Rays use eight pitchers to shut out Royals
Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Carl Crawford, right, and second baseman Reid Brignac (15) celebrate after their 4-1 win in a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals. (Oct. 2, 2010) Credit: AP
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Sometimes Joe Maddon wishes he weren't so farsighted.
All season long, as the Yankees, Rays and Red Sox slugged it out in the AL East, the Tampa Bay manager said it probably would come down to the season's final day. And now it has.
Matt Joyce hit a two-run triple and eight pitchers combined on a shutout last night as the Rays beat the Royals, 4-0, ensuring that the AL East race won't be decided until today.
"I didn't necessarily want it to be that," Maddon said. "I'd prefer having the division won. But that's how it's going. We'll see what happens."
Earlier in the day, the Yankees beat the Red Sox, 6-5, in 10 innings in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Pending the outcome of the second game, the Yankees (95-65) held a half-game lead over the Rays (95-66).
At stake is more than just the division title. The winner gets home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs.
"I want to throw at home. Hands down, for sure," said Rays ace David Price, who got a tuneup inning. "We all do. We want to win the AL East and have home-field advantage."
If the Rays win the AL East title, they will start the best-of-five Division Series at home Wednesday against Texas. If the Yankees win the division, the Rays will travel to Minnesota tonight and play the Twins on Wednesday.
"To be in this situation, I don't think we'd have it any other way," said Joyce, whose triple gave the Rays a 2-0 lead in the first. "Obviously, we would probably want to win the division earlier, but we're not complaining. We know we've got a great team and we know what we have to do tomorrow."- AP
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