|
ST. PETERSBURG -- The Tampa Bay Rays are becoming believers in miracles. And if this is really a legitimate assumption, the miracle worker is manager Joe Maddon. Who would have thought? No matter, the previously written-off Rays are making believers of skeptics. The Rays were so far out of the playoff chase a month ago, they probably were already thinking ahead to starting their offseaso football statistics n at the beginning of October. Now, they're in the thick of the American League Wild Card race, and as you walk through their clubhouse, there's an overwhelming air of confidence. As recently as Aug. 7, the defending Eastern Division champs were 10 games behind in the Wild Card race. With Monday night's 5-2 victory over the Orioles, the Rays were able to slice a half-game off idle Boston's W football statistics ild Card lead, reducing it to three games. "It's really not impossible," Maddon said. "Maybe the skeptics are falling off the 'skeptical wagon' onto the 'possible wagon' right now. Maybe the storyline is going to change a bit." Boston designated hitter David Ortiz concedes the Red Sox are scrambling. "At this point, you panic," Ortiz said. "But you're not going to do anything panicking bu football statistics t play better. Of course, you're freaked out." Not to be outdone, in the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals have suddenly come to life, threatening Atlanta for the other Wild Card berth. They began a series in Pittsburgh on Monday night just 4 1/2 games behind the Braves. "I feel like we're [in the race] if we keep winning," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "It's exciting baseball football statistics . Guys have come through all over the roster. We've got a shot." It's a stretch that either the Rays or Cards will overtake the Wild Card leaders. With so few games remaining, there's little margin for error. Tampa Bay has a much better chance than St. Louis because of its nine games with the two teams ahead of it in the standings. The Cardinals are finished with the Brewers and Braves, but 1 football statistics 2 of their remaining games are against teams with losing records. Maddon has felt all along that the Rays were never out of the AL Wild Card race. "We believe it, and I think other people are starting to believe it also," Maddon said. "I told [the team] we would try to get [the deficit] down to five when we got into August. I thought if we could do that, we'd have a decent shot, because we p football statistics lay [the Red Sox] so often, the Yankees so often. "When the season began, looking at that schedule, [it] wasn't so desirable. But when you're behind by [just] a couple of games, it becomes a much more desirable schedule. I felt if we got it close enough, we could go toe-to-toe and see what happens. There's no resting. It's push-push-push." After a three-game series that began Monday night in football statistics Baltimore, the Rays go to Boston for four games against the Red Sox. After that, it's two games at Yankee Stadium, then home for the final six games of 2011 -- three with Toronto and three with the Yankees. Maddon says when you play the teams ahead of you in the standings so much down the stretch, "you can bring out your own whip. Everybody should be responding on a daily basis." "We [never] football statistics really counted ourselves out," Rays outfielder B.J. Upton said. "It might be a little tough, but I think we can do it. We've got Baltimore for three, then go right back up there with Boston for four. This is what baseball is all about. We're in a good position." James Shields, who won his 15th game Sunday, has allowed one or zero runs in 16 of his 30 starts and has a 1.82 ERA against AL East te football statistics ams. "We're back in the hunt," Shields said. "Every time we play [the Red Sox], it's a big game." Not too many players these days are baseball historians, but Maddon said, "With the advent of the iPad, they're probably reading about some of this [historical comeback] stuff. Our guys do believe we can do this. They don't need speeches from me. I'll stay out of their way." Nobody would blame football statistics the manager, though, if he reminded them about some recent history: #149; The 2007 Phillies trailed the Mets by seven games with 17 to play. Philadelphia won 13 of 17 while the Mets lost 12 of 17. The Phillies won the NL East. #149; In 1995, the Mariners trailed in the AL West by six games with 16 to play. They won 12 of the 16; the Angels were 6-11 to tie them at the end. Seattle defeate football statistics d the Angels in a one-game tiebreaker. Maddon, an Angels coach in 1995, still has a sour taste about that season. When shortstop Gary DiSarcina, hitting over .300, got hurt, it damaged their chances. "His loss was detrimental," Maddon said. "That put us behind the eight ball, but then the Mariners, who needed a leadoff hitter and left fielder, got Vince Coleman at the beginning of August. They football statistics got both of what they needed with one guy." A myriad of injuries has also weakened the Red Sox, none more costly than pitcher Josh Beckett, who's been out with a sprained right ankle. Over Boston's 3-10 tailspin, its starting pitchers were 3-6 with a 6.43 ERA. "We've just got to play better," second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. "I'm not really concerned. If we play good, we're going to w football statistics in, that's basically it. We're a pretty good team. We've just hit a tough patch." Is it really just a "tough patch," or a September swoon for the Red Sox and Braves? Regardless, it's what September baseball is all about. football statistics
|