Back to the Rays Report

Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

 @RMooneyTrib
 TBO_Rays
Send us your questions

More Links:

• Schedule/Results
• Player Stats
• Team Stats

Most Recent Entries

• Rays-Red Sox, Round II: Can Rays afford a beanball war?
• Robinson product Gibson advances to NCAA track finals
• Panini previews Gold Standard autographs
• UD unveils Military Machines inserts for 2012 Goodwin Champions set
• Rays @ BoSox: Guyer out for the season, Jennings close to returning and lineups
• USF softball: It’s game day
• Weekly Tampa Bay fishing report
• Rays at BoSox: Rivalry renewed
• Karen Cooley returns as Zephyrhills girls swimming coach
• USF beats Pitt, stays alive
• The Nerds head north
• Jeffrey Shank out as Gulf boys basketball coach
• Berkeley Prep captures Academic Team Champion Award - again
• This week’s signings and offers
• Berkeley Prep wins FHSAA Academic Award standings

More

• Bucs Report -Tribune staff
• Rays Report - Roger Mooney
• Bolts Report - Erik Erlendsson
• Bulls Report
• Prep Report - Hillsborough
• Prep Report - Pasco
• Prep Report - Region
• Prep Report - Recruiting Updates
• Prep Report - Football
• Go Fishing: On The Waterfront
• The Sports Bookie - Bob D'Angelo
• Gators Report - Tribune staff
• Youth Sports Report
• NFL Draft Report
• Go Ask: Frank's Tacklebox
• Bucified Bert Blog
• BUK Power - Bucs Fan Blog
• Pigskin Preacher - NFL Fan Blog
• Breakfast Bonus - Tom McEwen
• Highlands Sports

Monthly Archives

• May 2012
• April 2012
• March 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011

Rays 5, Yankees 2: Notes and quotes

Posted Sep 27, 2011 by Roger Mooney

Updated Sep 27, 2011 at 12:41 AM

James Shields reacts to Desmond Jennings diving catch in the top of the fifth inning of the Rays 5-2 victory Monday
JASON BEHNKEN/STAFF

ROGER MOONEY
ST. PETERSBURG And they said it couldn’t be done.

The Rays caught the Red Sox atop the Wild Card standings with Monday’s 5-2 win against the Yankees at Tropicana Field.

With two games to play in the regular season, the Rays control their destiny. All they need to do is beat Bartolo Colon tonight and a parade of Yankee relievers Wednesday to win the Wild Card and make their second straight trip to the postseason and their third since 2008.

The Rays are throwing Jeremy Hellickson tonight and David Price in Wednesday’s regular season finale.

“We don’t have to worry about the Red Sox losing now. That feels really good,” said James Shields, who earned his 16th win of the season Monday.

More Shields: “It’s exciting right now. Everything about it is exciting. The way we came back, nine games down in September, and here we are. We’re all squared up.”

Matt Joyce: “Tell you what, this is the most fun at the end of the season that you can have, that we can possibly ask for. We’re playing really good baseball, and to be in it the way we are, I don’t think anyone really expected it, but I tell you what, I think everyone in this clubhouse really believed that we had a chance and that we were good enough to be in this situation. Right now we’re having fun and it’s exciting. We’re ready and we’re prepared. We’re confident. We got some momentum and we’re ready for these next two games.”

Manager Joe Maddon: “There’s a real strong believability in what we’re trying to accomplish right now.”

Here are some notes from the win:

—This is the first time the Rays have shared or had sole possession of the Wild Card lead since May 23.

—Shields finished 4-2 with a 2.23 ERA in his final six starts that included two games each against the Rangers, Red Sox and Yankees.

His 16 wins are second in club history to the 19 won by David Price last season.

—B.J. Upton had two doubles and drove in two runs. He’s batting .375 with seven doubles, 14 RBIs, and seven stolen bases since moving to the second spot in the batting order.

—Johnny Damon tied Lou Gehrig for 57th place on the all-time hit list with his 2,721th career hit, a third inning single that scored Upton with the game-winning run.

—Kelly Shoppach homered in consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 26-27, 2008 when he was with the Indians. It was the first time a Rays catcher homered in consecutive games since Dioner Navarro did it Aug. 5-6, 2008 against Cleveland.

—The Rays have won 28 straight when they’ve scored at least five runs.

—Monday was the 79th time a Rays starter went at least seven innings. That’s tops in the AL and second in the majors behind the Phillies (89).