Live from New York ... it's Wednesday afternoon

The Rays are looking to snap their first two-game losing streak in nearly a month in today's matinee against the Yankees, with Edwin Jackson on the mound against Sidney Ponson.

There was another award for Rays rookie 3B Evan Longoria this morning, as he was named AL Rookie of the month for June. And there could be a bigger prize Thursday, as Longoria, as of 8 a.m. anyway, still leads the voting for the 32nd and final spot on the AL All-Star roster. Voting runs through 5 p.m. Thursday; go to mlb.com to vote. Longoria was first, the White Sox's Jermaine Dye second and Giambi third.

As for today's game, manager Joe Maddon wants to take another look at rookie SS Reid Brignac, and with a righty on the mound has Cliff Floyd back in the DH spot.

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

YANKEES
Gardner, lf
Jeter, ss
Abreu, rf
Rodriguez, 3b
Giambi, 1b
Posada, c
Cano, 2b
Cabrera, cf
Molina, c
Ponson, p

Comments

[Jeff from Maine]

AWESOME Sox Fan...I have family in that area so I know what you speak of!!! Listen to some homegrown talk tonight...

http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19792

9PM - 11PM EST TONIGHT!!!

[Sox Fan]

Hey Jeff from Maine! How are ya? It is his loss really. That comment couldn't be further from the truth. Most, if not all, potential employers have stated to my husband and I that they scoop up applicants from the NE in a heartbeat over someone from FL, because we have better work ethic and are known to be hard workers. My husband couldn't believe how lazy southerners were once he started working. We've had no trouble, at all, finding work in our professions.

Anyway, back to baseball! Go Sox!

[Jeff from Maine]

Hey NonYa...nice on admitting to breaking the law...your local Dept. Of Labor would love that info.....

Anyway like I said come join the Sports Vortex http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19792

9PM - 11PM EST TONIGHT!!!

Plus trust me...without northeast money down there...you would be NOTHING!!

[Everybody]

Hahahahahahahha! I love it!

Awesome brother.

[NonYa]

I am so sick of the New York/Boston idiots. If it is any comfort fellow locals, I work in HR for a very large local employer. When I get a resume from some loser who just moved from NY or Boston it goes right in the Circular File. I figure if they can't find a job, they will move back. Band together - make their lives hell anyway you can!

[Tom]

For Tom Jones:

Three losses in a row? Must be the fault of the Red Sox huh Tom.

[Sal]

The Marlins fanbase is a joke , the only times they sellout home games are the 2 times they made the World Series and even then they had a hard time doing that.

[Jeff in Maine]

All right you Rays fans who are calling all of us up here in the Northeast BANDWAGGON JUMPERS...listen up....9-11PM EST Thursday...listen to THE SPORTS VORTEX

http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19792

we will show you just how bandwagon YOU ARE!!!! Dont let us down....VOIP calls and most cell phones are free long distance...(724) 444-7444....call ID number 19792# and you are in!!!! Cmon Rays fans hahahahaahah

Our offense has been anemic the last 3 games.

In a 162 game season, there will always be some ebbs and flows. Let's hope we snap out of this 3-game slump and get 2 in Cleveland. But it won't be a cakewalk, that's for sure. We need to bring our best stuff, and our bats need to wake up big-time, to finish the 1st half the right way.

[Nathan]

Maddon needs to address this offense and address it yesterday. Admittedly, there are going to be lulls all season long, but is anyone hitting .300 besides Navi? The lead over Boston is now down to 2. I realize this was not supposed to be "the year" but it is, and the team needs to show more urgency.

And, btw, Yankee Fan, your team is still in third place.

[Razzlegator]

That hurts Howdy. I'm going get off of my sick sister to get to my dying mother.

[howdy do?]

You boys leave off ol' razzle. I knew the brother and sister what sired him, and taint his fault.

[Razzlegator]

Actually my stock is from right there in MA. Where are you coming down from? Pinellas Park.

[frank]

razzlegator:

you inbred, slack-jawed, rube. tch, tch tch! I guess I'm going to have to come down there and teach your red neck a_ _ a lesson, just like the Bronx boys did to your sissy gals today!

[Razzlegator]

Musta look both of them up.

[Anthony]

Asking if fans of particular teams beat their dogs is asking for an intelligent comment? That's kind of an alien concept up here in "civilized land." Just to save you some time, asking us recs on favorite lynyrd skynrd albums probably won't get a lot of response, either.

If you're referring to "tuff e nuff"'s question, I think I speak for most residents of the NE when I say we don't care how the GM of the rays spends the 17 bucks of payroll he's got left.

[Razzlegator]

So that's how you stop these things? Ask for intelligent comments? What are you NY/BOS maggots looking up? Intelligent or Comment?

[Tuff E Nuff]

flsportsfan83 you are a little girl. Let me know where and I will kik yur _ _ _ !!!

Now for those who care I do believe the Rays need another Bat in the lineup. Not a pitcher. Any intelligent comments?

[Razzlegator]

NY/BOS maggots. What did you do before you had the Rays to crack on. Beat your wife, your kids, your dog, your....?

[Anthony]

"Hey Sox fans... who's in first?"
"Talk to ya soon its a long season right."

You guys really need to get your talking points straight.

"The best teams in baseball are expected to win at home."

Rays had 5 more home games than BOS before the break, Sox have 5 more than the Rays after the break. BUMMER

[Elliot "bone crusher" Johnson]

Hey NY, great job on your 2 game taming of the best team in baseball. You finally pitched decent, let's see if it lasts more than 20 hours. The RAYS haven't hit in yankee stadium lately but they did send you jibronis home early in a 13-4 spankin at the begining of the season.
2 wins yipee, thats gotta feel like muggin a group of 5 and only scoring 2 watches. Talk to ya soon its a long season right.
Hey boston fans, we didn't play you today.

[Nice Try Rays]

"CHOKING..."

Last time the Sox choked was... '86? What were the Rays doing then? Oh yeah, there was no such thing. Give it enough time and you'll see everything, young inhabitant of the nation's armpit.

"The highest payroll in baseball and you say most people didn't expect them to make the playoffs?"

I don't know if you noticed but the Yankees suck this year. I should have said "most people who know anything about baseball" STILL don't expect them to make the playoffs this year, including most of the yanks fans I know in NY.

[Still in First]

That goes for you too Yankee fan. But you aren't a real threat anyway. It's easy to forget you exist.

[Still in First]

Hey Sox fans... who's in first? Whatever you say doesn't change the answer to that question.

[Bill]

It's funny how the trolls starting coming out......I haven't heard much from them in the last two weeks........boston and ny, both still in 2nd and 3rd place and the 2 biggest chokers of all time........Boston couldn't win it for nearly 100 years and Bill Buckner CHOKED and the yankees lost a 3-0 lead!!!! In the playoffs!!!! What a joke.

[frank]

Nice game today! I mean the one in Boston!
HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA!

[The Road]

The Rays are 2-10 when playing in Boston or New York. The Yanks and Sux are 3-9 at the Trop... not much of a difference is there? The best teams in baseball are expected to win at home.

Rays are 17-11 on the road when the road isn't Boston or New York.

The Sux are 21-23 on the road outside the Trop... The Yanks are 21-17 on the road outside the Trop... Oh no, that means the stats prove the Rays are better on the road than the Sux and Yanks. How bout that?

[SG - OBU]

Hey Anthony - What writing is on the wall? The only writing I see is the standings where the Yankees & Sox are still behind the Rays.

Also to respond to another one of your idiotic posts about if the Yankees make the wild card they would have done better than most expected...

Are you serious with that? The highest payroll in baseball and you say most people didn't expect them to make the playoffs? Unbelieveable!

Anyway, GO RAYS and shut these Red Sox & Yankee fans up!

[Ray F]

Ace,

If we take 2 of 4 from the Indians, that's fine. .500 in a road series isn't bad. If you can play .500 or close to .500 ball on the road and dominate at home, you make the playoffs.

Personally, I think the Indians will be looking to prove that they didn't need CC Sabathia and will be fairly tough, but face it, they are the Indians. They've lost 9 in a row going in to tonight...

Chances are they won't lose 10 in a row. They are under the Royals, who we took 3 of 4 from and they don't have the pitching that the Royals do.

I lean more towards 3 of 4 from the Indians.

... but I may be completely wrong.

I agree with Jeff. Trade Gomes, and maybe even E-Jack. Right now he (EJ) would fetch a good deal because he's been good lately. Keep Sonny and bring up Neimann or make a run at A.J. Burnett or Bedard.

[Ace Rothstein]

Rays will lose at least 2 and probably 3 out of 4 in Cleveland to a slumping team

until they grow up and learn how to play on the road they're still a pretender

1 run in 2 games vs Yankees?
PATHETIC

[Ray F]

Now we get to go to Cleveland to play the slumping Indians.

We'll still be on top at the All-Star break. The Red Sux play the Angels twice in the next month as well as the STankees and White Sox. By the end of 4 weeks, the Rays will be 8-10 games up.

Hmmm.... sounds nice.

[Time to Panic?]

not time to panic yet ... but we need to get better
if you aint growin' on the vine you're rotting away

screw the 1st half of the season ... it's over and the pitching can't continue to carry this limpd!ck offense

until they grow a collective SACK when they play in the bronx and at boston they will be on the outside looking in ... improvement from last year? SURE ... woo hoo ... the bar's been set higher fellas --- time to get busy

[dick]

Sorry about that Ray, I meant to say the Yanks hadn't really accomplished anything since 2000, despite spending more than anyone. No doubt both you & I would opt for a franchise such as the present day Rays, who are building through the draft, not spending much on free agents, compared to the Yanks and Red Sox. I have serious doubts how far this team can go with present players but, being from NY and presently residing here, I am a Rays fan and not a Yanks fan and for right now, the RAYS are in 1st place.

[Yankee Fan]

jETER WILL SCORE WINNING RUN THIS INNING

[Jeff]

What a pathetic performance by the Rays offense. Rays - go get a freaking bat and put Johnny Gomes down. Nady or Bay....give up Wade Davis. Do it!

[flsportsfan83]

SWEEP

[Newspaper Clippings]

Hey Rays ... STOP READING ME!

[Ray F]

Anthony,

I was referring to the guy above by the name, Dick...

btw, I saw the Rays were up 6 games on the sox last week which was the first time since '06 that the Sox were 6 games behind anyone.

That's gotta hurt that it was the Rays.

It's easy to like the Red Sux. It takes REAL dedication to be a Rays fan. Some of us REALLY have been saying this is the year for a LONG TIME. Myself included.

We get excited when our team wins... Red Sux fans get disappointed when their team loses. That doesn't make much sense. Does it??? Great fans.

Worst of all, you look for intangible reasons why your team loses... curses, ghosts, etc... why don't you blame it on the real reason...

CHOKING...

[Wishful Willy]

yeah, yeah ... the Rays are done and the BoSox and Yanks will always be 1 & 2 in the division ... yeah, yeah ... that's the ticket

nothing to base it off of other than my NE arrogance [ignorance] ... but I'm always right even when I'm just babblin'

[Anthony]

Hey Ray, how many Rays pitchers have thrown no-hitters?

"Dick" (you said it, not me), weren't the Rays in first for a few days at the beginning of last season? For those of us who have been watching baseball for a while, that wasn't a whole lot less significant than today's standings. The writing's on the wall. It's nice that your team provided a few weeks' excitement though, that's what it's all about.

[Ray F]

I hate the Yanks as much as the next guy, but facts are facts...

2000 they won the WS
2001 they lost the WS
2003 they lost the WS

Credit where it's due, Dick.

[Ray F]

Anthony,

The problem is- Buchholz was sent to the minors for a reason... he isn't that good.

...and Ortiz is about 250lbs of chewed bubble gum.

...and what red-blooded Red Sux fan would predict the Yankees would do anything but finish last??? Even the most casual Red SUx fan should predict a last-place finish for the Yanks... even in 1927.

Go back to the kitchen and cook up the 2nd place chow-duh so you can stuff your face.

[dick]

I got one word for you Yankee and Red Sux fans--STANDINGS !!! Also, while we're at it, here's another word you can think about (if you're capable to comprehend-- PAYROLL !! It must be really comforting to know that "the Boss" or someone in his family will spend the past/present/future in an attempt to buy a team. Then, it must also be agonizing to realize they haven't done anything since 99.

[E LONGO]

Visit Longoria's website: www.myspace.com/evanlongoria3

[Anthony]

If NYY makes the wild card they'll have done much better than most people expected, but I predict them finishing ahead of TB.

Ortiz/Buchholz coming back, Masterson will own the eighth, BOS winning the AL East is a lock.

[DR]

corrections for the dumb, Marlins have 2 world series championships and the Rays didn't come into the league until 97.

[Another Yankee Fan]

this game is OVER ... Ponson is going to shut you guys out

Yanks WIN!

[Unhatched Chickens]

The ignorance/arrogance of YankMe fans on display ... already thinking the game is over despite the fact that jelly-belly Ponson is on the hill

I'm sure they probably thought it was over when they had boston down before the biggest post season collapse EVER

BUHAHAHAHAHA