The Rays defeated Texas 7-3 today, to officially clinch the series from the struggling Rangers, whom they had not defeated in five prior meetings this season. The Rays came into the series having lost 10 of 12 and had gotten off to the worst post-All Star Break start in franchise history. Which is why this series has felt so good. We as Rays fans needed this, a late season glimmer of hope to make the season interesting again, to give us an excuse to avoid watching the horror that is preseason football, and for me, to peel off the depression from losing a spring training team. We needed these three games unlike any other, and to the team's credit, they stepped up and got us these three.
The Rays may tank it for the rest of the year, as you might expect for a team depleted by injuries, trades, and poor play from people that were to be counted on. But they gave us these three games, and that is why it will be so sweet to go into tomorrow's game with reinvigorated life, to actually be excited to watch the game, to have hope. Thank you Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli, Greg Norton, and all of the other members of this team. You gave us hope. And at this point, that is all we can ask.