When does Longoria start?
What's the latest on CC?
Any news on Price's plans?

The team is moving forward with promos scheduled for next week...two in the plans. On to promote the "9=8" mantra of Joe Maddon...and one to take shots at Boston and NY. Not the best timing for the later...but the Rays need to get into that rivalry talk going forward.

Longoria back friday; CC back end of month; Price up after Durham, likely Niemann as well.

Price will likely pitch 2 more games, right? Tonight and Game 5 Saturday. So that could put him up by beginning of next week?

That's why Percy is the closer, gump. That was serious white-knuckle time, and he's been there. I wouldn't trust anyone in the bullpen more in the 9th in October.

He came thru (after Wheeler's gaff). Still don't want a guy there throwing what he does with his ERA though. It will hurt more often than it helps in this league.

Balfour seems to be handling the pressure pretty well lately too.

Regardless...that was a major mo-changing win. If things turn back our way, we'll be pointing to this game.

Great heart!

I see Price had his longest minor league outing, going 6 while striking out 9 and giving up 4 runs.

He was also named the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year.

How Balfour isn't closing for this team is a mystery. The guy has been nails all year long.

It is a mystery. I don't get it at all.

See Cle, last year...an ace reliever is more valuable if not used as a closer. Start calling him a closer, and he starts only coming in with the lead, and a 3 or less lead. Stick with ace reliever and use him when most effective, ie in a jam in a tie game in the 7th

Actually, Balfour has had several 9th inning collapses this year....same with Wheeler. Percival is the only guy with enough balls to pitch in the 9th every time he's called upon. The Rays are something like 28-1 this year when he comes into the game with a lead. Wheeler has blown his share with the long ball and Balfour has a few as well

That was then. This is now. Percy is hurt, sluggish, and throwing 85 mph meat. He's not effective at all anymore. Balfour has been.

I hate to say this...but the potential injury is a blessing in my eyes. Maybe the other guys don't deliver in the end...but I have no doubt that Percy won't deliver in the end.

What is the magic number to clinch a playoff spot...12?

9=8 baby!!

They're still using Balfour in high leverage situations so I'm not sure why it matters how they use him. Not like he's being ignored.

True...but I would still rather have Balfour try to go more than 3 outs than Percy make an appearance. And maybe Balfour's role turns into Price's in the next few weeks, freeing Balfour up to close?

You know what's funny...we have always #####ed about being put in the AL East. But now it has two big advantages:

1) we are much more battle-tested than the other AL teams
2) the huge spotlight on us now, which we would not be receiving from another division, will help prepare us for the playoffs

The best news we can get today is hopefully a Minnesota and Durham loss.

Durham loses and they get swept and we finally get Price and Niemann.

11.7 rating, 18 share for the game last night.

148K people were watching at midnight...which is supposedly some kind of record for Pinellas/Hills that late (not surprising)!

Yet that will never get mentioned...

Minnesota lost

Magic number is 10. You can relax, J.

Bam!

I have been trying real hard not to think about watching the Rays in the playoffs...but it's impossible now.

9=8

That's nice! Now if they would only fill that park...

I want them to clinch a playoff spot on 9/20 for my birthday while I'm at the game.

if only people would pay their debts....

7 home games left. All 3 Sox games sold out. Haven't heard yet how the Twins 4-gamer looks.

I've heard the team is thinking of removing the tarp over some upper-deck seats for the playoffs. Not confirmed though.

Price called up

Where are you getting this? I just talked to the Team...they denied it.

All 7 home games are going to be sell-outs.

The Team says right now that the tarp will not come off for Round 1...but that may change. The tarp adds about 6K seats.

Gump - heard that on the radio, 620 wdae - haven't seen it confirmed elsewhere.

Yea - tarps are staying on for the first round. I asked Friedman myself the other day.

No Price yet - that was Sileo being Sileo

Price now officially up, along with Gomes, Niemann and Talbot.

Price #14...look for your player tees and jerseys by Wed (hopfully).

Are they really thinking of starting him on Wed?

Nice win today...Shields is rounding into some serious playoff shape.

I don't believe they'll start Price until the Orioles series. There was talk of him throwing in the double-header on the 23rd

actually, this is the thread I quoted humiliating after humiliating post for you to see, but I appreciate you showing up anyways.

Ben Zobrist giveth and Ben Zobrist taketh away last night.

Need Jackson to do the job today before THE series of the season starts on Monday.

Price looked great today. Jackson's days are numbered in this organization. The organization needs to trade him while his value is at its best - and it ain't that great now. We left a ton of runners on base today against subpar pitching.

The season comes down to these next 3 days and will determine if the Rays are going to California or hosting the White Sox/Twins to start the playoffs.

IN

I hate to say it...but if the Rays are going to lose anyway tonight, I hope Kaz gets rocked.

He needs something to jar him back into himself.

MLB told the Oakland A's that their tarp had to stay on until the World Series in 2006. If Tampa, like the A's, keep the tarp on year-round, then maybe that ruling comes into play.

That's why I'm unsure this team is going far in the playoffs. Kaz just hasn't been good this year (as least going deep in games), EJax can't be used in the playoffs and Garza looked like a ####ing headcase on Saturday.

Shields and even Sonny are the only two that inspire confidence right now.

For selfish reasons, it's probably better for me if the Rays take the wild-card. I started a new job somewhat recently and already took a lot of vacation. Won't be able to take much, if any, in October. If the Rays play the Twins/WSox those division series games almost definitely will start at 1:00.

If they play the Halos, they won't start until at least 4. That would be perfect. Of course, their run may end a lot sooner.

MoP get you that job in produce? Congrats!

Huh?

stinking pesky team

Sox just can't win the close ones against the Rays...

7 of the Rays' 9 victories have either been by a run or in extra innings (the others were by 2 and 3 runs), while the Sox have won games by 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 6, 8, and 8 runs.

Crazy

Win tomorrow and the Sox still have a shot at the division, but at this point they are decidedly on the outside looking in

Driving home from the game...best atmosphere I've experienced there...

The best part of the night was being front row for the fight in the breezeway after the game...between two sox fans...I couldn't decide who to cheapshot, so I snuck one in on both.

Nice

I was there too. Good, good times.

Honestly, what do you think the ratio was?

I said no more than 30%...but some friends thought I was short.

Regardless, the Rays side responded by being as loud as I've ever heard it.

On another board, somebody made a good point - Rays win tonight and it is essentially a 3-game lead, as the first tie-breaker is head to head.


So, uh...big game tonight.

I thought it was about 75/25 last night, but I'm past the point of caring what other people think of this area's fanbase. Especially Boston hack writers.

I have found the easiest way to shut up Boston fans is "it won't take us 86 years to win one." Told that to some fat broad last night who was running her hamhock-esque mouth, and she replied with "well you got me there".

Nah, that's a meaningless quip. All that matters is the here and now and we are still the defending champs until we get knocked off.


With two championships in the last 4 years, 86 years is an afterthought at this point, it really is.