Tampa Rays bust the Royals to make it to the playoffs with East Title (Part 2)
The Tampa Bay Rays have been on a pursuit for the American League East Title for quite a long time. Given the fact that their struggle was coming to a close on Sunday night was anything but a fair realization by any Major League
Baseball follower. The team had been facing harsh competition from the New York Yankees in the division but yesterday marked the final time all teams played in the League. The Kansas City Royals hosted the series against them in Kauffman Stadium. With 20,936
fans in the stands, it looked like a decent encounter between the two teams.
The Rays and the Royals had been involved with each other since the last 4 days. Their 4 match series marked the final set played between the clubs in the season. The Yankees were scheduled to meet the Boston Red Sox earlier in
the day. Their fixture was going start off before Tampa Ray locked horns with Kansas City. The fact didn’t elude manager Joe Maddon who kept his focus on the team performance. Perhaps the objective was to get the series tied and that’s exactly what happened.
The manager later explained in the post game interview, “We knew the Yankees had not won. This game at that point didn't mean a whole lot except it meant a lot to us to win it and to do it this way; just to validate the whole thing."
Tampa Bay was weak against Royals’ Sean O'Sullivan in the first 6 innings but the team gained momentum in the later innings as the side braced a winner in the top 12th inning through Rocco Baldelli who ran home with
Kelly Shoppach’s grounder shot through Wilson Betemit’s legs. The winner was an added plus for manager Maddon who pointed out to the strength in the team for being resilient in their matches. "Winning in extra innings on the road is a great measure of your
team and the character of your group. Under these circumstances that really demonstrates that."
Tampa Bay Rays
With the playoffs around the corner, it is important to note who Tampa Bay Rays will depend on in the coming first game against the Texas Rangers of the West coast. The playoffs start in 3 days and the first match is scheduled
to start on the 6th of October. The top guns will be back in the side and one can only speculate how the side will do in the post season.
David Price: the 2nd rated American League pitcher has been phenomenal for his side. His 19 wins in the league will punch the tempo on the opposing offense and there’s
much to be seen on how the ace man performs in the coming days. The 25 year old left arm ball thrower has an amazing Earning Run average of 2.72. On many occasions, that has come in mighty handy to the club that has sought ways to oust opponents throughout
the season. The player ranks 8th on ‘strike outs’, in the season and has a slight advantage over his counterpart from the Texas game, Cliff Lee.
Price was instrumental against the Yankees’ Carsten Charles Sabathia. The pitcher threw well in the games against the Yanks in the last two series. He didn’t lose focus and many will keep their eyes on him in the coming days when
the playoffs start.
Evan Longoria: Longoria is a man to be wary of, in terms of influence. The 24 year old infielder has done a lot for the side and his inclusion on day 1 of the playoffs will only
strengthen Joe Maddon’s squad. The batter has averaged .296 with the bat and his 22 homers have come mostly come in critical moments of the game. He ranks 9th, in Runs Batted In with 104 to his name. Many will consider his presence a focal point
of the Rays’ rally when the roster faces off against the West Champions, Texas Rangers.
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