Tampa Bay Rays news and links: RayBro beats Rays Castoffs

The National League wild card game had pretty much everything you could ask for, with two ace pitchers, pitching like aces. Madison Bumgarner outlasted Noah Syndergaard nine shutout innings to seven, and when the Mets turned it over to their bullpen. And a day after Orioles manager Buck Showalter sent the internet into a furor for losing a game while not using his best pitcher, Zach Britton, it was the Mets’ best reliever, closer Jeurys Familia, who slipped up.

Grant Brisbee wrote a very excellent recap.

But he missed the real story here. This was a battle between Conor Gillaspie, older brother of Rays prospect Casey Gillaspie, and a trio of ex-Rays—Asdrubal Cabrera, Rene Rivera, and James Loney (Kelly Johnson did not play). I think the takeaway is clear: Casey Gillaspie will win a World Series once the Rays get rid of him.

Links:

• Now that they’re out of the playoffs, it’s time for the Mets to start focusing on the real story.
• From Topkin, the Rays brass is “hellbent.” What exactly are they going to do? Well, a lot of things, but it sounds like one might be to be less aggressive on the base paths.

Rangers vs. Blue Jays tonight. Will there be more drama between the two? Will there be a bat flip? I sure hope so.