We know why you are reveling in response to the panic gripping Beantown, but be careful what you wish for. Last night’s lineup might have been a bit hung over and was missing Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, and Brett Gardner, but Rays star call-up Matt Moore looked positively Strasburg-esque, striking out 11 Yankees and walking only one in a mere five innings of work.
Wanting Tampa Bay to overtake the hated Sox for the wildcard may be what the heart desires but the head is trying to remind you that, despite losing three of four this week in New Yankee Stadium, the Rays have been by far the better team since the beginning of August: 30-19 (12-9 in September) versus Boston’s 22-28 (5-16).
On a related note, Ken Rosenthal speculates as to why the Yankees almost certainly prefer a division series against the Rangers – the team that defeated them in last season’s playoffs — rather than the Tigers.