Richie Bancells. How bad will things get for the Orioles over the next four weeks if their top starter buckles under the biggest workload of his young career and one of their most productive hitters is out of the lineup for an extended period? It would be hard to imagine them getting much worse than last night, when Guthrie lost his command and then the Orioles lost their composure, not to mention potentially their third baseman. Mora suffered a GradeI left hamstring ..."

"After getting a whack of clutch hits in the series opener Tuesday, the Jays offence has gone missing. So too, in a way, has veteran Canadian Matt Stairs. Following last night's 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Jays announced that Stairs, 40, was designated for assignment as the Jays and an unnamed team are involved in a trade for his services. The Jays hope to complete the trade no later than tomorrow. Taking Stairs' spot on the roster will be hot prospect Travis Snider, 20, who was the Jays' first-round pick (14th overall) in the 2006 June draft. He'll join the team in New York where the Jays open a three-game series tonight. Snider, who combined to hit 23 homers at three different ..."

"Early in the season, the Jays played a three-game series vs. the Rays in Florida and were swept. Jays fans were shocked such a thing could happen against a seemingly inferior opponent. The implication was the Jays must indeed be horrible. Now, some four months later, the Rays remain in first, the Jays languish in fourth and nobody is asking questions about the Rays any more. What many Toronto fans are asking, however, is why the Rays are sitting atop the AL East with a team payroll of $43.7 million (U.S.) while the Jays struggle along in fourth, spending $100 million, the most in franchise history? There's not that much difference between the two franchises. In some ways, they have very ..."

"You know you've got something going when the opposition has a good idea what's coming but can't do anything about it. That's where Edwin Jackson is these days, with a sense for pitching and an ability to maintain composure finally complementing the blazing stuff that has tantalized since he reached the majors as a kid five years ago. Much like the team he has helped elevate this season, Jackson has established himself as a pitcher who is going to bring it every time he takes the field and challenge you to beat him. Most of the time lately, he has come out on top, as he did Thursday night at Tropicana Field. Pounding away at the strike zone with one mid-90s fastball after another, Jackson ..."

"Since closer Troy Percival began his latest stint on the disabled list Aug. 15, Rays manager Joe Maddon has insisted there is no designated fill-in closer. Then again, Dan Wheeler has gotten the call to handle the ninth inning in each save situation the Rays have faced since then - including three consecutive games last week - so it's clear where Maddon's preferences lie. And a big part of the reason Wheeler keeps getting the call is that he has filled the role before, both for the Astros last season and (unofficially) during Percival's previous DL trips this year. "Experience matters, absolutely it does," said Maddon. "Everybody wants to ordain the guy that throws 95, but that's not ..."

"Though an MRI exam revealed no serious issues with Dioner Navarro's hamstrings, the All-Star catcher sat out Wednesday's game and could be rested again tonight. Navarro left Tuesday's game in the sixth with cramps in his left and right hamstrings. Manager Joe Maddon said Navarro was available off the bench Wednesday and could catch, but the Rays wanted to be cautious. Backup C Shawn Riggans got the start, going 0-for-3. Navarro said he wasn't sure if he'd play today. "It's like when you get a seizure, your muscles tighten up and they get a little bit sore," Navarro said. "That's how I feel right now. No pull, nothing bad. Let's give it a little rest and see how it feels (today)." ..."

"As little hitting the Rays were again doing - or again not doing - the premium Wednesday was on the guys throwing the ball. And one pretty big catch at the end. The Rays won, beating the battling Blue Jays 1-0. All it took was another home run by Carlos Pena, a stellar start by Matt Garza, more dominant relief work by Grant Balfour and Dan Wheeler and a wall-banging game-ending catch by Justin Ruggiano. "Tonight I was fortunate enough that one was enough," Garza said. "What can I say? This team, we find a way to win. … We don't quit. Everyone is out here for one reason, and that's to try to get this team to October." The win kept the Rays from their first three-game skid of the second ..."

"In both pre- and post-game interviews, manager Cito Gaston often shifts the topic around to how his Blue Jays will shape up next year. For the most part, Gaston is optimistic, in full belief that the offence will bloom, the injured will heal, the pitching will continue to shine and the Jays will be set to roll toward a playoff spot. Gaston is something of a realist, believing A.J. Burnett will flee for greener pastures, which means that a large hole will have to be filled in the rotation behind the unflappable Roy Halladay. A leading candidate to be part of the Fab Five is David Purcey, who is attempting to establish a toehold at the major-league level. Purcey, 25, made his eighth start ..."

"Once and only once – and more than two years ago, too – could the Blue Jays say they had Matt Garza's number. And, save for one only slightly off fastball, the Tampa Bay Rays still don't have any idea how to reach David Purcey. Making only his eighth career start, Purcey fanned a career-high 11 last night in a 1-0, obviously bittersweet, loss to the Rays. The one blemish over his mostly sterling eight frames was that fastball that Carlos Pena powdered about 420 feet, leading off the fourth, for the game's only run. It marked Jays' fifth 1-0 decision of the season – third lost – and their ninth whitewash, second by Garza. It also dropped them ... well, into a battle for third with the ..."

"It's an empty kind of feeling. Wednesday night, there was more cavern than cacophony at Tropicana Field, home this season to the very best story in baseball. There's only one first time. It'll never be this new again. So the Rays met the Blue Jays. And 12,678 souls braved the air conditioning. 12-6. It was the smallest Rays home crowd since, since, well, last month. It was startling in the middle of this team's first playoff race. Rays pitcher Scott Kazmir went further. "It's embarrassing," he said. This after Tuesday's horde of 13,478. The first-place team in the AL East was outdrawn by San Diego, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Washington. Yes, it was a school night. I checked. There are ..."

"The Rays figure there's nothing wrong with All-Star C Dioner Navarro that some rest shouldn't cure. Navarro underwent an MRI on Wednesday after cramping hamstrings forced him to leave Tuesday night's game in the sixth inning, and "everything is fine," Manager Joe Maddon said. Shawn Riggans got the start Wednesday, but Navarro was available if needed in a late-game situation. Maddon indicated Navarro might get an additional day off tonight. "It must have been a cramp, just like we thought it was initially," Maddon said. "He actually caught one where it was post-cramp, but after that it was getting a little bit sore, so we decided to get him out of there." Riggans is getting the extra duty ..."

"The Yankees, then Red Sox last week; the Yankees again this coming weekend. ... Man, this is some kind of division scramble, huh? Even if the Blue Jays are on the outskirts. Oh, right, and the Tampa Bay Rays, merely right there with the L.A. Angels for league's best. The Jays need 'em all and, in kicking off their third and final visit last night, so far, so good – if not a little late. Before all of the 13,478 locals with pennant fever, the Jays took it 6-2 behind a mostly solid Roy Halladay and a near-spotless effort from four relievers. And, of course, the usual homer and three RBIs from Vernon Wells. Wells has been downplaying his recent run, joking that he hasn't really had much of an ..."

"Even in their otherwise magical, mystical tour of 2008, the Rays found out Tuesday there are some things in baseball you just don't do - such as beating Toronto ace Roy Halladay four times in a single season. With Halladay holding them down, and their relievers not doing their usual job of keeping it close after James Shields left, the Rays lost 6-2 before an embarrassingly small, and early leaving, Tropicana Field crowd of 13,478. "Of course, the odds are against you," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "But we're trying to do some very special things here this year." The defeat, at the start of a vital nine-game homestand that leads into a rugged trip, was frustrating enough, their first ..."

"As much as the Rays might feel obstructed by the controversial call involving A.J. Pierzynski in Sunday's loss to Chicago, there isn't much they can do about it. The Rays can complain or send a video for review to Mike Port, Major League Baseball's vice president of umpiring, but it won't accomplish anything. Even if Port and/or other MLB officials reviewed the play and determined the Rays were right and the umpires were wrong, there would be no acknowledgement or apology and definitely no change in outcome. And even in the rare case MLB felt strongly enough to discipline umpire Doug Eddings (or other members of the crew) or make note in their evaluations, which are used to determine ..."

"It was set up just the way the Rays like it. As Tuesday's game reached the latter stages, Tampa Bay's offense finally broke through on the previously untouchable Roy Halladay, cutting Toronto's lead to one and configuring the game for another one of those dazzling comebacks. Not this time. The Rays couldn't do anything at the plate once Halladay departed, and some late Toronto runs sealed a 6-2 victory for the Blue Jays. Coupled with the defeat at the hands of the Angels that sent the Rays out on the road last week, Tampa Bay has lost two home games in a row for the first time since dropping three in a row in mid-April. Tuesday's game was uncharacteristic of the Rays in more than one ..."

"The Tampa Bay Rays were still smarting after Sunday's controversial loss in which A.J. Pierzynski was ruled to be obstructed by third baseman Willy Aybar, enabling the White Sox to seize a 6-5 victory. "It was definitely a tough situation, and one that is hard to swallow, but mistakes happen—and it clearly in our opinion was a mistake—but nothing can be done after the game to rectify it," Andrew Friedman, Tampa Bay's executive vice president, told the St. Petersburg Times. "At this point, it is what it is. And we're banking on the notion that things tend to even out over time." Pierzynski seemed puzzled when informed about the Rays' lingering bitterness. "The umpire's quotes said it all," ..."

"Rookie Evan Longoria's fractured right wrist is healing well, and the Rays should know better within a week how soon the All-Star third baseman will return to the field. Longoria, hit by a pitch Aug. 7, had another X-ray on Monday. The Rays are hoping he can return for the Sept. 2-4 series with the Yankees. "Things are progressing well," executive VP Andrew Friedman said. "He's going to work his way back into baseball activities, and we should know more at the end of the week as far as next steps." Closer Troy Percival, on the disabled list with cartilage damage in his right knee, played long toss Monday, and Friedman said it went well. The right-hander, 39, said last week that he was ..."