The Tampa Bay Rays are longshots to win the AL wild card. Even if they sweep the Red Sox this weekend, their schedule down the stretch is much tougher than Boston’s and it might not end up mattering. That doesn’t mean the Rays aren’t doing everything they can to vault themselves into the playoffs.
Entering last night’s game, the Rays were four games behind with a four game set starting in Boston. Because of the schedule differences, Tampa came into Boston knowing that they most likely need a sweep to stay in the race. Obviously, they weren’t going to get a four-game sweep in one night, but Tampa Bay still got the win that they needed.
They got it in convincing fashion, too, routing the Red Sox with a 9-2 win. They poured four runs on in the third inning with a three-run homer and never looked back. Jeremy Hellickson couldn’t get out of the sixth inning, but Jake McGee, Juan Cruz, Cesar Ramos, and Alex Torres mostly shut the Red Sox down over the final 3 1/3 innings, and now the Rays have the ever-so-important first win in this series and find themselves three games behind the Sox.
If the Rays are going to actually complete this sweep, though, things are about to get much tougher for them. After facing Kyle Weiland on Thursday night, they’re drawing Josh Beckett on Friday and Jon Lester on Saturday. They’ll counter with James Shields and Jeff Niemann, respectively, but Beckett and Lester are certainlyt he Sox two best pitchers and at this point in time, they seem like hte only Boston starters than can get anyone out. Obviously the Rays would rather face someone like John Lackey, though if they can get beat Beckett and Lester, they’ll have a favorable David Price/Tim Wakefield matchup on Sunday.
The Rays don’t have to worry about the pitching matchups for this weekend, though. They just have to focus on winning whichever game is in front of them. They’re 25% of the way to the sweep that they need now, and that’s what’s most important.
Also last night: There wasn’t much baseball last night, and in the only other game with playoff implications, the Rangers beat the Indians 7-4 on the strength of a five-run fifth inning and homers by Adrian Beltre and Josh Hamilton. They’re up on the Angels by 3 1/2 now. Out in Colorado, Pablo Sandoval hit for the cycle. Actually, the triple he hit to get his cycle isn’t even his first triple of the year. Which is definitely surprising. Oh, and the Pirates won because pitcher Ross Ohlendorf hit a home run. Pitcher home runs are always fun. Last night’s full set of results is here.
Tonight’s games: The previously discussed Beckett vs. Shields matchup in Boston is obviously the night’s marquee event. In Baltimore, the Angels send Dan Haren out against the Orioles to try to chip away at Texas’s lead while the Rangers go out to Seattle and send CJ Wilson to the mound. I’m trying hard, but I can’t find one interesting NL matchup on the schedule. I guess the Madison Bumgarner/Alex White pitching matchup between the Giants and Rockies is kind of interesting, if young pitchers are your thing. Tonight’s full schedule is here.
