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The Tampa Bay Rays are heading into the playoffs for the first time after rallying from a five-run deficit, losing the lead and winning in extra innings.
Ben Zobrist hit a go-ahead single in a four-run eighth and had a solo homer in the 11th, lifting the Rays to an 8-7 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
“I loved the way we played like that on the last day,” manager Joe Maddon.
Then, he put Tampa Bay’s 97th victory in perspective.
“By the time Thursday comes around, nobody remembers what you did on Sunday,” Maddon said.
Tampa Bay will host the Minnesota Twins or the Chicago White Sox later this week in the playoffs, depending on how a game or two plays out.
The Tigers probably wanted their season to mercifully to end, but they had to fly to Chicago to play a makeup game on Monday because the White Sox had a shot to win the AL Central.
Detroit right-hander Freddy Garcia will get the start against Gavin Floyd, and acknowledged being motivated to beat one of his former teams.
“It will be fun because they’re playing for everything,” Garcia said. “If they lose, they go home. If we win, we go home, but we were spoilers.”
If the White Sox beat Detroit, they will play Minnesota in a tiebreaker Tuesday at home.
Maddon said he would start right-hander James Shields, who threw only the first inning Sunday, or lefty Scott Kazmir in the first two games of the playoffs. But he would not say who would be on the mound for Game 1.
In Detroit’s home finale, Tampa Bay took advantage of the weakest link the Tigers had during their disappointing season and the faulty facet of the game led to two coaches losing their jobs.
The Tigers failed to meet high expectations for many reasons, but their pitching—particularly the bullpen—might’ve been the biggest culprit.
Perhaps it was fitting that relievers lost a lead after the seventh inning for an unlucky 13th time in the last game of the year at Comerica Park.
After the game, manager Jim Leyland announced pitching coach Chuck Hernandez and bullpen coach Jeff Jones had been fired.
“It’s one of the unfortunate things, in situations like this, you know somebody’s going to pay,” Leyland said. “If it was next year at this time, it would be me.
“I feel very bad for both guys. I’ve never fired coaches.”
Tigers starter Zach Miner had a career-high six strikeouts, but gave up homers to Rocco Baldelli and Eric Hinske in the fifth inning.
“It was tough to warm up for the last time with (the fired coaches) and I tried to not get very emotional, but I was thinking about it and was sad,” Miner said. “If I pitch good, I want people to give me credit.
“If I pitch bad, it’s my fault. They prepared us, but somebody has to take the blame sometimes and unfortunately it’s them.”
Edwin Jackson (14-11) gave up two runs and four hits over two innings. Jason Hammel had his second save in as many opportunities.
Chris Lambert (1-2) pitched a perfect 10th inning, then allowed Zobrist to lead off the 11th with his fourth homer of the series to win the game.
“I like playing here, I guess,” said Zobrist, who hit a third of his 12 homers this season at Comerica Park. “I really see the ball well here.”
Detroit had chances to finish the season one game over .500 at home.
Curtis Granderson put Detroit ahead 3-0 in the third with a three-run homer and Magglio Ordonez extended the game to extra innings with a two-run home run in the ninth.
Gary Sheffield, however, is stuck on 499 homers.
He had plenty of chances to become the 25th major leaguer to hit 500 homers, but finished 1-for-5 with a walk. He singled in the ninth and scored when Ordonez followed with his 21st homer.
Sheffield hopes to clear the fences at least once at Chicago.
“It would be nice to get it out of the way so I don’t have to start next season talking about it,” he said.
Xtra, xtra: Tampa Bay put Carl Crawford in the outfield for two innings, then pinch-hit for him in the eighth. The two-time All-Star returned to the Rays Friday after being out for nearly six weeks with a finger injury. Crawford is expected to play an instructional league game Monday at the Rays’ minor league complex. Rays 1B Carlos Pena missed a second straight game to recover from an illness. Rays rookie C John Jaso made his first career start behind the plate (Associated Press - Sports).
The Tampa Bay Rays have played a lot of meaningless late-September games in their history.
Saturday, though, was a little different.
Hours after a late-night celebration of the first division title in franchise history, the Rays lost 4-3 to the Detroit Tigers.
“We wanted to win today—there’s never a game where you feel good walking back after a loss—but clinching meant that I could manage this more like a spring-training game,” said Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon. “I did some things that I normally wouldn’t do.”
Maddon rested starters B.J. Upton, Akinori Iwamura and Carlos Pena and took Matt Garza out after just five innings and 74 pitches.
The first pitch came less than 18 hours after the Rays celebrated clinching the AL East when the Yankees beat the Red Sox in a rain-delayed game that ended well after midnight.
“It was tough out there today, but it was worth it,” said Garza. “I didn’t get everything I wanted out of tonight—I would have liked to have left with a lead—but I was able to throw 74 good pitches where I wanted them and get in some good work.”
One thing that Garza did accomplish was to avoid allowing Gary Sheffield’s 500th homer. Sheffield went 0-2 with two walks and remains at 499.
“You joke about not wanting to be the one, but I wasn’t too worried about it,” Garza said. “After all, he’s gotten about 499 other guys, so I’d have a lot of company.”
Sheffield will have one or two more chances at reaching 500 this season, depending on whether the Tigers have to go to Chicago for a makeup game on Monday.
“I thought about going for the big swing a couple times tonight, but that’s not how you play the game,” Sheffield said.
Tigers manager Jim Leyland said that he’ll bat Sheffield second against Tampa Bay on Sunday to give him as many plate appearances as possible—the first time he’ll have batted in that spot in the order since July 14, 1990, with Milwaukee.
While a third straight win was nice for the Tigers, the best news might have been the encouraging performance of Dontrelle Willis. In his last start of a lost season, Willis allowed three runs and four hits with three walks in a season-best 5 1-3 innings.
“I was able to go deeper than the first inning, which was a good thing,” said Willis, who gave up two runs in the first. “The fans were booing me in the first inning and cheering me in the sixth, which meant a lot to me.”
It was the first time in eight appearances this season that he had pitched more than one inning without walking at least five batters.
“He kept his composure and didn’t let the game get away from him,” Leyland said. “It’s progress. That’s how I look at it.”
Aquilino Lopez (4-1) picked up the win with 2 2-3 scoreless innings of relief, while Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 13th save.
Willis struggled at the start, walking Fernando Perez and giving up a single to Ben Zobrist. He struck out Evan Longoria, but Rocco Baldelli followed with a two-run double.
Cabrera’s 37th homer made it 2-1 in the second, but Zobrist’s third home run in three days restored Tampa Bay’s two-run lead in the top of the fifth.
Detroit tied the game in the bottom of the inning on Brandon Inge’s sacrifice fly and a RBI single by Magglio Ordonez, but the Tigers retook the lead off Jeff Niemann in the sixth when Sheffield walked, stole second, took third on catcher Michel Hernandez’s throwing error and scored on Edgar Renteria’s two-out double.
Detroit loaded the bases with no one out in the eighth on Cabrera’s double, a Sheffield walk and Dane Sardinha’s bunt single, but Niemann (2-2) got out of it with a strikeout and a double play.
“Normally, you’d go to the bullpen—you wouldn’t leave a rookie out there with the bases loaded and no one out,” Maddon said. “But because of the circumstances, I could give him a chance to get out of it, and he did. That can be a huge moment for a kid like that.”
Xtra, xtra: The Tigers honored retiring closer Todd Jones in a pregame ceremony. Jones started his speech by congratulating the Rays, who signed him as a free agent in 2004 but released him in spring training (Associated Press - Sports).
The wait is over.
The Tampa Bay Rays won their first AL East title late Friday night when the Boston Red Sox lost to the New York Yankees. The Rays lost 6-4 to the Detroit Tigers earlier and had to sit through the rain-delayed Boston loss before celebrating their championship.
Manager Joe Maddon and a few of the players remained in the clubhouse at Comerica Park to watch the Red Sox game. Others watched it at Detroit’s MGM Grand and back at the team hotel.
“It’s one of those things where it’s something you’ve fantasized about your whole life,” Maddon said. “You can’t believe it. You have to kind of wait and sit back. It just feels fantastic right now, wonderful.”
After the Red Sox lost, Carlos Pena hugged teammate B.J. Upton and yelled “I told you we could do it! I told you we could do it!”
“Unbelievable,” Pena said. “It just feels unbelievable.”
Tampa Bay, which had never won more than 70 games in a season, became the first team other than Boston and New York to win the division since Baltimore did it in 1997.
The Rays also became the first AL team in the divisional era to finish with the worst record in its league then win its division in the following year, according to Stats, LLC. Atlanta in 1991 and the Chicago Cubs in 2007 also accomplished the feat.
Their mantra was “98”—which essentially translates to nine players playing hard for nine innings every day equals one of eight postseason berths.
Gary Sheffield hit two home runs and Ramon Santiago also went deep in the Tigers’ victory.
“We were definitely disappointed, it would have been nice to win it on the field,” Pena said after Tampa Bay’s loss.
Sheffield, who returned from a four-game suspension for fighting with Cleveland pitcher Fausto Carmona, has 499 career home runs.
“It wasn’t something I thought about,” Sheffield said about the 500-home run milestone.
Santiago homered for the third time in two days and Justin Verlander (11-17) won his first game since Aug. 22. He allowed two runs and five hits in five innings, walking three and striking out eight.
Upton homered and drove in two runs for the Rays.
Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 12th save in 18 chances. He allowed a run on first baseman Miguel Cabrera’s error, but escaped a second and third, two-out jam by getting Jason Bartlett to fly out.
Andy Sonnanstine (13-9) gave up five runs and five hits in 5 2-3 innings for the Rays, walking five and striking out seven.
“A little erratic at the start,” he said. “And by the time I got things straightened out, it was to late.”
Detroit won despite losing Placido Polanco in the first inning, when the second baseman slid into home and sprained his left ankle.
He rolled over and writhed in pain after sliding across the plate and beating the tag by catcher Dioner Navarro. X-rays were negative and Polanco, hitting .307 with eight home runs and 58 RBIs, was scheduled to be re-evaluated Saturday.
Tampa Bay got on the board in the third on Upton’s fielder’s choice grounder, and Pena’s two-out RBI single in the fifth closed the gap to 5-2. Upton’s ninth homer of the season made it 5-3 in the seventh.
Sheffield added his second homer and 19th of the season in the eighth.
Xtra, xtra: Tampa Bay reinstated OF Carl Crawford from the disabled list before the game. He missed 43 games with a right middle finger injury, suffered on Aug. 9. He had surgery on Aug. 14. He was used as a pinch runner in the ninth (Associated Press - Sports).
Scott Kazmir wanted to be at the center of the biggest celebration in Tampa Bay Rays history. His plans were derailed by two stunning homers from one of the most unlikely players.
Ramon Santiago connected twice against the Rays ace, giving him nine homers in seven big league seasons, and the Detroit Tigers delayed Tampa Bay’s AL East title with a 7-5 victory Thursday afternoon.
“My teammates were saying ‘Hey, it’s Sammy Sosa!’ but I kept telling them no,” Santiago said. “It was fun, but I want to keep hitting line drives.”
A Rays win would have clinched the division, and Boston beat Cleveland 6-1 on Thursday night to shave Tampa Bay’s division lead to two games.
Ben Zobrist homered twice and drove in four runs for Tampa Bay. The Rays have already clinched the first playoff spot in the team’s short history, but manager Joe Maddon wants them to go into October as division champs.
“Our goal at the beginning of this year was to win the American League East,” Maddon said. “We still want to do that, and we want home-field advantage, because we play so well at the Trop.”
Tampa Bay led 1-0 on Zobrist’s first-inning homer, but Santiago led off both the bottom half of the first and third innings with drives off Kazmir. It was his first multihomer game since he went deep twice for Detroit against Boston on June 3, 2002.
“I just kept getting into a groove and then falling right back out of it,” Kazmir said. “I never felt like I was in my comfort zone, and I wasn’t throwing with any conviction.”
Kazmir allowed four homers for the second time in three starts—the only times he’s allowed four in a game in his career.
“I don’t know what was happening there,” Maddon said. “Normally, guys don’t get good swings against Scott on 0-2 pitches, especially guys that don’t have much power like Santiago.”
The Rays were finishing up a grueling three-day stretch in which they played a doubleheader Tuesday against the Orioles, a night game Wednesday in Baltimore and a day game Thursday in Detroit.
“That was a tough scheduling situation—four games in three days and a short night last night,” Maddon said. “I’m proud of how much energy our guys showed today, but I’m looking forward to a good night’s sleep.”
The reeling Tigers, headed to their first losing season since Jim Leyland became manager in 2006, won for just the second time in 14 games.
“It wasn’t that we had more energy—we just played a good ballgame,” Leyland said. “We hit the ball out of the park, which is unexpected from Santi, and we pitched good.”
Rookie Armando Galarraga (13-6) allowed five runs and six hits in 7 2-3 innings, and Fernando Rodney finished for his 11th save. Zobrist’s homer was the Rays’ only hit in the first six innings.
“It felt good to finally get that 13th win and to finish the year with a victory,” said Galarraga, who was 0-2 in his previous five starts. “My goal for next year? Win 20.”
Evan Longoria homered for the Rays in the seventh, but the Tigers went ahead 7-2 in the bottom half when Curtis Granderson homered.
Zobrist hit a long, three-run homer in the eighth, but the Rays couldn’t get anything else.
“That was a heck of a game by Ben—there can’t be too many guys that hit the ball out in straightaway center in this ballpark,” Maddon said. “We fell a little short, but we’ll be back out here tomorrow.”
Xtra, xtra: Tampa Bay’s Troy Percival, who is dealing with a knee problem, pitched for the first time in four days, allowing a walk in one inning (Associated Press - Sports).
The Tampa Bay Rays spent the night running around the bases and keeping their eyes fixed on the scoreboard.
Tampa Bay beat the Baltimore Orioles 11-6 Wednesday, but Boston’s win over Cleveland means the Rays will have to wait at least another day to celebrate their first AL East title and pop open the 200 bottles of champagne waiting in the visitors clubhouse.
One more win by Tampa Bay or a loss by Boston will provide the Rays their first division crown.
“We weren’t really talking about it, but you could definitely tell the guys were looking at the scoreboard and trying to see what was going on,” Tampa Bay center fielder B.J. Upton said. “It didn’t happen tonight, but the only thing we can do is go out and try and win a ballgame tomorrow.”
The champagne was packed up to be sent to Detroit, where the Rays open a four-game series Thursday afternoon.
“It’s hard to be disappointed any time you get a win,” starter Edwin Jackson said. “We just have to keep on trucking in this next series against Detroit.”
The night began miserably for the Rays. Tampa Bay trailed 5-0 in the first inning, about the same time Boston took a 4-0 lead over the Indians. But after Cleveland came back to tie it and the Rays overtook the woeful Orioles, it appeared that Tampa Bay was destined to salute the most successful season in franchise history with a bubbly toast.
But the scoreboard told them otherwise: Boston 5, Cleveland 4. Final.
“It was right in front of my face,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said.
Akinori Iwamura had two hits and three RBIs for the Rays, who completed a four-game sweep. It was the major league-leading ninth time this season the Orioles blew a four-run lead, most in the majors, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“The disappointing thing is, it’s not the first time I’ve seen it,” Orioles manager Dave Trembley said.
Baltimore has lost nine straight and 28 of 34. The Orioles went 3-15 against Tampa Bay this season, losing the last 12.
Jackson (13-11) gave up six runs and 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings. Trever Miller pitched 2 1-3 innings of one-hit relief to earn his second save.
“So many good things. A lot of people contributed to the win tonight up and down the board,” Maddon said. “Tough beginning, wonderful ending, and that was attributable to our pitching.”
Down 6-0, the Rays rebounded with a five-run fourth. After Gabe Gross drew a bases-loaded walk and Eric Hinske hit an RBI single, two runs scored when Jason Bartlett’s comebacker bounced off pitcher Radhames Liz, who threw wildly to the plate. Iwamura followed with a run-scoring grounder.
Tampa Bay took a 7-6 lead in the sixth against Brian Burres (7-10). Pinch-hitter Fernando Perez singled and Jason Bartlett was hit by a pitch before Iwamura tripled to right.
The Rays added four runs in the eighth. Randor Bierd issued two straight bases-loaded walks before Dioner Navarro hit a two-run single. In the midst of that inning, however, the scoreboard flashed the final from Boston.
The first six Orioles to face Jackson got hits in a five-run first inning. Three singles loaded the bases for Aubrey Huff, who picked up his 108th RBI with a single. Oscar Salazar followed with a run-scoring single before Luke Scott drove in three runs with a double to left-center.
Scott was out at third trying for a triple, blunting Baltimore’s most productive first inning since a seven-run outburst May 20 at Yankee Stadium.
In the second, Brian Roberts singled, stole second and scored on a single by Nick Markakis to make it 6-0.
Undaunted, Tampa Bay closed the game with an 11-0 run.
“Our guys really felt they were fine. I know the game started badly, but the guys in our dugout were good,” Maddon said. “I truly thought they had a chance to come back and do that. We’re just at that point. We have to believe, and I know our guys do.”
Xtra, xtra: Closer Troy Percival returned to the Rays after receiving treatment on his back in Tampa Bay. But it’s uncertain if he’s healthy enough to pitch. “I think I’ll be fine. But it’s up to them what they want to do that gives them the best opportunity to win,” Percival said (Associated Press - Sports).
The first doubleheader sweep in the history of the Tampa Bay franchise moved the Rays two steps closer to a far more important milestone: their first AL East crown.
Tampa Ray reduced its magic number to win the division title to two Tuesday night, scoring six runs in the eighth inning to rally past the Baltimore Orioles 7-5 for an unprecedented sweep.
James Shields pitched seven effective innings to lead the Rays to a 5-2 victory in the opener.
The sweep, combined with Boston’s 5-4 win over the Cleveland Indians, left the Rays three games ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East. Any combination of Rays wins and Boston losses totaling two will give Tampa Bay its first division title.
“We can taste it a little more tonight,” reliever J.P. Howell said. “We need a little help from Boston, but we can’t rely on them. Let’s just keep this thing moving.
“And just because if we win this division doesn’t mean we can stop. We have to go all the way to Oct. 30 in my book.”
In the nightcap, Tampa Bay trailed 5-1 before Evan Longoria homered and pinch hitter Dioner Navarro singled in two runs off Jamie Walker (1-3) in a six-run eighth inning. The Rays had five hits through the first seven innings and six in the eighth, including a triple by Ben Zobrist and an RBI single by pinch hitter Jason Bartlett.
“That was quite a comeback right there,” manager Joe Maddon said. “The whole team contributed.”
Jeff Neimann (1-2) pitched 2 1-3 innings and Howell got five outs for his third save.
The victory enabled the Rays (95-62) to break the record held by the 1991 Atlanta Braves for most wins by a team that owned the worst record in the majors one year earlier.
Baltimore has lost eight straight and 27 of 33. The Orioles have also dropped 11 in a row to Tampa Bay and are 3-14 overall against the Rays.
In the second game, Maddon did not start regulars Bartlett, Carlos Pena, B.J. Upton, Navarro and Akinori Iwamura. Mitch Talbot made his first major league start. He gave up three runs and six hits in 4 1-3 innings.
And the Rays still got their first-ever doubleheader sweep.
“Really?” Maddon said.
“If we’re going to be here as long as we’ve been here,” Cliff Floyd said afterward, “we sure better sweep.”
It was the 14th doubleheader in Tampa Bay history; the Rays had split seven and been swept six times.
Baltimore’s Alfredo Simon, who was also making his first start in the majors, allowed three runs in 7 2-3 innings. But his effort was ruined by Walker, who allowed four runs in the eighth and failed to get an out.
“I wish I could change it, but obviously I can’t,” Walker said. “So I’ve got to live with that. That’s baseball. I’ve got to forget about it when I walk out that door, but that’s a game we should’ve won and it’s a hard one to swallow.”
Orioles manager Dave Trembley wanted to bring in Jim Miller, but the reliever felt a pain in his side while warming up and took a seat in the bullpen.
“So we had to get Walker going,” Trembley said.
Xtra, xtra: The Rays announced that they have sold out the first two home games of the AL division series. Tampa Bay ranks 12th among 14 AL teams in home attendance, averaging 22,370. Talbot was the ninth different starter used by Tampa Bay this season, all of them under 26 years old (Associated Press - Sports).
The Tampa Bay Rays keep on reaching milestones, and their latest victory brought them closer to perhaps the most significant accomplishment of a magical regular season.
James Shields pitched seven effective innings to earn his 14th win, and the Rays reduced their magic number to win the AL East to three by beating the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 Tuesday night in the first game of a doubleheader.
Any combination of Tampa Bay wins and Boston losses totaling three will give the Rays their first division title. The Red Sox hosted Cleveland later Tuesday night.
“We can taste it,” Shields said.
The victory extended Tampa Bay’s lead over Boston to three games and enabled the Rays to match the 1991 Atlanta Braves for most wins (94) by a team that owned the worst record in the majors one year earlier.
Beating out Boston is within the Rays’ grasp, but manager Joe Maddon is holding out hope that Tampa Bay can edge out the Los Angeles Angels for best record in the AL.
“They have 97. We have 94. I want them to keep that goal in mind, also,” he said. “Getting home-field advantage throughout would be very, very special.”
Shields (14-8) tied the club record for wins, set in 1998 by Rolando Arrojo. The right-hander gave up eight hits, struck out eight and walked one in his career-high 32nd start of the season.
“I worked hard,” Shields said. “From here on out, that’s my goal—to work hard to get those types of wins.”
Dan Wheeler worked the ninth for his 13th save, the second in two games. Tampa Bay’s regular closer, Troy Percival, was back in Tampa Bay getting epidural shots on his back.
Rookie Fernando Perez went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, and Jason Bartlett also had three hits for the Rays, who are 13-3 against the Orioles after beating them 10 straight times.
Lou Montanez hit a two-run homer for the Orioles, who have lost seven in a row and 26 of 32. Garrett Olson (9-10) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings but lost his third straight start.
“He didn’t pitch good enough to win,” Orioles manager Dave Trembley said.
After Montanez gave Baltimore a 2-0 lead in the second inning, the Rays pulled even in the fifth. Dioner Navarro hit a leadoff double and Bartlett singled before Olson threw wildly to first on a pickoff move, allowing Navarro to score. Perez followed with an RBI double.
“I think that was definitely a big turning point in the game,” Olson said of his errant toss. “I felt like after that happened, lose that lead, pretty soon it’s a tie ballgame.”
Tampa Bay took the lead in the sixth when Navarro singled and scored on a double by Bartlett, and Carlos Pena got his 101st RBI with a two-out single off Lance Cormier in the seventh.
In the eighth, Perez got credit for an RBI single when his attempted squeeze bunt popped out of the glove of pitcher Alberto Castillo, who attempted to make a diving grab.
Xtra, xtra: In the second game, the Rays were seeking the first doubleheader sweep in franchise history (Associated Press - Sports).
The Tampa Bay Rays had just beaten the Baltimore Orioles, and all the televisions in the clubhouse were tuned to the game between Boston and Cleveland.
That’s right, the once-lowly Rays are in a pennant race. They’re scoreboard-watching, checking out the competition on TV and doing their part to make their first trip to the playoffs as AL East champions.
Jason Bartlett had two of Tampa Bay’s three hits, and the Rays inched closer to their first division title with a 4-2 victory Monday night.
After Boston lost 4-3, reducing Tampa Bay’s magic number to four, a roar resonated throughout the clubhouse.
“It was a nice, happy ending,” manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s exciting.”
Any combination of Tampa Bay wins and Red Sox losses totaling four would give the Rays their first AL East title. The Rays, already assured a place in the postseason, lead the Red Sox by 2 1/2 games.
Tampa Bay managed only two hits over the first eight innings, but both were huge. Akinori Iwamura singled in two runs in the fifth, and Bartlett doubled in the tiebreaking run in the seventh off Rocky Cherry (0-3) following an error by second baseman Brian Roberts and a walk to Eric Hinske.
Carlos Pena picked up his 100th RBI on a bases-loaded walk in the seventh, when the Rays scored two unearned runs to take a 4-2 lead.
Tampa Bay’s David Price began his first big league start with four hitless innings, but the left-hander gave up two runs in the fifth and was lifted in the sixth. Price, the top overall pick in the 2007 amateur draft, allowed one earned run and four hits in 5 1-3 innings.
“I pounded the zone, challenged their hitters, worked out of a couple jams. So, not too bad,” the rookie said. “I left us in a position to win the game. As a starter, that’s what you want to do.”
Grant Balfour (6-2) pitched 1 2-3 innings, J.P. Powell got four outs and Dan Wheeler retired two batters for his 12th save.
The Rays (93-62) are one win shy of tying the 1991 Atlanta Braves for most victories by a team that had the worst record in the majors one year earlier.
It was the sixth straight loss for the Orioles, who fell to 3-12 against Tampa Bay this season.
Baltimore muffed a potential scoring opportunity in the sixth when Oscar Salazar was doubled up on a routine fly to center.
“To me, that’s a total mental breakdown on his part,” Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. “To be honest with you, that’s embarrassing to me and the club and the people watching the game. I’m just saying, it’s not right.”
Orioles starter Brian Bass didn’t allow a hit but was pulled after walking three straight batters in the fifth inning. His pitching line was rather unique: 4 2-3 innings, two runs, no hits and four walks.
Asked if he had any reservations about pulling a pitcher throwing a no-hitter, Trembley said, “He was done. He was out of gas.”
Bass retired the first 11 batters before Pena drew a fourth-inning walk.
In the fifth, Bass walked Gabe Gross with two outs, then threw a wild pitch before issuing an intentional walk to Hinske. After Bass walked Bartlett on a 3-2 pitch, Trembley brought in Randor Bierd.
Iwamura followed with Tampa Bay’s first hit.
Baltimore tied it in the bottom half. Luke Scott reached on an error before Ramon Hernandez got Baltimore’s first hit, a single to center, and Lou Montanez singled to load the bases. Juan Castro then drew a walk to force in a run and Roberts hit a sacrifice fly.
Xtra, xtra: Pena is the third player to have two 100-RBI seasons with Tampa Bay. Aubrey Huff, who’s now with the Orioles, and Fred McGriff are the others. The Rays never before beat a team 12 times in one season (Associated Press - Sports).
Minnesota watched the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate clinching their first-ever playoff berth Saturday. One day later the Twins picked up some much-needed momentum heading into a key showdown with the Chicago White Sox.
Francisco Liriano allowed one run over seven innings to lead the Twins past the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 on Sunday.
The Twins remained 2 1/2 games behind AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox. The White Sox beat Kansas City 3-0. After an off day Monday, the top two teams in the AL Central open a three-game series Tuesday in Minnesota.
“It’s our home,” Gardenhire said. “They’re the one with the lead and who we have to catch. It’s our ballpark and we normally play well there. We just have to prove it.”
Liriano is 6-0 in 10 starts since rejoining the team from Triple-A Rochester last month. Minnesota, which got a total of just 6 1-3 innings from its starters during the first three games of the series, split the four-game set with the AL East-leading Rays, who clinched at least a wild-card spot Saturday.
“He stepped up for us big time,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “It was on his shoulders to get us deep in the ballgame and he did that.”
Liriano (6-3) rebounded from a rough start last Tuesday when the left-hander gave up eight runs over 2 2-3 innings in the Twins’ 12-9 loss to Cleveland. He scattered five hits helping Minnesota complete a long road trip with a 4-6 record.
“From my last start, I tried not to rush and just picked my spots,” said Liriano, who struck out seven and walked four. “When you throw the slider, they’re going to swing at pitches out of the zone. That’s what that pitch is for.”
Tampa Bay rested several starters, including shortstop Jason Bartlett, second baseman Akinori Iwamura and catcher Dioner Navarro. First baseman Carlos Pena was the designated hitter, while center fielder B.J. Upton started for the first time since straining his left quadriceps on Sept. 8.
The Rays had their AL East-lead over second-place Boston slip to 1 1/2 games. The Red Sox beat Toronto 3-0.
“That’s the story of the game, … Liriano beat us,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “I don’t think (we were) sluggish. I think the game was dictated by pitching on both sides.”
Tampa Bay closes out the regular season with an eight-game road trip, with four games each at Baltimore and Detroit.
“I think our guys will react well the whole week,” Maddon said. “It’s just one game at a time, like it’s been all year.”
Tampa Bay completed its home regular season with a 57-24 record. It’s the most home wins by any major league baseball team since the 1998 New York Yankees went 62-19 at Yankee Stadium.
Mike Redmond hit an RBI single, Adam Everett had a run-scoring infield single and Carlos Gomez drove in a run on a bunt single during a four-run fourth that put Minnesota ahead 4-1.
Jose Mijares pitched a perfect eighth and Joe Nathan got the final three outs for his 38th save in 44 opportunities.
The Rays took a 1-0 lead on Pena’s sacrifice fly in the third.
Andy Sonnanstine (13-8) failed for the sixth time to win his 14th game of the season, which would have tied the Tampa Bay record for single-season wins set by Rolando Arrojo in 1998. The right-hander, 0-2 over his last six starts, allowed four runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings.
Xtra, xtra: Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre was among those sending messages of congratulations to Maddon after Tampa Bay clinched it’s playoff spot. Rays LHP David Price, taken first overall in the 2007 amateur draft, will make his first major league start Monday at Baltimore. Tampa Bay will skip RHP Matt Garza’s next turn in the rotation. His last start came on short rest (Associated Press - Sports).
The playoffs beckoned, and just as they’ve handled other challenges this season, the Tampa Bay Rays took a leap forward.
The AL East leaders clinched the first postseason berth in franchise history Saturday, beating the Minnesota Twins 7-2 and making Scott Kazmir look like a genius for boldly proclaiming during spring training that the perennial last-place team was good enough to play in October.
“I knew we had something here. I knew we had the depth. I knew we had the pitching,” Kazmir, drenched in champagne and beer, said. “I knew we had everything. We just had to put it together, and we did.”
Carlos Pena hit a two-run double and Kazmir rebounded from the worst start of his career to pitch six scoreless innings as the Rays, who never won more than 70 games in a season before this year, wrapped up at least a wild-card spot.
Cliff Floyd and Fernando Perez capped the biggest win in the club’s 11 seasons with solo home runs. The Rays also extended their lead in the division to 2 1/2 games over Boston, which lost 6-3 at Toronto.
“It’s so special how we’ve come together. The way we’ve changed things here so dramatically is remarkable,” third-year manager Joe Maddon said. “We went from being down to being the most unified team out there.”
The players, many sporting mohawk haircuts they say is a display of how close the club is, danced around the clubhouse, spraying each other with champagne and beer. At one point, they took the party out to the field, where thousands of fans were watching the celebration on a big television screen.
The Rays wore playoff T-shirts bearing the team’s mantra: “9=8” which essentially translates to nine players playing hard for nine innings every day equals one of eight postseason berths.
Tampa Bay, 66-96 a year ago, joined the 1991 Atlanta Braves as the only teams to advance to the postseason a year after having the worst record in the majors. It’s the second AL team—and 11th overall—to go from last place to the playoffs in successive years.
“This is pure emotion—a team, an organization that has been challenged, that has been questioned, and we’ve answered all the questions,” team president Matt Silverman said. “And now, it’s time to move on and see where else we go can go.”
The first order of business is trying to win the division. The Rays have the best home record in the majors (57-23), and still have a chance to clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The crowd of 36,048 that packed Tropicana Field stood for entire ninth inning, chanting “Let’s Go Rays” and clanging cowbells. The Twins delayed the celebration by scoring twice, but the party was on once third baseman Evan Longoria chased down Joe Mauer’s foul pop for the final out.
“I think every baseball player and every kid dreams of this day,” Longoria said. “It’s a reality now.”
The struggling Twins, who have lost six of seven, began the day 2 1/2 games behind the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox, who were at Kansas City on Saturday night. They trail the Red Sox by 7 1/2 in the wild-card race.
“It was pretty much their day. It’s well-deserved,” Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. “They play the game the right way. They hustle. They have a lot of talented people on that squad.”
Tampa Bay could have clinched without winning if the White Sox and New York Yankees each lost once during the weekend.
But Maddon and his players had made it clear they preferred to take care of their own business.
“That’s been the motto all year,” Floyd said. “Take care of ourselves and you don’t have to worry about anything else.”
Pena’s double off Kevin Slowey (12-11) gave Kazmir a 2-0 lead in the third inning. The Rays added three more in the fifth on Longoria’s RBI double, Dioner Navarro’s run-scoring single and pinch-hitter Rocco Baldelli’s bases-loaded walk.
Perez homered off Dennys Reyes in the sixth and Floyd, one of the veterans brought in last winter to provide leadership in a young clubhouse, went deep in the seventh against Matt Guerrier.
In some ways it was fitting that Kazmir (12-7) started the game that assured the first playoff berth.
At 24, he’s a two-time All-Star and already the club’s career wins leader. And more than a few people snickered when he made his bold preseason declaration about the team’s talent level.
“It couldn’t have been a better setting,” Kazmir said. “But I’ll tell you what. I couldn’t do it without the bats that we had tonight. We just show a lot of heart, every day—day in, day out.”
Boston roughed up the Rays ace during a 13-5 win over Tampa Bay last Monday, but the left-hander was a different pitcher against the Twins, allowing just five hits.
Minnesota loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth when Mauer singled, Justin Morneau doubled and Michael Cuddyer was hit by a pitch.
But Kazmir, who matched a career high by allowing nine runs in three-plus innings against Boston, escaped. He got some help from Morneau, who was caught off second after Delmon Young flied out to swallow center field for the first out.
The Rays lost their shutout in the ninth when Troy Percival surrendered an RBI single to Denard Span before being replaced by Trever Miller. Alexi Casilla’s run-scoring groundout made it 7-2 before Miller retired Mauer to start the celebration.
“It’s an incredible feeling. This is what you come to spring training for,” Longoria said. “We’re going to be one of eight teams in the playoffs. It’s awesome.”
Xtra, xtra: The sellout was the seventh at Tropicana Field this year. Sunday’s game is also sold out, giving the Rays full houses for consecutive games for the only the second time in club history. With 98 RBIs—51 since the All-Star break—Pena is two shy of joining Fred McGriff and Aubrey Huff as the only players to drive in 100 twice for Tampa Bay. Rays CF B.J. Upton, out since Sept. 8 with a strained left quadriceps, pinch hit in the fourth inning and remained in the game (Associated Press - Sports).
One more win and the Tampa Bay Rays are in.
The AL East leaders closed in on a playoff berth Friday night, beating the Minnesota Twins 11-1 behind Carlos Pena’s homer and four RBIs—with help from the first reversal produced by baseball’s instant replay system.
The Rays, who had never won more than 70 games in a season before this year, retained a 1 1/2 -game lead in the division over Boston and moved within a victory of clinching at least a wild-card spot.
They can earn the first postseason berth in their 11 seasons by winning one of two remaining games in this series against Minnesota, which fell 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.
Tampa Bay also can wrap up a spot if the White Sox and New York Yankees lose at least once this weekend.
“It’s very exciting to be in this position, and to move on to the postseason would be great. But that’s just one of the goals. It’s also to win the division and to get the best record in the league,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “We want home court advantage throughout the playoffs. I don’t want anyone to be satisfied with where we’re at.”
Edwin Jackson (12-11) allowed one run and seven hits in 7 2-3 innings. Minnesota avoided a shutout with Joe Mauer’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly.
Pena’s drive to right field off Boof Bonser appeared to be touched by a fan before bouncing off the top of the fence. First base umpire Mike DiMuro signaled fan interference, and Pena stopped at second base for a two-run double.
The umpires huddled immediately and decided to look at the video for the third test of the system since Aug. 28, when baseball allowed umpires to begin using it to determine boundary calls.
The crowd of 28,306 broke into cheers when the umpires returned to the field after a delay of 4 minutes, 10 seconds, and crew chief Gerry Davis signaled home run, giving Pena a three-run shot that made it 9-0.
“I was glad they went and checked … and I think they got it right,” Pena said. “I always thought it was a home run.”
Twins right fielder Denard Span wasn’t sure what happened, but said he definitely heard the ball deflect off skin.
“The whole thing is getting it right,” Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. “They got it right. That’s all we care about.”
The first use of the replay system came at Tropicana Field on Sept. 3, when video confirmed a long home run by Alex Rodriguez against the Rays. An on-field call also was upheld on Sept. 9, when Hunter Pence’s drive off the top of the right-field wall was confirmed as a double during a game between Houston and Pittsburgh.
Pena also drew a walk with the bases loaded in the second inning and finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs. Evan Longoria drove in three with a double in the first off Nick Blackburn (10-10), a sacrifice fly in the second and a fielder’s choice in the sixth.
Minnesota’s starting pitching continues to struggle. A night after Glen Perkins allowed five runs in two-thirds of an inning in a game the Twins rallied to win 11-8, Blackburn gave up six runs and six hits in 1 1-3 innings.
During this stretch in which the Twins have lost five of six, only one starting pitcher has gone more than 4 2-3 innings. In a start last Sunday in Baltimore, Blackburn yielded six runs, including four homers, in four innings.
“It’s frustrating,” Blackburn said. “It’s obviously not a good time of the season to be doing what I’m doing right now … not giving the team a chance to win.”
Jackson, meanwhile, won for the first time since Aug. 28. He had been 0-3 with a 10.95 ERA in three September starts after going 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA in August.
The right-hander limited the Twins to singles by Mauer, Justin Morneau and Delmon Young until the sixth, when Denard Span and Alexi Casilla singled ahead of Mauer’s sacrifice fly that made it 9-1.
“Jackson was throwing the living tar out of the ball,” Gardenhire said. “Normally we do OK on hitting fastballs. But he was pumping it in there pretty good.”
Xtra, xtra: Rays CF B.J. Upton, out since Sept. 8 with a strained left quadriceps, ran the bases before the game and could return to the lineup as soon as Saturday. LHP David Price and OF Fernando Perez were honored before the game as the Rays’ minor league pitcher and player of the year, respectively. Pena’s 31st homer was his 17th since the All-Star break (Associated Press - Sports).
On a night Evan Longoria hit three home runs for Tampa Bay, an unlikely source of power upstaged the Rays’ rookie slugger.
Alexi Casilla went deep during Minnesota’s five-run ninth inning Thursday night, helping the Twins rally for an 11-8 victory that stopped a four-game losing streak and pulled them within 1 1/2 games of the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox.
Casilla’s two-run drive off Dan Wheeler (5-6) tied it at 8. With two runners on, pinch-hitter Adam Everett squared to bunt, pulled his bat back and ripped an RBI double to break the tie.
Delmon Young followed with a run-scoring single and Matt Tolbert added a sacrifice fly as the AL East-leading Rays lost for just the second time in 79 games when trailing after eight innings.
Their lead in the division over Boston was trimmed to 1 1/2 games.
“It’s huge. There’s no question,” Everett said. “You’ve seen it from the beginning of September to now. We’ve had games snatched from us from the ninth inning on. For us to snatch a game away from a team like Tampa Bay and their pitching staff, that’s huge for us.”
Longoria, who returned to the lineup last Saturday after being sidelined with a broken wrist, hit a two-run homer in Tampa Bay’s five-run first against Glen Perkins. The All-Star third baseman added solo shots off Philip Humber in the fourth and Bobby Korecky in the seventh for an 8-6 lead.
Longoria joined Jonny Gomes as the only Rays to hit three home runs in a game in the club’s 11-season history. Gomes also did it as a rookie, hitting three against Kansas City on July 30, 2005.
“Obviously I’m pretty happy about my performance, but not the outcome,” Longoria said.
“I expect us to bounce back. We’ve been doing it all along. Win or loss, it’s pretty much 15 minutes of celebration or 15 minutes of having your head down and figuring out what you can do tomorrow to help the team.”
The Rays can clinch at least a wild-card playoff berth as early as Friday if they beat the Twins, and the White Sox, Blue Jays and Yankees all lose. They can also ensure their first postseason berth by winning two of the remaining three games in this series.
“I still like our position, absolutely,” Wheeler said. “It’s just a difficult one to swallow. That’s all you can say.”
The first-inning drive was Longoria’s first homer since Aug. 5, two days before he fractured his wrist in Seattle. He has 25 on the year.
Dioner Navarro and Carlos Pena also went deep as Minnesota allowed five home runs in a game for the second time in five days. The Twins have given up a major league-high 33 home runs in September, 18 over the past five games.
“We can’t seem to keep the ball in the ballpark, and we didn’t do a good job of it tonight,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “But our guys never quit. … There at the end, Alexi put one in the seats and the rest of the guys did their thing.”
Rays starter James Shields allowed six runs, five earned, and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings.
Jason Kubel hit a three-run homer and Joe Mauer went 3-for-4 with three RBIs for the Twins. Mauer drove in the last two runs charged to Shields with a seventh-inning single off David Price that trimmed Tampa Bay’s lead to 7-6 before Longoria went deep in the bottom half.
Eddie Guardado (4-4) pitched a scoreless eighth for the victory, and Joe Nathan worked the ninth for his 37th save in 43 opportunities.
Xtra, xtra: Rays LF Carl Crawford, out since early August after undergoing surgery on his right middle finger, probably will not play again during the regular season. The club initially hoped he might be able to return for the final three games at Detroit. Rays CF B.J. Upton, who has missed the last nine games with a strained left quad, is improving and could return to lineup by the end of the weekend (Associated Press - Sports).
Baseball’s feel-good story of the year is on the verge of getting even better.
The AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 10-3 Wednesday night, moving closer to their first playoff berth with another “star-less” effort that’s become their signature.
“I wouldn’t expect too much else from this team,” rookie Fernando Perez said after he, Willy Aybar and Gabe Gross homered off Tim Wakefield to pace the rout before a sellout crowd of 36,048 at Tropicana Field.
“The way this team is put together, it isn’t put together like the Yankees. It isn’t a hoard of superstars that are expected to do well,” Perez added. “This team is built on solid pitching and unity. Nobody sticks out. To see us win a game, everybody comes in and does something. We don’t have the personalities that stand in the way of that.”
Matt Garza gave up two long home runs to David Ortiz, but the Rays otherwise held the Red Sox in check to win the season series against the defending World Series champions 10-8 and extend their division lead over them to two games.
Tampa Bay, which had never won more than 70 games in a season before this year, can clinch at least a wild-card playoff berth by beating Minnesota twice during a four-game series that begins here Thursday.
“They’re good,” Ortiz said. “They’re playing like they have nothing to lose, and that’s dangerous.”
The Rays (90-60) became the sixth time in major league history to win 90 games immediately following a stretch of at least 10 consecutive losing seasons. The others are the 1912 Washington Senators, 1914 Boston Braves, 1956 Cincinnati Reds, 1979 Montreal Expos and 2006 Detroit Tigers.
The Red Sox, who lost four of six to Tampa Bay over the past 10 days, dropped a road series for the first time since being swept by the Los Angeles Angels on July 18-20. Their eight losses to the Rays at Tropicana Field are the most they’ve had in a season road series since they went 1-8 at Yankee Stadium in 2001.
“They’re not the team we’re used to playing. They’re very, very good,” Wakefield said. “They’re not a team to take for granted right now.”
Aybar, who was 3-for-5 with three RBIs, hit a two-run homer off Wakefield (9-11) in the first inning. Aybar drove in the last of the six runs charged to the knuckleballer with a third-inning single off Devern Hansack.
Gross and Perez homered two pitches apart in the second. Perez also had RBI single in the third, when the Rays built their lead to 8-2.
Ortiz hit a two-run homer in the first and added his 21st of the season, a solo shot off that remained lodged in one of the catwalks that support the roof of the domed stadium, in the third.
And although the Red Sox still trailed 8-3, the homers turned out to be enough to keep Garza from getting the win.
Rays manager Joe Maddon lifted his starter with two on and two out in the fifth, with Ortiz strolling to the plate with a chance to get Boston back in the game. The slugger worked the count to 3-2 against Grant Balfour (5-2) before flying out near the warning track in center field.
Garza allowed three runs and five hits in 4 2-3 innings. Wakefield, whose 19 career victories against Tampa Bay are tied with Mike Mussina for the most by a Rays opponent, gave up six runs and six hits in 2 1-3 innings.
Balfour pitched two scoreless innings for the win. J.P. Howell and Chad Bradford shut down the Red Sox over the last 2 1-3 innings.
Although the Rays could clinch a playoff spot as early as this weekend, Maddon doesn’t want his young team to be satisfied with that.
“Our focus has always been the to win the East. … Regardless of what happens over the next couple of days, I want our focus to be that,” Maddon said. “At the end of this regular season, it’s about moving forward with home-field advantage. You look at our record at home, and we want to play as many games as possible here.”
Xtra, xtra: Some unruly fans were removed from the stands in the eighth inning. Play stopped briefly at one point while players watched police and stadium security handcuff a fan behind the Rays dugout. Tampa Bay improved to a major league-best 55-22 at home and needs two more wins to finish with the most home victories by a team since the Yankees went 65-16 in 1998 (Associated Press - Sports).
The Tampa Bay Rays have been resilient all season, so manager Joe Maddon is not going to start doubting his team now.
A day after Boston closed within percentage points of first place in the AL East with an awesome display of power, the division-leading Rays shut down the Red Sox with superb pitching in a 2-1 victory Tuesday night.
Andy Sonnanstine pitched six strong innings and Tampa Bay’s bullpen sparkled, too, to enable Tampa Bay to rebound from a 13-5 loss in which the Red Sox homered six times and beat All-Star left-hander Scott Kazmir.
“It’s all about starting pitching every night, not just tonight,” Maddon said. “We’ve played well this year because of that and defense.”
Dioner Navarro singled with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth to drive in the winning run for the second time in a week against the defending World Series champions, who have lost seven of eight games at Tropicana Field this season.
The Rays, who have led the division for the past 54 days, moved one game ahead of the Red Sox, who dropped two of three to the Rays at Fenway Park last week.
Dan Wheeler (5-5) struck out the only batter he faced to bail Tampa Bay out of a ninth-inning jam and get the victory.
“We’re finally getting to the point now where we’re starting to believe that we can beat these guys, and that’s very important,” Maddon said. “You’ve got to believe you can beat all the guys in the division if you’re going to win it.”
The Rays loaded the bases on Jason Bartlett’s bloop single, a walk and a hit batsmen. Navarro, whose ninth-inning double off Jonathan Papelbon gave Tampa Bay a 5-4 victory in Boston a week ago Tuesday, ended it against Justin Masterson (6-5) with his hit to center over a drawn-in outfield.
The Rays had tied it 1-all on Carlos Pena’s seventh-inning, opposite-field homer off Josh Beckett.
“It’s amazing how one pitch can change the complexion of the game,” Beckett said.
“I don’t think he hit that ball that good. Ninety-eight percent of the guys in the big leagues will fly out to left field on that. But he’s strong and you can’t leave a pitch up to him like that.”
Beckett and Sonnanstine were outstanding against each another for the second time in six days.
The Boston starter limited the Rays to Pena’s 29th homer and two singles in eight innings, and Sonnanstine held the Red Sox to three hits and an unearned run on Kevin Youkilis’ sacrifice fly.
Both also allowed one run in a game Tampa Bay eventually won 4-2 in 14 innings last Wednesday.
“Sonnanstine was spectacular. That’s two games in a row that I’ve seen him about as good as I can imagine him,” Maddon said.
Beckett retired 13 in a row before Cliff Floyd singled to right with one out in the fifth. He walked Navarro, but got out of the inning when he struck out Eric Hinske and Gabe Gross.
The Red Sox snapped a scoreless tie in the sixth.
Jacoby Ellsbury beat out an infield single and Dustin Pedroia followed with a sharp grounder that Rays third baseman Evan Longoria bobbled and then kicked for an error. David Ortiz grounded to first, moving the runners up, and Youkilis followed with his sacrifice fly.
Akinori Iwamura singled with one out in the sixth for the second hit off Beckett. Pena’s homer in the seventh was his 15th since the All-Star break and only the second Beckett has allowed in his last six starts.
“I was throwing strikes with most of my pitches when I needed to,” Beckett said. “Like I said, it was unfortunate that one pitch changed the game like that.”
Xtra, xtra: Several Rays players, including Longoria and B.J. Upton, have mohawk haircuts, and Rays manager Joe Maddon showed up Tuesday wearing one as well. “It’s a unity kind of thing,” Maddon said, although his barely resembled a mohawk because the sides of his head were not trimmed as low as the others. “I didn’t hold back, I promise,” the manager said, insisting he gave the barber permission to cut it low (Associated Press - Sports).
The Boston Red Sox flexed their muscles, nudging closer to first place in the AL East.
The defending World Series champions homered a season-high six times, overwhelming All-Star Scott Kazmir and division-leading Tampa Bay 13-5 Monday night to pull within percentage points (.002) of ending the Rays’ two-month stay atop the standings.
“These guys have been playing well all year long, and we haven’t been playing well here at all,” Boston reliever Mike Timlin said the Red Sox won for the first time in seven games at Tropicana Field this season.
“It was an amazing game offensively for us. We’ve been working hard to get (to first place) and the Rays have been working hard to keep us from here. It just shows the perseverance of this team.”
David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, Jason Bay, Jason Varitek, Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury homered for the Red Sox, who jumped on Kazmir for four runs in the first inning and never let up.
“That was just a good old-fashioned whippin’ tonight,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said, adding that he doesn’t expect it to have an adverse effect on his young team the next two games of the series.
“Believe it or not, this is an easier loss to accept. When you lose 2-1 or 3-2 on one play … those are the ones you go home and kind of beat yourself up after.”
The Rays (88-60) went 21-7 in August and were a season-high 5 1/2 games up on Boston heading into September. They’re 4-9 this month, with six of the losses coming against the Red Sox and Yankees, who took two of three from Tampa Bay over the weekend.
The Red Sox (89-61), on the other hand, have won three straight and 10 of 14 in September to get as close to the lead as they’ve been since mid-July, when they erased a five-game deficit in a week to pull ahead by a half game at the All-Star break.
While both teams are in excellent position to make the playoffs, neither wants to settle for the wild card.
“We want to finish first,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “That’s what you set out to do.”
Ortiz, who finished with four RBIs, hit a three-run homer in the first inning after Kazmir (11-7) threw nine straight balls to begin the game. Two batters later, Lowell hit a solo shot for a 4-0 lead.
The Red Sox added seven more runs in the fourth, helping Daisuke Matsuzaka (17-2) become the first Japanese-born pitcher to win 17 games in a season. Hideo Nomo won 16 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers three times (1996, 2002, 2003).
Bay and Varitek homered in the fourth off Kazmir, who allowed nine runs and six hits in three-plus innings—his shortest outing of the season. The four homers he yielded were a career high.
Kazmir said he didn’t feel good warming up, and they only got worse as the night progressed.
“I’m really not going to get down on myself. I just didn’t feel like that was me out there,” the 24-year-old left hander said.
Youkilis hit his 26th homer, a two-run blast in the fourth, and added a RBI double in the sixth, both off Mitch Talbot. Ellsbury also homered off Talbot to give the Red Sox a 12-1 lead in the fifth.
The six homers were the most the Red Sox have hit in a game since Aug. 3, 2003, when they went deep six times against Baltimore.
Matsuzaka, who has won six consecutive decisions since last losing on July 28, allowed Akinori Iwamura’s solo homer and two singles in five innings. Justin Ruggiano and Dan Johnson hit two-run homers off Red Sox reliever Chris Smith.
Timlin pitched the eighth for Boston, making his 1,051st relief appearance— an all-time record for right-handed relievers. He had been tied with Kent Tekulve.
“Quite humbling,” Timlin said of the record. “It’s something I’d been eyeballing all season, and its been out there slowly coming. I was not trying to be excited about it, but I probably will be when the season is over.”
Xtra, xtra: Ortiz was 7-for-37 with one homer and five RBIs lifetime against Kazmir before his first-inning homer. Kazmir had not allowed a home run to a left-handed batter since Baltimore’s Aubrey Huff homered at Tropicana Field on Sept. 4, 2007. Rays CF B.J. Upton, who hasn’t played since Sept. 8 because of a strained left quad, could begin taking batting practice on Tuesday. Iwamura has hit four or his six home runs against Boston (Associated Press - Sports).
Derek Jeter didn’t waste any time after he homered in the fifth inning Sunday. He quickly traded a bat and a ball for a reminder of the day he tied Lou Gehrig for the most hits at Yankee Stadium.
“It’s definitely special,” he said.
Jeter collected three hits for the third straight game, Alex Rodriguez belted a grand slam and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-4 to win the weekend series against the AL East leaders.
The Rays went 3-6 on their 10-day trip to Toronto, Boston and New York and will carry a one-game lead into their three-game series against the second-place Red Sox beginning Monday night in Florida.
“It’s never good to lose a series,” manager Joe Maddon said. “It was obviously a tough road trip … not easy at all. The Yankees are one team that we haven’t played well against this year.”
Jason Giambi hit a two-run homer for New York, still clinging to faint playoff hopes during its final homestand at its longtime ballpark.
Mariano Rivera entered with two on in the ninth and struck out Erick Aybar for his 35th save in 36 opportunities. The All-Star closer also moved into a tie with Lee Smith for second on the career list with 478 saves.
“I’d rather have the team, our team, tied for first place,” Rivera said.
Fernando Perez, who went to nearby Columbia University, hit a three-run drive for Tampa Bay, which started the trip with a 3 1/2 -game lead in the East.
Oft-injured Yankees pitcher Carl Pavano (3-1) allowed three earned runs and five hits before he was booed off the mound in the sixth inning following a visit by the trainer and manager Joe Girardi.
Pavano was pitching to Eric Hinske with one out and a runner on first when he got the mound visit. After a short discussion, the right-hander walked off as the sellout crowd, familiar with his injury history, showered him with boos.
“I’m at a spot right now where I’m starting to wake up muscles I haven’t used in a while,” said Pavano, who left with a stiff left hip and expected to be OK for his next start. “Every time I go out there, there’s more innings than the last time and more pitches than the last time so I mean these are things I’m going to have to work through.”
Pavano has started only 24 games for the Yankees since signing a four-year, $39.95 million contract before the 2005 season.
“He did not want to come out,” said Girardi, who opted for the safe route on a muggy day in the Bronx. “He told me he was fine.”
David Price, the top overall pick in the 2007 draft, made his major league debut for Tampa Bay and threw 5 1-3 impressive innings in relief of struggling starter Edwin Jackson. The 6-foot-6 left-hander allowed two runs and three hits, spending much of the outing in the upper 90s.
“It was fun,” he said. “This one here was obviously special. I settled down pretty good, started breathing better. That first inning was pretty rough.”
Price retired six straight before Jeter led off the fifth with his 11th homer, giving him 1,269 hits at the House that Ruth Built. The sellout crowd of 54,279 roared as the captain rounded the bases after his opposite-field drive to right, and cheered even louder when he came out of the dugout for a curtain call.
The fans continued to chant the shortstop’s name as Giambi batted against Price, who struck out four and walked none.
Jeter had a chance to break the record in the seventh but grounded into a double play. He’ll likely get another opportunity Monday night when New York opens a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox.
“They always say records are meant to be broken but this one, with the stadium closing here in a week, you know at least I know I tied for it,” he said.
The Yankees, almost certain to miss the playoffs for the first time since 1993, are nine games behind wild card-leading Boston.
The Rays loaded the bases after Pavano departed, and Damaso Marte walked Akinori Iwamura to make it 7-4. Jason Bartlett followed with a sinking liner but Brett Gardner made a terrific tumbling catch to end the inning.
Gardner also made a diving catch to rob Gabe Gross of a hit in the eighth.
Jackson (11-11) never looked comfortable and dropped to 0-3 in his past three starts. He allowed New York’s first three batters to reach before Rodriguez hit a 3-1 pitch into the bleachers in right-center for his 17th career grand slam.
“I got some balls up,” Jackson said. “They took advantage of it. It just wasn’t my day.”
Rodriguez reached 100 RBIs for the 11th straight season with his 34th homer of the year. It also gave him at least 100 runs in 13 consecutive seasons.
Jeter reached on a perfectly placed bunt single and Giambi finished a 12-pitch at-bat with a walk to set up A-Rod’s first grand slam since Sept. 25, 2007, at Tampa Bay.
Xtra, xtra: RHP Matt Garza, who threw 83 pitches in Tampa Bay’s 6-5 loss Saturday night, will start Wednesday’s game against Boston on short rest. The Rays went 7-11 against the Yankees this year (Associated Press - Sports).
The Tampa Bay Rays are heading into the playoffs for the first time after rallying from a five-run deficit, losing the lead and winning in extra innings.
