Lordy, Lordy, those Tampa Bay Rays!

If anything seemed to be lacking in this Rays lineup it seemed to be power - the long ball, regularly. So what happens, on back-to-back days at Tropicana Field, the Rays show the long ball, as emphatically Wednesday as they yet have, with a ninth inning outburst of six runs and home runs that could surely be heard around the big leagues, the aftershocks shouting that this team is for real.

Seems to me that should do it. Did for me.

Two days, two late rallies against a testy team, Cleveland.

Skip Bayless, former Miami Herald sports writer, now a panelist for ESPN, used a Tuesday home run by Evon Longoria to make a similar point about the arrival of the Rays. Bayless, now so much more animated (for TV, I suppose), noted a pulled long ball over the left-field wall, but foul, then another, not so much foul, then on the third try, hit it fair, and out of the park for the homer.

Great point.

Rays manager Joe Maddon has repeatedly told his team to keep plugging. They have. They are.

Can now say it: These Rays are for real. They surely look like champions to be — now.

Again, lordy, lordy.

Might even want to add a ... Dang!