Are the Rays going to catch Boston?

[EDGECRUSHER]

The Rays essentially eliminated themselves tonight with a gutless showing. Being shutout until the 9th inning with a meaningless run.

It was a good stretch by Tampa and they exceeded expectations for the season, but in the end they just ran out of gas. For all the Yankee talk about wanting to hurt Boston, they essentially saved their season by taking 3 of 4 from the Rays.

[EDGECRUSHER]

Maybe I spoke too soon because Lester just had his worst start of the season against the Yankees A Lineup. 8 ER in 2.2 IP. Boston's offense didn't show up either, but a lot of your options are taken away when you are down by 8 runs like stolen bases, hit and run, etc...

Guess we will see what happens tomorrow.

[EDGECRUSHER]

Rays win today and Boston lost Game 1 of the doubleheader. Wakefield wasn't terrible, primarily a victim of bad luck and bunts. Still, AJ Burnett shut them down except for Ellsbury. He was the whole team's offense.

If Boston loses tonight's game, they are tied with Tampa with the Rays holding the head to head advantage. I honestly forget whether or not MLB uses that or makes them play a 1 game playoff.

[Tenshot13]

So to answer the thread title's question...yes, the Rays caught Boston.  They are even right now.  Will they take it away from them?  Who knows.  I can't even stand to watch right now.  Gonna give me a damn heart attack lol.

[EDGECRUSHER]

Boston is just DYING right now. Not even Beckett can save them. If Tampa wins the Wild Card, this is the type of situation where I say "Boston threw it away" rather than "Tampa Bay took the Wild Card from them". It's not like Boston won 18 of 26 while Tampa won 24 of 26. Boston is playing roughly .300 baseball right now.

Also, no one should be blaming Ellsbury for tonight. The kid is the reason for their win yesterday, as well as their whole offense in Game 1. Tonight, his "mistake" led to a 3 run Inside the Park HR, but look at the play. That was supposed to be routine? There is a reason it wasn't ruled an error.

[Landshark]

Tied with two games to go.  And the Rays have the advantage in head to head competition.  If the race is still tied after these last two games, the teams meet in Tampa for a one game playoff. 

[MaineDolFan]

Will they take it away from them? 

Yep, they will.  Mark these words as well:  This is one team that the Yankees are going to regret not "knocking out" sooner.  It would have benefited them in the long run to put their horses to TB and try to "back" Boston in.  Divisional foes can't meet in the first round.  Tampa matches up VERY well with Texas and Detroit...and will be a hard ass out for NY.

[MaineDolFan]

Edge:  Boston DID throw it away, but don't be too harsh on giving Tampa all the credit in the world.  They kept winning WHILE Boston kept losing.  It isn't like they are backing in.

I tell you one thing, I am HATING the injury excuse here (re: Boston).  Tampa lost their ENTIRE bullpen in the offseason, along with 60% of their offense (Pena, Crawford, Bartlett).  They played 30 games this season without Longoria.

Fans of baseball should stand and applaud the Rays.  I am.  I am excited for those guys!

[EDGECRUSHER]

In all honesty, if the Yanks face Detroit in the first round, I would be surprised if they lived long enough to regret not going for it in the 4th game of the Tampa series. Verlander and Fister and even Scherzer in a 5 game set against a fading Sabathia, the rookie Ivan Nova and.....umm, Burnett? Garcia?

Not liking those odds. Yankees have handled Texas a lot better this year.

[MaineDolFan]

I LOVE Nova, actually.  That kid is nails.

[TonyB0D]

all my friends are loving that the red sox are tanking it, but i'd rather have them in the playoffs than the rays.  if we play the rays in the ALCS you bet your ass they are gonna WHIP the yankees.  the young kids aren't fazed and maddon will have them believing they are world beaters because of their red-hot tear and impossible odds they've overcome.

[MaineDolFan]

^^Word.  I am not understanding the Yankee fan "loving the fall" thing, either.  Well, I do to a point.  You always want to see your rival fail.  However, in this case, there are longer term items at stake.  It would be better for NYY for BOS to make it in.

[EDGECRUSHER]

If I felt that Boston would continue playing the way they are, I would want them in as well. However, I can't shake the fact that this team is crazy talented and their freefall is basically mental aside from when Beckett and Lester start. That team is the one that had a mental stranglehold over the Yankees and made it so they couldn't beat them. So, that scared me.

As far as Nova goes, I like him a lot too. He gets a lot of groundballs and he just gets results. On a bit of a side note, it scares me a bit that the Yankees A) Don't trust their own farm system and B) Don't evaluate it accurately. They give up on their prospects way too early. Dumped Tyler Clippard and he is one of the best relievers in the game and we all know about Ian Kennedy. I know he was part of a big trade, but he was already by the wayside before that deal took place. If he wasn't traded for Granderson, he would've been a throw in for a deadline trade to acquire a middle reliever.

[raptorsfan29]

Rays win, Red sox lose. Rays are the last Wild card. Hell of a game by the rays down 7-0 to the yanks and win it in the bottom of the 12th.

[EDGECRUSHER]

Yeah, Girardi pretty much played the last 10 games like he wanted to win, but only with half his roster. I don't fault him too much for it, but when it gets to extra and you have a guy like Posada enter the game, go all the way and have the rest of your starters in there.

I am glad the Yankees lost because that means Boston was eliminated. In almost perfect fashion too, Crawford drops a ball he should've had and the O's win. Hard to have a worse season than he had and that was the ending point of Year 1. My hatred of Boston has gone down in years, but I guess I am still happy TB won out, but mainly because I was afraid Boston would snap out of it once the playoffs start.

Poor Francona will probably get the axe for this.