Tampa Bay Rays News and Links: Two Weeks Left

Yesterday afternoon, the Tampa Bay Rays avoided a sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox as they took a 3-2 victory.

Jake Odorizzi was solid for the Rays and was hitless over the first five innings of the game before surrendering a game tying two run blast to Jackie Bradley Jr in the sixth. Fortunately, his battery mate, Jesus Sucre, would bail him out in the bottom half of the frame as he blasted a solo home run, his 6th of the season.

Evan Longoria supplied the rest of the offensive production for the Rays with run scoring hits in the first and fifth. The bullpen continued their run of domination as they tossed three scoreless innings to nail the game shut.

• The Rays are off today, but tomorrow they’ll welcome Joe Maddon back to the Trop for the first time since he left the Rays following 2004. Chris Archer will take on Jon Lester and the Chicago Cubs
• Grant Brisbee wrote an ode to Ryan Vogelsong, who retired as a Giant this past weekend
• The Cleveland Indians punched their ticket to the post season once again as they clinched the American League Central
• The Washington Nationals punched their ticket to the post season once again as they clinched the National League East
• The Houston Astros punched their ticket to the post season once again as they clinched the American League West
• The Minnesota Twins fired longtime organizational coach, Doug Mientkiewicz and Twinkie Town is very unhappy about it
• Matt Boyd of the Detroit Tigers came within one out of a no-hitter yesterday
• Jon Heyman looks at the top 25 players of the upcoming free agent class, where they’re likely to go. He has the Rays as possible destinations for Neil Walker, Lucas Duda, and Yonder Alonso
• Also, according to Heyman, the Rays have shown interest in Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler, so he may be a name to watch this off-season
• On this date in Rays history, former high school baseball coach Jim ‘The Rookie’ Morris, makes his major league debut for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the age of 35. His story would go on to be adapted into a full length motion picture