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BALTIMORE -- Rays closer Kyle Farnsworth has been out since Saturday with right elbow problems and wasn't available Tuesday, but manager Joe Maddon said the right-hander is getting better. "He's doing fine," Maddon said before his club battled the Orioles. "It's still a day-to-day issue with him. I don't know exactly when we're going to pop him back in there, but he's getting better." The 35-year football live -old Farnsworth has 23 saves this season, a career high. He ranks second among American League closers with a 2.32 ERA and is among the leaders in several other categories. Farnsworth been resting and getting various treatments the past few days. "It feels fine right now," Farnsworth said. "[But] it's a long season, and I'm not as young as I used to be." Maddon said that Joel Peralta is his first football live choice to take over the closing duties, but that isn't set in stone either. If the skipper thinks Peralta can help the Rays better in an earlier spot, he'll use him there and then go with matchups to get them through. Maddon: We are in the playoffs already BALTIMORE -- The Rays are making a furious late-season run at the Red Sox, who hold the American League Wild Card lead. The two teams are football live scheduled to meet this weekend in Boston, but the Rays are worrying first about the last-place Orioles. Manager Joe Maddon said his team has to stay focused on the games at hand and not be peeking ahead, although it's probably on their minds. "We're thinking about Baltimore only right now," Maddon said. "If we look beyond Baltimore, that series in Boston might not mean anything." Despite Tuesday's football live 4-2 loss, the Rays have won eight of their past 10 and have charged from nine games out of the Wild Card spot to just four. They swept the Red Sox in Tampa Bay in a three-game series last weekend, and a critical four-game series at Fenway Park is on the horizon. Maddon said the Rays have to keep playing as if the postseason has already arrived. "We are in the playoffs already," Maddon said. "We b football live egan our playoffs on Sept. 9, Friday night at home vs. the Red Sox. We have to keep that mentality for almost two months. I think we're capable of doing that." Slide up in order has positive impact on Upton BALTIMORE -- Some players don't fare well when moved in the lineup. B.J. Upton has done just fine. Manager Joe Maddon shifted Upton to the No. 2 spot when Johnny Damon got hurt a little ove football live r a week ago. The move has paid off handsomely, as Upton has been on a roll while the Rays have gone 8-2 and climbed back into playoff contention. Upton is hitting .454 over his previous nine games -- batting second in the last eight -- as he's gone 15-for-33 with two homers and 10 RBIs. Maddon said there wasn't any brilliant design to the move. Upton has hit there before, most recently in 2010, a football live nd did well. "I'm looking at the next best possible option [after Damon's injury]," Maddon said. "Him hitting second is purely by chance right now, but I don't want to walk away from it." Tidbits #149; Offense helps the Rays. They've won 22 straight games when scoring five or more runs. #149; Tampa Bay's starters have been consistent, and manager Joe Maddon gives them a big part of the cred football live it for the recent success. They've entered Tuesday with a 3.52 ERA, which lead the American League. #149; The Rays have begun the month of September on an 8-4 roll. They've never had a winning record in the month. #149; Ben Zobrist needs two doubles to tie Aubrey Huff's club record of 47, set in the 2003 season. Zobrist banged out his 45th double in Monday's win. football live
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