Bay not a Ray

Update. 6:18: Exec VP Andrew Friedman just did a 15-minute conference call in which he wouldn't discuss any specifics of the Jason Bay deal, or any other. Basically, he just said they didn't have a deal they liked: "At the end of the day we didn't find something that lined up for us.''
He said he felt just as good about the Rays chances to make the postseason as he did before the moves (and non-moves) of the last few days and that he expected the players the Rays do have to improve, which will make the offense better.
"We're in first place on July 31 and we control our own destiny,'' Friedman said. "I feel we have the talent on hand to continue to do what we did the first two-thirds of the season.''
He also said it was "not clear yet" when Rocco Baldelli might rejoin the team; his 20-day rehab assignment at Double-A Montgomery expires after Friday's game.

Update, 4:50 Okay, details are starting to filter out. According to mlb.com, the players going to Pittsburgh are Boston OF Brandon Moss and RHP Craig Hansen and Los Angeles INF Andy LaRoche and RHP Bryan Morris (who was the Rays third-round pick in 2005 and didn't sign).

Update, 4:32 SI.com's Jon Heyman says Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers and Bay is going to the Red Sox as part of the deal. The Pirates reportedly get four minor-leaguers. He also said the Marlins were back in at the end, but the Red Sox chose to make the deal with the Dodgers. ESPN.com reports two of the players going to Pittsburgh are INF Andy LaRoche and RHP Bryan Morris (who was the Rays third-round pick in 2005 and didn't sign). More details to come.

Update, 4:21 There's a reason the Rays didn't get Bay - mlb.com now reports he "may" have been traded instead to the Dodgers. Or not. The same report is now at least raising the question if Bay could be going to Boston and Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers. So we'll wait on that.

Update 4:08 There's no deal for Jason Bay. Sounds like neither side would blink on demands. Expect to hear more soon, and to talk with Rays exec VP Andrew Friedman later this afternoon

Update, 4:03 Nothing yet.

Update, 3:55 Still no word that it's done, or that it's not. Though the deadline is at 4, it can take a while for all things to get sorted out through the commissioner's office.

Update, 3:45 Now mlb.com is backing off, saying there are "conflicting reports" and that either Niemann or Brignac might not be in the deal. Which is pretty much where we were an hour ago.

Update, 3:38 p.m. mlb.com is sticking to its story, with a second report saying "a source in Pittsburgh has corroborated" the earlier report. Rays still not confirming it. And neither are the Pirates.

Update, 3:22: Mlb.com reports the Rays are going to get Bay for "prospects including" SS Reid Brignac and RHP Jeff Niemann. But the Rays have not confirmed the deal, and the Times was told that report was not correct.

Update, 2:58: Not sure exactly what this will mean an hour from now, but just heard the talks with the Pirates have progressed past the point of them wanting the four prospects the Rays don't want to trade. So that would mean the Rays could have an opportunity to get the deal done without giving up SS Reid Brignac, or RHPs Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson (LHP David Price wasn't going anywhere anyway).  If so, that would seem to make it more likely though it remains unclear if it will happen. In that scenario, RHP Jeff Niemann might be the key to the deal.
Also, according to ESPN.com, the Rockies now seem very much unlikely to trade LHP Brian Fuentes, who was on the top of the Rays' list of relievers.

----
With a little more than 90 minutes until the trade deadline, Rays officials are still working feverishly to try to make a deal. With the Manny Ramirez three-way deal dead, it sounds like the Rays could be very much back in the chase for Pirates OF Jason Bay.

What it may come down to more than anything is who blinks - if the Pirates are willing to lower their demands for the Rays' top prospects, or if the Rays take one of those prospects off the untouchable list. The elite group the Rays have been steadfast about not trading is SS Reid Brignac, LHP David Price and RHPs Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson.

There's been some speculation that the Pirates want Brignac and either Hellickson or Davis.The Rays seem more likely to offer RHP Jeff Niemann, and the question is whether they would put Brignac in the deal.

Bay, 29, was NL Rookie of the Year for Pittsburgh in 2004 and an All-Star in 2005 and 2006, averaging 31 homers and 97 RBIs, but dropped off in 2007, hitting .247 with 21 homers and 84 RBIs. He has bounced back this season, hitting .284 with 22 homers and 62 RBIs in 105 games.

A native of Canada who came up with the Padres, Bay is in the third season of a four-year, $18.25-million deal. He is making $5.75-million this season, and signed for next season at $7.5-million.

(AP photo. Click to enlarge.)

Report: Rays unlikely to deal

Update: 12:55 p.m. Though everything can change with one phone call, it appears the Rays may not make a move before the 4 p.m. trade deadline.

There has been much speculation circling around Tampa Bay's interest in Pirates OF Jason Bay, and more recently, Reds OF Adam Dunn, but ESPN.com is reporting that the Rays have backed off Dunn because he'd make their lineup too left-handed; the report also said Tampa Bay was told by the Pirates that Bay would likely land elsewhere.

With the deadline just a few hours away, anything can happen, so stay tuned.

Several other AL playoff contenders have chosen to make interesting moves the past few days. The latest was the White Sox acquiring Ken Griffey Jr from the Reds for a Pinellas County product, pitcher Nick Masset, as well as minor leaguer Danny Richar.

The Yankees picked up a replacement for injured catcher Jorge Posada, trading reliever Kyle Farnsworth to the Tigers for Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. That came after the Angels picked up slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira, swapping their own 1B Casey Kotchman (Seminole).

And the day is far from done, as the most intriguing deal could be one involving Red Sox star OF Manny Ramirez, who has reportedly approved a potential trade to the Marlins (the much speculated three-team deal, including the Pirates, could have Bay landing with the Red Sox).

But while that deal is being discussed, Toronto has possibly entered the mix for Bay, having talks with the Pirates as of this afternoon, according to espn.com's trade deadline blog.

10:58 am. With much-speculated Rays trade target - Pirates OF Jason Bay - linked in a potential Manny Ramirez three-way deal with the Red Sox and Marlins, it appears the Rays are turning their attention to an interesting alternative option.

We had mentioned in today's Times that Reds OF Adam Dunn was someone the Rays could be considering, and SI.com is reported this morning that "more and more, the Rays are looking at Adam Dunn as a realistic possibility."

Now, of course, Dunn isn't the right-handed bat the Rays have been seeking - nor is he known for his defense - but he certainly would bring some power to a lineup that has struggled to score runs as of late. The left-handed hitting Dunn leads the majors in homers (32) and, interestingly enough, the 29-year-old has more home runs over the last five years than anyone in baseball (196).

Dunn has hit 40 homers in each of the past four years, and is on pace again. And moving him to the American League would allow him a chance to DH, too. What would the price be? According to SI's Jon Heyman, it appears the Reds are seeking some of the Rays young pitching prospects, including Jeff Niemann and Jeremy Hellickson.

Dunn isn't the only Reds star outfielder in deadline day chatter, as several outlets have reported Ken Griffey Jr. is likely to get traded to the White Sox (pending his approval).

The Rays could be waiting to see how the Ramirez saga develops - ESPN reported the Ramirez three-way trade has a "50-50 chance" of happening - to see if Bay remains available. But if that deal creeps closer toward the 4 p.m. deadline, the Rays will likely consider many other options.

Stay tuned.....

-- JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com

(Pictured: Adam Dunn, top left; and Jason Bay, top right. AP photos. Click to enlarge.)

Deadline day

There's going to be a lot of rumors, a lot of speculation, a lot of wild and crazy ideas tossed around today, and some actual legitimate trade discussion.

We'll start this morning where we left off last night (well, about six hours ago) and suggest you check back throughout the day as the 4 p.m. deadline nears:

The Rays are hoping to complete a deal today for Pirates OF Jason Bay, but their chances apparently could depend as much as anything on whether the Red Sox, Marlins and Pirates are able to complete a complicated three-way deal that was under heavy discussion late Wednesday. The key element is Manny Ramirez going to the Marlins, which in terms of finances and contractual issues makes it rather tricky, and unpredictable.

But if that part get works out, Bay would end up going to the Red Sox, which would really be tough for the Rays because instead of having the two-time All-Star playing for them they'd see him playing against them down the stretch. (Much like Xavier Nady ended up with the Yankees.)

Obviously the Rays could make a deal with the Pirates on their own (and the Red Sox and Marlins could make their own deal, or find a different third team). But the reason the Pirates want to be involved in the three-way deal is the potential return for Bay would be greater, and there is a chance they could unload more of their pieces if the deal is expanded, say to include LHP John Grabow and SS Jack Wilson.

As being reported now, the Pirates could end up with Marlins OF Jeremy Hermida (a young potential star) and two or three good prospects, though there are numerous conflicting reports. Though a deal was not completed, it sounded as if the Rays and Pirates were talking more about a package of prospects, and the Rays have been consistent in saying they would not include their elite ones, such as SS Reid Brignac, LHP David Price and RHPs Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson.

The Rays could end up being the Pirates' fallback plan if the Red Sox and Marlins things falls through. But what makes it really fascinating is that the Rays aren't going to just sit around and wait as they also have other options, which include Cincinnati's Adam Dunn, Philadelphia's Jayson Werth and others, possibly Minnesota's Craig Monroe. So while they might want to see first what happens with Bay, they will also pursue others, which could lead to quite a rush as the deadline approaches.

As for relievers, it seems the one the Rays really want is Colorado's Brian Fuentes, and the edge-of-contention Rockies were still wrestling Wednesday night with whether to trade him, and what the price would be if they do.

More to come ...

- MARC TOPKIN

(Pictured: Jason Bay, AP; Adam Dunn, Getty Images. Click to enlarge.)

Pena's homer helps Rays past Jays

TORONTO (AP) -- Carlos Pena homered, Edwin Jackson won back-to-back starts for the first time since April and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Wednesday.

The Rays won for the fourth time in six road games after losing seven straight away from home earlier this month.

Jackson (7-7) gave up two runs and seven hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out three.

The right-hander had not won consecutive starts since his first two outings of the season, winning at New York on April 5 and beating Seattle on April 10.

Four Tampa Bay relievers each worked a scoreless inning to preserve the victory. J.P Howell pitched the sixth, Grant Balfour struck out a pair in the seventh, Dan Wheeler handled the eighth and Troy Percival wrapped it up in the ninth for his 23rd save in 25 opportunities.

It was the 346th save of Percival's career, tying him with Randy Myers for eighth on the all-time list.

(Pictured: Evan Longoria, left, and B.J. Upton, right, celebrate the Rays' win. AP photo. Click to enlarge.)

North of the border matinee

The Rays look to finish their road trip with a winning record today with Edwin Jackson on the mound, and trade talks swirling again about Pittsburgh OF Jason Bay.

The lineup:

RAYS
Iwamura, 2b
Upton, cf
Crawford, lf
Longoria, 3b
Pena, 1b
Hinske, dh
Navarro, c
Gross, rf
Bartlett, ss
Jackson, p

JAYS
Inglett, 2b
Scutaro, 3b
Rios, cf
Overbay, 1b
Stairs, dh
Lind, lf
Wilkerson, rf
Zaun, c
McDonald, ss
Richmond, p

Bay to Bay?

Update, 7:10 Jason Bay is in the lineup for the Pirates, batting cleanup and playing leftfield. SS Reid Brignac is in the lineup for Triple-A Durham, and RHP Wade Davis is pitching.

Update, 4:25 p.m. While the Rays are still talking with the Pirates about OF Jason Bay, the deal does not appear imminent and there remains a lot to be resolved, the Times has learned. The Pirates may have other teams involved, or they mey be hoping that by word getting out they are talking with the Rays that they can get other teams more involved. And the Rays may have other options as well.

Update, 2:30 p.m. While Rays officials haven't said anything about the talks (or the reports), the Post-Gazette's Dejan Kovacevic reports "two prospect names known to be in the mix on the Rays' end are shortstop Reid Brignac and pitcher Jeremy Hellickson.''  In an update attributed to another source, it says the "names coming up most often'' are Brignac and RHP Jeff Niemann. The paper also reports that the Cardinals are also interested in Bay.


Update, 12:55 p.m. SI.com's Jon Heyman reports "the Rays-Pirates talks regarding Jason Bay have been upgraded to "50-50," according to an NL source. Pittsburgh is looking around to see if it can do better, but to date, Tampa appears to have the best offer.''

And ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that "sources indicate to ESPN that while nothing is imminent, the two side are talking constructively and trying to bridge the gap.''

In a related matter, mlbtraderumors.com links to Charlottesville, Va., radio report that Rays scout Mike Cubbage said he was scouting Phillies OF Jayson Werth, who is hitting .272 and is good against lefty pitchers, and also confirms that the Rays made an offer to Pittsburgh for OF Xavier Nady and LHP Damaso Marte but the Pirates preferred the Yankees' offer.

---

The Rays-Pirates talks regarding Jason Bay have been upgraded to "50-50,'' according to an NL source. Pittsburgh is looking around to see if it can do better, but to date, Tampa appears to have the best offer. Bay would be a perfect fit in Tampa, as they badly need a righthanded hitter, especially one that can play right field.

With a report of Pittsburgh that the Pirates are "deep into trade talks" with the Rays and unnamed other teams about OF Jason Bay, Rays manager Joe Maddon sounded optimistic this morning and said there now was a "solid 50-50" chance the Rays would be active before Thursday's 4 p.m. deadline for nonwaiver deals.

"There are still some things on the table, and they're interesting, actually, so we'll see,'' Maddon said. "I mean really interesting, possibly.''

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also said, however, that it was still "better than 50-50" that Bay would not be traded, and that none of the engaged teams were offering "a truly elite prospect" nor was it expected the Pirates would receive a "bounty - say four of a team's top 10 prospects.''

So what would the Rays give up? It seems clear they don't want to deal any of their elite prospects, LHP David Price, SS Reid Brignac and RHPs Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson. But OF Fernando Perez would be a possibility, as would RHP Jeff Niemann. The Pirates are supposedly in need of pitching, and the Rays have plenty at all levels.

According to mlb.com, Pirates ownership last week killed a deal that would have sent Bay to the Braves. The exact offer was not reported, but the report suggested a framework: "The Pirates have interest in shortstop Brent Lillibridge, who they developed before sending to the Braves in exchange for Adam LaRoche last year. In addition, they'd likely ask for outfielder Brandon Jones and a pair of prospects that are currently playing at the Class A level.'

The Pirates also have a lefthanded reliever, John Grabow, who could be of interest to the Rays.

Bay, 29, was NL Rookie of the Year for Pittsburgh in 2004 and an All-Star in 2005 and 2006, averaging 31 homers and 97 RBIs, but dropped off in 2007, hitting .247 with 21 homers and 84 RBIs. He has bounced back this season, hitting .284 with 22 homers and 62 RBIs in 105 games.

A native of Canada who came up with the Padres, Bay is in the third season of a four-year, $18.25-million deal. He is making $5.75-million this season, and signed for next season at $7.5-million.

(AP photo. Click to enlarge.)

Report: Rays in talks for Bay

The Rays are 'deep into talks' with the Pittsburgh Pirates regarding left fielder Jason Bay, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The story, which credits 'a team source with direct knowledge' of the situation, says 'other parties' are involved in similar talks with Pittsburgh.

Bay, a .282 lifetime hitter, has hit 20 or more home runs the past five seasons and is on pace for his fifth straight 80-plus RBI season. He is batting .284 with 22 homers and 62 RBIs in 105 games this year.

Still, the Pirates, who recently traded outfielder Xavier Nady and pitcher Damaso Marte to the Yankees, aren't itching to deal Bay.The chance the former All-Star will leave the Pirates by tomorrow's afternoon trade deadline is less than 50-50, according to the source.

(AP photo. Click to enlarge.)

Garza pitches first shutout as Rays blank Jays

TORONTO (AP) - Matt Garza threw a five-hitter for his first career shutout, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat Roy Halladay and the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 on Tuesday night.

Eric Hinske hit a solo homer and Evan Longoria added a two-run triple as the Rays beat Halladay for the third time in three games this season.

Garza (9-6), who benefited from three double plays, struck out five and walked one.

Halladay (12-8) lost 6-4 at Tampa Bay on July 19, and dropped a 5-3 decision to the Rays at Tropicana Field on April 23.

The only other team to beat Halladay three times in a season was the Boston Red Sox, who took three of four from the right-hander in 2007.

Halladay allowed three runs and six hits in eight innings. He walked three and struck out eight.

The only extra-base hit against Garza was Adam Lind's two-out double in the eighth, but Brad Wilkerson ended the inning by grounding back to the mound.

Garza was acquired by Tampa Bay in an offseason trade with Minnesota. He pitched parts of the last two seasons with the Twins.

Hinske led off the third with a drive that cleared the center field wall but ricocheted off the concrete facing of the lower deck and back into the outfield. Second base umpire Mike Winters signaled no catch, but neither center fielder Alex Rios nor Wilkerson in right chased after the ball.

Hinske trotted around the bases while Halladay waved his arms and yelled until second baseman Joe Inglett ran out and threw home, too late to get Hinske, who sped around third and scored standing up for his 15th homer.

Originally scored an inside-the-park home run, the ruling was changed after the official scorer checked with the umpires and learned that first base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt had ruled the ball cleared the fence.

B.J. Upton drew a two-out walk in the eighth and went to second on Carl Crawford's single before both runners scored when Longoria tripled off the wall in right-center.

Longoria made two great defensive plays, ranging into foul territory and throwing out Rios in the seventh and Matt Stairs in the eighth.

(Pictured: Matt Garza. AP photo. Click to enlarge.)

Check out the latest 'Rays Report'

Can't get enough of the first-place Rays? Check out our weekly Rays Report audio slideshow.

View more than 20 photos from the past week while listening to Times staff writer Marc Topkin discuss the Rays' recent offensive struggles, Joe Maddon's blowup and more.

(Photo: Getty Images. Click to enlarge.)

North of the border

Update, 6:25 p.m. Manager Joe Maddon said he had no updates on the trade situation and that he hadn't spoken to executive VP Andrew Friedman in several days. One player they apparently won's be getting is Mark Teixeira, who reportedly was traded to the Angels, and for Seminole High product Casey Kotchman.

Maddon did talk optimisitically about OF Rocco Baldelli, who continues to make an impressive comeback at Double-A Montgomery. "He's still reporting good,'' Maddon said.

Baldelli, out all season dealing with a rare muscle fatigue condition, is scheduled to play with the Biscuits through Friday, and is being used there in situations that he could be used in for the Rays - hitting against lefthanded pitchers as the DH, playing parts of games in rightfield, pinch-hitting and staying in a game.  "We are taking a good look at him right now and he has been responding very well,'' Maddon said. "Seems to be that the recovery is a little bit quicker. So we'll see.''

Maddon said Baldelli has become more of a factor than expected. "I could not have told you I would have thought he'd be doing this well at this particular juncture,'' Maddon said. "He's moved it along pretty quickly recently.''

Maddon said the biggest concern at this point is that Baldelli has a setback. And if he doesn't have any this week, the Rays seem to be seriously considering his return. "I think as he continues to progress this way we can start thinking that,'' Maddon said. "It's the old setback. If he can avoid the setbacks, I think we can continue to be optimistic that he's going to return, and I would have to say relatively soon.''

Maddon said Baldelli wouldn't need to move up first to Triple-A Durham. "He would come here whenever that moment is" and get readjusted to major-league pitching, Maddon said.

Update, 4:16 p.m.: Saturday's game, which features a post-game concert by LL Cool J, is already sold out. That's the earliest the Rays have sold out a game in a while, possibly all the way back to the 1998 inaugural game.

The Rays may have played well on Monday as manager Joe Maddon said, but they still lost, and will seek to reverse that tonight against though against another tough pitcher in Toronto ace Roy Halladay.

Having scored only 48 runs in their last 18 games, the Rays will try again tonight with the same lineup:
Iwamura, 2b
Upton, cf
Crawford, lf
Longoria, 3b
Pena, 1b
Floyd, dh
Navarro, c
Hinske, rf
Bartlett, ss
Garza, p

Also on Saturday, Plant City High product Kenny Rogers will start for Detroit that night, against Andy Sonnanstine.

Jays, Burnett beat Rays 3-1

TORONTO - A.J. Burnett matched a career-high with his 12th win, Matt Stairs hit a two-run homer and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Monday night.

Burnett, who also won 12 games in 2002 and 2005, allowed one unearned run and six hits in seven innings. He walked four and struck out 10. It was the 20th time Burnett has struck out 10 or more in a game, and the fourth time this season.

Asked before the game whether the Blue Jays would deal Burnett by Thursday's trade deadline, general manager J.P. Ricciardi was emphatic.

"He's not going anywhere," Ricciardi said.

The Rays scored a single run for the second straight game, both losses. Toronto won for the sixth time in seven games.

Burnett (12-9) has won six of eight starts for Toronto, which improved to 3-7 against Tampa Bay this season.

Scott Downs worked the eighth and B.J. Ryan pitched a perfect ninth for his 20th save in 22 opportunities.

Tampa Bay right-hander James Shields lost for just the second time in his past seven starts. Shields (9-7) allowed three runs and five hits in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out five without a walk.

Sloppy defense by the Blue Jays helped Tampa Bay open the scoring in the third. With runners at first and second, Burnett fielded Carl Crawford's bunt but threw high and wide to third, pulling Scott Rolen off the bag and allowing Akinori Iwamura to slide in safely. One out later, Iwamura scored when Lyle Overbay fumbled Carlos Pena's grounder.

Shields cruised through the first four innings, allowing just one hit, but stumbled in the fifth. Rod Barajas led off with a single and Stairs followed with a two-run drive to center, his 11th.

Shields set down 10 of the next 11 batters but was knocked out in the eighth, after a diving B.J. Upton couldn't reach Brad Wilkerson's sinking liner. The ball rolled to the wall, putting Wilkerson at third. Joe Inglett chased Shields with a triple over Upton's head.

Grant Balfour came on and got Marco Scutaro to pop out before Alex Rios lined out sharply to right.

Burnett kept Toronto's 2-1 lead intact in the seventh when Upton drew a one-out walk, stole second and advanced to third when Crawford reached on a wild-pitch third strike. Evan Longoria ended the inning by grounding into a 6-4-3 double play.

Associated Press

Goodbye to Glover

The Rays reinstated RHP Gary Glover from the disabled list on Monday and then designated him for assignment.

Glover had been sidelined since before the All-Star break with a left calf strain, as the Rays used his roster spot to activate Troy Percival. But with Glover recovered, the Rays had no room, opting to instead keep RHP Jason Hammel.

Glover has struggled much of the season, with a 1-2 record, 5.82 ERA and .300 opponents batting average. In 34 innings, he allowed 61 baserunners. He is making $1.075-million.

Because Glover is out of options, the Rays can't send him directly to the majors. The Rays now have 10 days to trade, release or pass him through waivers, which would allows them to send him to Triple-A.


The Jays also changed their rotation, planning to start rookie righthander Scott Richmond on Wednesday instead of lefty John Parrish, which has to be considered a good thing for the Rays since they have struggled so much against lefties.

As for tonight's game here in Toronto, the Rays have Cliff Floyd back from his brief paternity leave and what, for now, passes as their regular lineup:

RAYS
Iwamura, 2b
Upton, cf
Crawford, lf
Longoria, 3b
Pena, 1b
Floyd, dh
Navarro, c
Hinske, rf
Bartlett, ss
Shields, p

JAYS
Inglett, 2b
Scutaro, ss
Rios, cf
Overbay, 1b
Barajas, c
Stairs, dh
Rolen, 3b
Lind, lf
Wilkerson, rf
Burnett, p

Glover move pending

Manager Joe Maddon said before Sunday's game that RHP Gary Glover was ready to come off the DL and that they would have to soon make a decision.

That appears to be imminent, as Glover left the clubhouse after Sunday's game clearly unhappy, and refusing comment.

Glover is flying home to Tampa rather than accompany the team to Toronto, which would seem to indicate he's not going to be rejoining the Rays, and soon could be traded or designated for assignment.

Glover is 1-2 with a 5.82 ERA in 29 games.

Maddon let Rays know he wasn't happy

Manager Joe Maddon has been unhappy with the Rays' lack of hustle and let them know after Saturday's game.

For the first time in his three-season reign, Maddon ripped into his team, delivering a brief but pointed message. Several players said he was obviously "hot,'' another described him as "borderline irate - for Joe."

"It was something that really needed to be said,'' LHP Scott Kazmir said. "It really needed to be said.''

Maddon's basic message was that everyone on the team needs to play hard for the Rays to be successful.

"Mistakes happen, but one thing you can control is your effort,'' he said before Sunday's game. "It takes no talent to hustle, whatsoever. It takes no talent at all.''

The fiery speech was brief, less than two minutes, but very much to the point.

"I think it had to be said,'' Maddon explained. "I've done it on an individual basis, and I still believe that's the right way to do it. But at some point it had to be done within the group, because you can lose a pennant by one game, and I've been there. Every game matters, every game counts, every play counts. The assumptionists of the world, I would like to eradicate. I want to eradicate assumptionism.''

Maddon was publicly upset with the lack of hustle in Saturday's game by 2B Akinori Iwamura, saying in his post-game media session that Iwamura "just didn't run hard enough" during an eighth-inning sequence in which he could have scored the go-ahead run.

But his displeasure was broader and had been building, and he picked his spot on Saturday, figuring the message would be received better after a victory. He walked from his office into the clubhouse before it was opened to the media, turned down the usual post-win music and made it very clear how unhappy he was.

"Play hard or don't play at all - that's what the message was,'' Miller said. "You could tell his heart was behind it 100 percent. When you have a manager who doesn't express a lot of emotion have a moment like that, you know it's serious, it's not for show. You accept it for what it was and listen to it - he didn't say anything that was not true.

"Every now and then, you need a little spark like that especially in the dog days. We need to respect what we're doing here - it's not every year you get to do something this special, the turnaround this organization's had. There's a responsibility, and respect for the game, to take into consideration.''

Said Kazmir: "He was just fed up with it. I think it meant a lot more after a win.''

Maddon's message was a reinforcement of what it is on the inspirational T-shirts he distributed earlier this season, that it takes nine players playing hard to nine innings to be one of the eight teams that make the playoffs. "9 = 8, or else we ain't going there,'' he said Sunday.

Rays' bats quiet in 6-1 loss to Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Billy Butler homered and drove in four runs, Kyle Davies picked up his first victory in more than a month and the Kansas City Royals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 Sunday to salvage a split of their four-game series.

Carl Crawford singled in B.J. Upton in the sixth, and Ron Mahay replaced Davies with no outs and runners on second and third. The left-hander struck out Carlos Pena, retired Willy Aybar on an infield popup and got pinch-hitter Jonny Gomes to fly out to left to end the inning.

Andy Sonnanstine (10-6) allowed five runs and eight hits in 6 2-3 innings for AL East-leading Tampa Bay, which began the day with a two-game lead over Boston. Sonnanstine has lost his last three starts, yielding 14 runs and 22 hits in 19 innings.

(Pictured: Andy Sonnanstine pitches during the first inning. AP photo. Click to enlarge.)

Rays-Royals, day 4

The Rays are looking to make it three out of four against the Royals in today's hot and steamy matinee, with RHP Andy Sonnanstine on the mound looking for his 11th win. With the Red Sox and Yankees playing tonight on ESPN (imagine that!), the Rays have the chance to head to Toronto knowing they'll maintain at least a two-game lead in the AL East.

Manager Joe Maddon said he spoke with 2B Akinori Iwamura about his lack of hustle in the eighth inning on Saturday and expects the issue to be resolved.

DH Cliff Floyd won't be here today, as the Rays said he will instead meet them Monday in Toronto, following Saturday's birth of his third child.

One more note from last night - Carl Crawford had the seventh multi-triple game of his career. Of players who debuted after World War II, he has tied Royals great George Brett for the third most. Wille Mays had 10 and Lance Johnson 8.

Today's lineups:
RAYS
Iwamura, 2b
Upton, cf
Crawford, lf
Longoria, 3b
Pena, 1b
Aybar, DH
Gross, rf
Riggans, c
Bartlett, ss
Sonnanstine, p

ROYALS
German, 2b
Aviles, ss
DeJesus, lf
Butler, DH
Gordon, 3b
Teahen, rf
Gload, 1b
Olivo, c
Maier, cf
Davies, p

Crawford triples out of slump, Rays win 5-3

By Marc Topkin
Times Staff Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Carl Crawford’s first triple Saturday night had historical significance, making him the first player in more than 70 years to have 80 three-base hits before turning 27.
The second was much more important.
The star leftfielder, immersed in the worst slump of his career, delivered his biggest hit in weeks, knocking in two runs with a two-out triple in the eighth inning as the Rays rallied to a rain-delayed 5-3 win over the Royals.
“We really needed it,” Crawford said. “It was a good feeling to contribute.”
With the victory, the Rays (61-42) widened their American League East lead to two games over Boston and remained three ahead of the hard-charging Yankees, who won their eighth straight by beating the Red Sox again.
The Rays led 2-1 when the game was interrupted for 73 minutes in the middle of the fifth inning as a fierce storm moved in quickly. The Royals quickly tied the score when play resumed, foiling the efforts of Rays starter Scott Kazmir, who threw 69 pitches before the delay, stayed loosed by throwing in the batting cage, then came back out for the fifth.
Kazmir was relatively sharp, though he gave up a run in the fourth. The Rays used a string of four relievers after Kazmir, with Al Reyes getting the win (his first since April 11), Dan Wheeler working a quick eighth and, after Carlos Pena delivered an insurance homer for the second straight night, Troy Percival finishing for his 346th career save, one behind Randy Myers for eighth place on the all-time list.

Rays to resume

Saturday's game will resume shortly, starting at about 9:55. Players are on the field loosening up and the grounds crew is putting the tarp away and working on the field. Scott Kazmir resumed pitching after the 73-minute delay. The Royals are switching to reliever Horacio Ramirez.

Rays in a rain delay

Saturday's game was delayed in the middle of the fifth inning with the Rays leading 2-1. The rain is expected to be heavy and lengthy.

If the game is not resumed, there likely would be a doubleheader on Sunday. Since it is not an official game, it would be played over from the start on Sunday and the stats would not count.

Rays-Royals, day 3

Update, 6 p.m.: There's a reason Cliff Floyd is not in the lineup - he went back to Florida early Saturday for the birth of his third child. The Rays say there's a chance he could be back for Sunday's afternoon finale in Kansas City, but more likely he'll rejoin the team for Monday's game in Toronto.

- - - - - - -
The Rays made a slight change in their lineup for Saturday night's game with the Royals, as switch-hitter Willy Aybar is starting at DH rather than Cliff Floyd.

Otherwise, it's the same lineup again, with ace LHP Scott Kazmir on the mound. And after using four relievers for four innings on Friday, the Rays are going to be looking for Kazmir to go deep into the game.

The lineups:
RAYS
Iwamura, 2b
Upton, cf
Crawford, lf
Longoria, 3b
Pena, 1b
Aybar, dh
Navarro, c
Hinske, rf
Bartlett, ss
Kazmir, p

ROYALS
DeJesus, cf
Aviles, ss
Grudzielanek. 2b
Guillen, rf
Butler, dh
Gordon, 3b
Buck, c
Gload, 1b
German, lf
Hochevar, p

Getting up to date, Saturday edition

When Rays manager Joe Maddon heard late Friday that the AL East rival Yankees had made a deal pending medical clearance to acquire OF Xavier Nady and LHP Damase Marte, two "good players" the Rays had interest in, he joked: "Could we sabotage the physicals somehow?''

Saturday morning, another of the hitters they were interested in, Cleveland's Casey Blake, also headed elsewhere, with ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reporting this morning he was traded to the Dodgers, with cash, for two minor-leaguers - C Carlos Santana and RHP Jon Meloan.

Also, another Rays minor-leaguer - the second in the last week - was suspended for violating baseball's drug policy. OF Jonathan Quinonez, a 17-year-old outfielder for their Venezuelan Summer League team, was suspended 50 games for testing positive for metabolites of the steroid Nandrolone. Quinonez was hitting .260 with a team-high nine homers in 58 games.

Monday, Class A Vero Beach RHP Matt Walker was suspended 50 games for testing positive for an amphetamine.

Rays end seven-game road slide with messy 5-3 win

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Edwin Jackson surpassed his victory total for last season and the Tampa Bay Rays snapped a seven-game road losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
The Rays, who moved one game in front of Boston in the AL East, won on the road for the first time since June 29, at Pittsburgh.
Jackson (6-7), who was 5-15 last season, did not yield a hit until Billy Butler homered to center with two outs in the fifth.
John Buck led off the sixth with a homer, the only other hit Jackson allowed.
Jackson allowing two runs in five-plus innings, walking two and striking out two. Jackson and four relievers held the Royals to four hits.
Carlos Pena's 16th homer with two outs in the ninth gave the Rays a 5-2 lead. It was Pena's 14th career home run against the Royals.
Troy Percival worked the ninth for his 21st save, but gave up a homer to Ross Gload.
The Royals had two baserunners over the first four innings, but Jackson erased both on double-play grounders.
Alex Gordon walked with one out in the second, but Butler grounded into a double play. David DeJesus struck out to lead off the fourth, but reached first on a passed ball charged to Dioner Navarro. Mark Grudzielanek's grounder to shortstop Jason Bartlett started an inning-ending double play.
Akinori Iwamura led off the game with a single and scored on Evan Longoria's two-out single.
The Rays made it 2-0 with an unearned run in the fifth. B.J. Upton led off the inning with a double, took third on second baseman Grudzielanek's throwing error and scored on shortstop Mike Aviles' fielding error, when he dropped Pena's line drive.
The Rays made it 3-1 in the sixth when Navarro, who started the inning with a double, scored on a sacrifice fly by Upton.
Royals right-hander Brian Bannister (7-9), who is winless in five starts since a June 23 victory over Colorado, went 5 1-3 innings, allowing three runs and seven hits, while walking one, hitting two batters and striking out one.
Rays left-hander B.J. Howell worked out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh by retiring pinch-hitter Esteban German on a fielder's choice grounder.

Associated Press

Jackson no-hitter ends in fifth

Rays starter Edwin Jackson took a no-hitter into the fifth inning Friday when Royals DH Billy Butler broke it up with a two-out home run.

Rays-Royals, day 2

Update, 7:47: Pittsburgh OF Xavier Nady and LHP Damaso Marte, two players whom the Rays have had interest in, were traded to the Yankees on Friday, according to Baseball Prospectus. Subsequent reports, including SI.com, indicate the Yankees didn't give up much of their current team, with RHP Russ Ohlendorf and three prospects, including Jose Tabata and Phil Coke.

As the Rays continue to struggle offensively, speculation continues to mount about whether the Rays will make a deal for a hitter to bolster their stagnant offense before Thursday's 4 p.m. deadline for nonwaiver deals. Manager Joe Maddon said as of pre-game Friday it was "50-50 at best" the Rays would make a deal.

"I'm not like overtly confident that something's going to happen, so I'd have to say it's 50-50 at best that it would happen,'' Maddon said. "I can't sit here and tell you that, "This sounds really good and I think it's going to happen any day now.' I can't tell you that. I don't get that.'' 

He also said executive VP Andrew Friedman was "really active right now,'' that they had a lot of good ideas, and that it may come down to the final hours for teams to be motivated to make a deal.

"There are people out there that can make us better, no question,'' Maddon said. "Can we get them? I don't know.''

As for tonight's game, Maddon remained confident the players they have can do better.

"I like the lineup,'' he said. "I really like the lineup. I like the ways the names are spread out, I like where they are, I like the matchups. I like it. I truly do. And I see it working.''

Here's the lineups:

RAYS
Iwamura, 2b
Upton, cf
Crawford, lf
Longoria, 3b
Pena, 1b
Floyd, dh
Navarro, c
Hinske, rf
Bartlett, ss
Jackson, p

ROYALS
DeJesus, lf
Aviles, ss
Grudzielanek, 2b
Guillen, rf
Gordon, 3b
Butler, dh
Gload, 1b
Buck, c
Maier, cf
Bannister, p

Getting up to date, Friday edition

The Rays are slumping, but Fox TV still considers them a big deal.

Fox said today it has added the Aug. 30 home game against Baltimore to its national broadcast schedule. That's good exposure for the Rays and Tropicana Field, though it does require the game time to be moved up from 7:10 to 3:55. The Rays also added a post-game concert that day, featuring the Bradenton-based alternative pop-rock band, We the Kings.

Fox had previously picked up the Aug. 23 game at Chicago.

As for today's trade rumors and speculation, the latest of many names the Rays have been linked to is Orioles closer George Sherrill, though the same Newark Star-Ledger piece says Baltimore is unlikely to trade him within the division.

Rays fail to solve Meche in 4-2 loss to Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Gil Meche pitched seven scoreless innings after a shaky start and John Buck drove in two runs, helping the Kansas City Royals hold off Tampa Bay 4-2 Thursday night to extend the AL East-leading Rays' road losing streak to seven games.
Kansas City appeared well on its way to ending a four-game home losing streak after taking a 4-0 lead into the eighth inning. Then it started raining and things got interesting.
Tampa Bay cut the lead to 4-1 on B.J. Upton's RBI groundout off Ron Mahay, then Evan Longoria led off the ninth by hitting Joakim Soria's first pitch down the line in left for a double. Carlos Pena followed with a single and Cliff Floyd made it 4-2 with a sacrifice fly.
That was it for the Rays, though. Soria got Dioner Navarro to ground into fielder's choice, then ended the game by striking out Eric Hinske for his 27th save in 29 chances.
Meche (8-9) had a miserable first inning, needing 26 minutes and 31 pitches to get out of it. But he did it without giving up a run, getting Carlos Pena to fly out with runners on first and third.
After working through a few more problems in the second inning, when he again gave up two singles, Meche settled into a rhythm and didn't allow a runner past first base the rest of the way.
The right-hander gave up five hits and walked one, beating an AL East team for the first time in seven starts this season (1-5).
He had some help, too.
Royals shortstop Mike Aviles ranged far to rob Floyd of a single, then left fielder David DeJesus took extra bases away from Navarro with a sprawling catch down the line four pitches later.
Rays starter Matt Garza (8-6) was coming off a solid outing, allowing two hits in 7 2-3 scoreless innings against Toronto.
But he had to follow it with a game against Kansas City, a team he can't seem to beat no matter what he does.
The right-hander entered with a respectable 3.42 ERA in four career starts against the Royals, but was 0-3. Garza's tough luck against the Royals continued on a steamy night at Kaufman Stadium, where he allowed four runs on eight hits and walked four in five innings.
Kansas City got one run off Garza in the first inning on Mark Grudzielanek's sacrifice fly, then three more in the fourth on a run-scoring single by Ross Gload and Buck's two-run single.

Rays-Royals, day 1

The biggest difference in the Rays lineup tonight is that SS Jason Bartlett is back after missing 16 games, in which the Rays went 7-9. Also, they've made 29 errors in their previous 29 games after making 29 in their first 71.

"Getting Bartlett back is big for us,'' manager Joe Maddon said. "We all saw what we looked liked when we had all of our defense intact and now it's back to that point. That's one part of our game I really want to see us get back - we had that airtight defense going for a good part of that first half, and you saw that's when we were able to reach some heights in regard to wins, close games.''

Otherwise, the big news is what isn't different, as Maddon decided to stick with the same top of the lineup he used against lefthanders for tonight's game against Kansas City righthander Gil Meche. That means righthanded hitters B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria will stay in the Nos. 2 and 4 spots, with lefthanders Carlos Pena and Cliff Floyd fifth and sixth.

"I kinda liked it and I want to see what it looks like against the righties now,'' Maddon said. "You look at B.J., he's on base an awful lot, and Aki's on-base percentage has really come up also. So why not get those two guys on in front of Carl? And then of course Longo has probably been the most consistent RBI threat that we've had, so why not get those three guys on in front of Longo? And then Carlos, etc.''

Also, ex-Ray Joey Gathright will miss the series as the Royals put him on the DL with a shoulder injury.

The lineup:

Iwamura, 2b
Upton, cf
Crawford, lf
Longoria, 3b
Pena, 1b
Floyd, DH
Navarro, c
Hinske, rf
Bartlett, ss
Garza, p
   

Getting up to date, Thursday edition

The Rays take their show on the road for a week starting tonight in Kansas City, where, defying the weather forecast, it's bright and sunny at mid-day.

A couple of developments from late Wednesday:

Rocco Baldelli played in the outfield for Double-A Montgomery. It was only for three innings (as scheduled), and he isn't hitting all that well, 3-for-17 in six games for the Biscuits, but it's still a sign of progress in his recovery from the rare muscle fatigue condition that has sidelined him all season.  As the Rays weigh trade possibilities involving the likes of Xavier Nady, Casey Blake and others, it only makes sense for them to also monitor Baldelli, since if healthy he could be better than anyone they could acquire in trade.

David Price pitched for Montgomery, allowing seven hits (including a homer) and three runs (two earned) over six innings. He also walked two and struck out six and didn't get a decision as the Biscuits lost in the 10th inning. In six games for Montgomery he is 4-0 with a 2.19 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 37 innings.

A new name on the trade rumor front is actually an old name, with the San Francisco Chronicle reporting that the Rays have "some interest" in reacquiring reliever Tyler Walker.

There is plenty of other trade speculation flying around, most interesting might be the ESPN.com reports that indicate the Pirates are (finally) dropping their price on OF Xavier Nady and LHP Damaso Marte, who both would fill needs for the Rays.

Shields, Gomes, Zobrist power Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- James Shields allowed three runs pitching into the ninth inning, and Jonny Gomes and Ben Zobrist hit back-to-back homers to lead the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays past the Oakland Athletics, 4-3 on Wednesday.

Shields (9-6) gave up six hits and struck out seven in improving to 5-1 in his last six starts. Shields' bid for his fourth complete game of the season ended when Jack Cust doubled with one out in the ninth.

Troy Percival replaced Shields and got the final two outs for his 20th save in 22 chances. It's the 10th time in his career the right-hander has recorded at least 20 saves.

(Pictured: James Shields. Times photo -- James Borchuck. Click to enlarge.)

View photo gallery

Zobrist optioned to Durham

The Rays optioned INF Ben Zobrist  to Triple-A Durham after Wednesday's game to make room for the return of SS Jason Bartlett from the DL. Bartlett is expected to be in the lineup on Thursday in Kansas City.

Zobrist knocked in two runs Wednesday with a solo homer in the fifth that put the Rays ahead and then a single that scored the decisive run in the seventh.

-- MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff Writer

(Pictured: Ben Zobrist. Times photo -- James Borchuck. Click to enlarge.)

Wednesday matinee

The Rays are set for a loud afternoon finale against the A's, with a Parks & Rec day crowd of kids filing in to the Trop. The Rays hope to make some noise of their own with their bats, seeking to break out of their offensive malaise against yet another lefthanded pitcher.

Manager Joe Maddon said it is now "more than likely" that SS Jason Bartlett will be activated for Thursday's game at Kansas City, with the possibility the move will be announced after today's game.

Here are the lineups:

A's
R. Sweeney, rf
Suzuki, c
Cust, dh
Brown, lf
Gonzalez, cf
Crosby, ss
Hannahan, 3b
Bankston, 1b
Conrad, 2b
Smith, p

RAYS
Iwamura, 2b
Upton, cf
Crawford, lf
Longoria, 3b
Pena, 1b
Aybar, dh
Riggans, c
Gomes, rf
Zobrist, ss
Shields, p

Rays continue to struggle against lefties

ST. PETERSBURG — If the Rays are going to be all right, they're going to have to do better against left-handers.

Tuesday, Oakland's Dallas Braden was the latest lefty to beat them, as they fell 8-1 to an A's team that had lost six straight, and looked bad in doing so. (View photo gallery)

They're 16-15 against left-handed starters, compared to 42-26 against right-handers; they're hitting nearly 20 points lower against lefties overall, .247 vs. .264; and they're going to see more lefties as long as they continue to struggle.

Manager Joe Maddon said he is confident they have the hitters in the clubhouse to correct the imbalance. Executive vice president Andrew Friedman — who met with Maddon for nearly 45 minutes after the game, though supposedly about the pending activation of shortstop Jason Bartlett — will have to decide soon, with the July 31 nonwaiver trading deadline looming, if they need outside help.

"We talk about stuff all the time," Maddon said afterward. "And we've talked about that for a long time. We've talked about a whole bunch of things. And we're always trying to make it better. Those are part of our normal daily conversations. And we'll see."

The Rays' (58-41) optimal lineup is predominantly left-handed, and it's typical for left-handed hitters, even everyday players such as Akinori Iwamura, Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena, to not do as well against lefties. (Plus, they usually sit Cliff Floyd and Eric Hinske against lefties.)

But more concerning is that some of their top right-handers, such as B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria, also have struggled. Plus, Jonny Gomes — whose primary job is to hit lefties — hasn't done much yet, with a .205 average. And it's yet another reason why they miss Bartlett, who has a .324 average against lefties.

--Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer

(Pictured: Trever Miller. Times photo -- James Borchuck. Click to enlarge.)

Rays-A's, Part II

Manager Joe Maddon said SS Jason Bartlett looked good again today, and it's possible he could be activated Thursday, the first game of the Royals series in Kansas City.

The Rays, winners of three of their last four, will face another lefty in Dallas Braden. That means RF Jonny Gomes and Willy Aybar are back in the lineup.

Andy Sonnanstine, who hasn't pitched in 12 days, will go for the Rays. Maddon said he thinks Sonnanstine is rejuvenated after the break.

In other pre-game medical notes, RHP Gary Glover threw to hitters this afternoon and said everything felt good. Glover, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list when Troy Percival came back on Sunday, will likely serve the minimum DL stint (he was put on retroactive July 11).

As for Bartlett, Maddon said the club will still have a decision to make on whom Bartlett will replace on the roster. The obvious choice would be Ben Zobrist, but Maddon isn't sure if he can run out Bartlett for four or five straight days, considering he's coming off a sprained right knee. Maddon said he's comfortable using Evan Longoria as an emergency backup at short, but that decision will likely not come until later this week.

RAYS

Iwamura, 2b

Upton, cf

Crawford, lf

Longoria, 3b

Pena, 1b

Navarro, c

Aybar, dh

Gomes, rf

Zobrist, ss

Sonnanstine, RHP

- JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com

Kazmir, Longoria lead Rays in 4-0 win over A's

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Scott Kazmir and two relievers combined on a two-hitter in the left-hander's first start since winning the All-Star game, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the struggling Oakland Athletics 4-0 on Monday night. (View photo gallery)

Rookie Evan Longoria homered for the third consecutive game and drove in two runs, helping the AL East leaders win for the third time in four days following a season-worst seven-game losing streak that briefly dropped them out of first place.

Associated Press

(Pictured: Scott Kazmir. AP photo. Click to enlarge.)

Vero pitcher gets 50-game suspension

Vero Beach righthander Matt Walker has been suspended 50 games for violating baseball’s drug policy. In his case, he tested positive for amphetamines.

The 21-year-old Walker was the Rays’ 10th-round pick in 2004. In 22 appearances this season, Walker has gone 4-7 with a 4.86 ERA.

Walker is the first Rays player suspended for a violation this season; last year, LHP James Houser had a 50-game suspension that was taken care of when he was added to the 40-man roster during the offseason. RHP Juan Salas also received a 50-game ban last year. 

(Photo: Vero Beach Devil Rays)

-- JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com

Bartlett likely to be activated during road trip

SS Jason Bartlett appeared to pass one of the final tests of his rehab of a right knee sprain -- running the bases and sliding -- with manager Joe Maddon saying he expects Bartlett to be activated at some point during the team's upcoming road trip.

Bartlett, who said running the bases "was a lot better than I expected," said he's at around 80-percent, but feels he'll be ready to be back in the lineup on Thursday, when the Rays begin a series in Kansas City.

Bartlett has been a cornerstone of the Rays' much-improved defense but has been on the DL since July 3. Maddon said Bartlett will get re-evaluated tommorrow and then accompany the team on its road trip.

The other biggest buzz in pre-game was the fact that nearly the entire Rays team chose to participate in the optional hitting session. Maddon said he was pleased with the turnout, and it shows that the players are trying to get their bats in gear.

RAYS

Iwamura, 2b

Upton, cf

Crawford, lf

Longoria, 3b

Pena, 1b

Navarro, c

Aybar, dh

Gomes, rf

Zobrist, ss

Rays, Longoria heating up

Times writers Tom Jones and Joe Smith discuss the Rays' series win over the Blue Jays, Evan Longoria's All-Star experience and the arrival of the Oakland A's in our weekly 'Rays Report' audio slideshow.

(Pictured: Evan Longoria. Times photo --  Dirk Shadd. Click to enlarge.)

Blue Jays get key hits to top Rays 9-4

ST. PETERSBURG (AP) — Toronto turned key hits into a rare road victory.

Alex Rios and Marco Scutaro homered and the Blue Jays avoided a three-game sweep with a 9-4 victory over the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. (View photo gallery)

Scutaro hit a three-run homer off Edwin Jackson (5-7) during the fifth to put the Blue Jays ahead 6-4. Rios had a two-run homer in the third and added a run-scoring double during a three-run seventh that extended Toronto's lead to 9-4.

Reliever Shawn Camp (3-1) threw 1 2-3 scoreless innings for the win. The Blue Jays won for just the fourth time in their last 17 road games.

Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena had back-to-back homers for the Rays, who dropped to 38-15 at home this season. Tampa Bay took two of three in the weekend series, but has lost eight of 10 overall.

"Two out of three ain't bad," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We did not pitch like we normally do today, and that's why they beat us."

(Pictured: Edwin Jackson wipes the sweat off his brow as Marco Scutaro rounds the bases. Times photo -- Dirk Shadd. Click to enlarge.)

Percival reinstated; Glover on DL

Veteran closer Troy Percival was reinstated Sunday morning from the disabled list, saying that his left hamstring is feeling better than it has all year, and "10 times better" than it did when he came off the DL the first time.

In a corresponding move, RHP Gary Glover was placed on the 15-day DL with a left calf strain (retroactive July 11), whith manager Joe Maddon said he suffered in his last outing in Cleveland, when Glover gave up six hits and seven runs in 2/3 of an inning.

"My leg feels as normal as it can feel," Percival. "Can I go out and give you a guarantee that something else isn't going to go or that's going to go. I wouldn't do that. But it feels 10 times better than the last time coming off the DL."

Percival has spent two stints on the DL with a nagging left  hamstring that has bothered him since spring training. But the reason he's more comfortable now is that the club found out that problems in his back caused the hamstring issues, and so doctors spent more time treating the back to help curb the issue.

"It seemed to calm that nerve down that was shooting into my leg," Percival. "The nerve was weakening the hamstring and the hamstring kept popping. So we seem to have the nerve under control pretty good."

*In other pre-game news, rookie 3B Evan Longoria said he feels fine after fouling two pitches off his left ankle Saturday night. The Rays have put him at DH, though, today, in the cleanup spot, while Willy Aybar takes a turn at third.

*CF B.J. Upton has been moved in the lineup for the second straight day - this time he's in the second spot. Manager Joe Maddon had wanted to take some pressure off of  him by putting him in the No. 7 spot Saturday, and he responded by going 1-for-3. This move was more to break up his lineup against a lefty John Parrish.

(Pictured: Troy Percival. Times photo -- Brian Cassella. Click to enlarge.)

RAYS
Iwamura, 2b

Upton, cf

Crawford, lf

Longoria, dh

Pena, 1b

Aybar, 3b

Riggans, c

Gomes, rf

Zobrist, ss

Jackson, p

JAYS

Inglett, rf

Scutaro, 2b

Rios, cf

Stairs, dh

Overbay, 1b

Rolen, 3b

Lind, lf

Zaun, c

McDonald, ss

-- JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com

Longoria slams Rays past Jays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Rookie All-Star Evan Longoria hit his first career grand slam during a five-run sixth and Matt Garza threw 7 2-3 scoreless innings to help the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays past the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 on Saturday night.

Longoria has struggled recently, going 3-for-23 with no RBIs in his previous seven games. He broke out the slide in a big way with the bases-clearing drive off Toronto ace Roy Halladay (11-7) to put the Rays ahead 5-0.

Garza (8-5) allowed two hits - coming on singles in the third by Scott Rolen and Marco Scutaro during the seventh - and struck out six. The right-hander was coming off a start on July 12 when he gave up seven runs and 11 hits in five innings of an 8-4 loss at Cleveland.

The Rays have won two in a row following a seven-game losing streak. Tampa Bay has a 1 1-2 game lead over Boston, which lost 4-2 to the Los Angeles Angels.

(Pictured: Aki Iwamura, left, Evan Longoria, center, and Carl Crawford, right. Times photo -- Edmund D. Fountain. Click to enlarge.)

Upton dropped to seventh in order

In an attempt to take some pressure off a slumping B.J. Upton, manager Joe Maddon moved the star centerfielder down in the order from his third spot to seventh.

Maddon said he felt Upton, who is 8-for-42 (.190) in his last 11 games, was pressing too much at the plate. Maddon said it was just a temporary thing for Upton, whom he said has skill that is "unlimited," but just wanted him to "have a good time" out there.

"He's been trying to work on some new things and I know its going to work," Maddon said. "But right now I just think he's applying way too much on himself, and that's exactly the conversation I had with him, just 'Listen, back off a bit. I want to take a little bit of the stress off you.....He's definitely a middle of the order batting guy. He's gonna be back up in third, fourth, fifth, whatever, that's where he's always going to hit in a major league lineup. But for right now I thought it'd be appropriate to take a little of the heat off of him."   

Maddon spoke with Upton today about the decision, which he said Upton took well.

"It's his move," Upton said. "Obviously, I'm not swinging the bat well right now."

In other pre-game news, closer Troy Percival said his meeting with Dr. Koco Eaton Friday went well, and he showed no problems today throwing 10 pitches and fielding balls from the mound, covering first base without any limping.

Maddon said he plans to talk to Percival again before deciding, but it appears the 38-year-old closer is very close to a return.

*As reported in today's Times, SS Jason Bartlett's next test in his rehab of a right knee sprain will run the bases Monday or Tuesday, but Maddon said it is possible Bartlett could do a rehab assignment before returning. However, he said that hasn't been discussed yet.

Some interesting early batting practice this afternoon at the Trop, as MC Hammer - who will perform a post-game concert tonight - took some hacks in the batting cage.

Hammer, who spent several years in his childhood as the A's bat boy, received the moniker of "Hammer" from Reggie Jackson, who said he looked liked Hammerin Hank Aaron.

Well, there were no homers Saturday, but Hammer did hit two off the wall.

The Rays will hope to regain their hitting form tonight against the Jays; Tampa Bay just snapped its seven-game losing streak with a clutch, two-out, two-run homer by Ben Zobrist, but will have their  hands full against Jays ace Roy Halladay tonight.

Matt Garza will pitch tonight for the Rays, who find themselves in first place by a half-game over the Red Sox...

(Pictured: B.J. Upton. Times photo -- Edmund D. Fountain. Click to enlarge.)

RAYS

Iwamura, 2b

Crawford, lf

Pena, 1b

Hinske, rf

Longoria, 3b

Floyd, dh

Upton, cf

Navarro, c

Zobrist, ss

Garza, P

JAYS
Inglett, 2b

Scutaro, ss

Rios, cf

Stairs, dh

Barajas, c

Overbay, 1b

Rolen, 3b

Wilkerson, rf

Lind, lf

Halladay, p

-- JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com

Zobrist's two-run homer ends Rays' skid

ST. PETERSBURG (AP) — Ben Zobrist hit a two-run homer and James Shields allowed one run over seven innings to help the Tampa Bay Rays snap a seven-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.

Zobrist hit his fourth homer of the season off A.J. Burnett (10-9) to give the Rays a 2-1 lead in the seventh. The two-out shot came after third base umpire Mike Everitt ruled Eric Hinske checked his swing on a 3-2 pitch to draw a walk.

Shields (8-6) gave up four hits, two walks and had four strikeouts for Tampa Bay, which started Friday a half-game behind AL East-leading Boston.

Grant Balfour got the final four outs for his fourth save.

Six of Tampa Bay's losses during the skid came on the road. Friday's victory improved the Rays' home record to 37-14.

Burnett also went seven innings, giving up two runs and five hits. He had won his two previous starts.
Toronto has lost six of seven games against Tampa Bay this season.

Adam Lind put the Blue Jays ahead 1-0 on a solo homer in the third. He has four homers and 17 RBIs in 18 games since being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on June 21.

Tampa Bay went 5-for-53 with runners in scoring position over the previous seven games and failed to convert on five more chances during the first two innings. They didn't have any chances with runners on after that.

Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg talked with his team before batting practice. Tampa Bay finished in last place nine times in its first 10 years.

"We have a chance for an incredible two months," Sternberg said.

(Pictured: Dioner Navarro, left, and Ben Zobrist, right. Times photo -- Dirk Shadd. Click to enlarge.)

Kazmir's start pushed back to Monday

Update 5:55 p.m. Ace LHP Scott Kazmir will make his first start of the second half of the season on Monday, his outing pushed back two days by the Rays who wanted to err on the side of caution after Kazmir's innning of work in the All-Star game.

Matt Garza will start Saturday, with Edwin Jackson going Sunday.

*In other pre-game news, Rays owner Stu Sternberg - in attendance for this weekend's series - gave a brief, five-minute speech to the Rays before batting practice.

Though he didn't go into detail on his talk, Sternberg said afterward that baseball is a cyclical game - in respect to the recent seven-game losing streak - and that he's been proud of what the club has accomplished so far.

"You look at them one at a time," Sternberg said. "There were a number of games in there that we got beat but we played very well. There were a couple games we had an opportunity to win - and we've been fortunate to be on the other side of alot of those games this year. It's gonna happen. The game flows and ebbs..If we had won two of them, we're 2-5 and it wouldn't be as much of an issue."

Sternberg, who said his visit was planned far in advance, said the club is looking to be "opportunistic" at the trade deadline, but reiterated the Rays won't force any move.

*Closer Troy Percival said he's feeling great, though he'll get checked out by Dr Koco Eaton before tonight's game for further re-evaluation. SS Jason Bartlett is improving as well, but the exact date of his return is still in question.

The Rays, refreshed from the All-Star break, will try to snap their seven-game losing streak tonight against the Jays.

The second-place Rays begin a stretch of six straight games at home, where they are 36-14 this season.

They are likely to throw out their top three pitchers in the three-game set vs the Jays, with J