The Rays were unable to capitalize on David Price's pitching performance last night, and were shut out 2-0 by Clay Buchholz and the Boston bullpen. The wildcard race stayed much the same, though, (other than trailers New York and Kansas City inching closer) , as the Orioles coughed up a late lead to the Yankees, and the Indians fell to the Royals.
Here's a pretty graphic showing where we're been (up) and where it sure looks like we're going (down).
Other Rays Links
Jesse Crain threw another bullpen session and said it went well. No time given yet for a return.
Jason Hanselman made an intriguing comparison for Chris Archer.
Around the AL East
With Derek Jeter injured again, the Yankees traded the Mariners a PTBNL for stud defender Brendan Ryan. The downside is that this makes them a better team. The upside is that it might help convince all those annoying Yankee fans that Jeter really didn't deserve all his gold gloves.
Jacoby Ellsbury will likely return before the postseason, according to his agent, Scott Boras.
Best team, best city, best fans, best farm system.
Other Links
Colin Wyers (pay wall) explains why we need replacement level. I love this sort of thing, that checks up on our theory. We savvy fans sometimes take our statistics for granted, but I find that I often can't explain even the most basic concepts without needing a refresher.
Tom Tango's Fan Scouting Report is out for responses. Every year, Tango conducts a survey of fans on the defensive prowess of their favorite players. He then fashions the data into a usable defensive metric. So far, only five Rays fans have submitted responses (I'm about to), so go represent.