Click on above images to be taken to full standings, box scores or schedule...

With the Cubs once again home without a World Series trophy, Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune is desperate for a story. How desperate?

"Of course, if we had won it, we'd be in the World Series by now," Maddon said. "We'll just have to wait one more day, hopefully, to get that done."...He meant one more game, as Friday was a travel day. And he did add an important qualifier with the word "hopefully." But still …When your team gets as close to the World Series as the Rays were—seven outs away, seven-run lead—and then unravels, the task ahead is about a lot more than waiting "one more day."

It amazes us that some writers get paid to write this shit. We are not sure if Phil Rogers is familiar with how the game of baseball works. But actually, it is that simple. The Rays are still one win away with two games at home and their two best starting pitchers. One more day. One more win. That's it. And somehow Phil Rogers turned that one benign quote into a 700 word cluster***.

Apparently Phil Rogers would prefer Maddon to just give up and go back to the shitpile with the Cubs.

Damn, we are an angry blogger right now. Nothing would give us more pleasure than to be on the mound with a ball and have Phil Rogers step into the box. Dude is a little too comfortable.

DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA...

• We have asked this before and we will keep asking until somebody gives us a satisfactory answer: Why is it OK for football teams to play in domes and it is not OK for baseball teams? Football is a game that is often better in bad weather. Some of the greatest and most memorable games in the history of the NFL were played in severe conditions. And yet baseball, a sport of precision, is stopped when it rains. The NFL has 6 teams that play indoors (Colts, Falcons, Vikings, Saints, Rams, Lions) and yet nobody ever complains. Anybody care to explain? And don't give us that "tradition" crap. We love the tradition of baseball more than most but anytime somebody brings up tradition we ask them why they aren't taking dumps in an outhouse any longer. [New York Times]
• Everybody is rooting against the Rays. Good. Keep it that way. Screw the networks and their bottom line. If the Rays go to the World Series we hope those FOX TV executives choke on their champagne when they are cruising the Mediterranean on their luxury yachts. What fan gives a flying hoot what ratings are? Either you watch the game or you don't. Why do some people care if other people watch? Jesus. Somebody get us a uniform. We are ready to run through a wall for Papa Joe. [Los Angeles Times]
• Really? The Hartford Courant is going to compare JD Drew's winning hit to the ALCS-winning, walk-off home run by Aaron Boone in 2004. Do they have Bonobos writing at the Hartford Courant? We worry about the sanity of Hartford. If all their stories are this idiotic the IQ of the entire town is in serious trouble. [Hartford Courant]
• You know those Red Sox fans and how they are the bestest fans in the whole world. How the entire Red Sox Nation was born in South Boston with a little red sock tattooed to their asses. How their ancestors came over on the Mayflower wearing a Red Sox cap and how they would prefer a league in which every season is just a Best-of-162 game series with the New York Yankees...Well those diehards were so diehard that they were seen piling out of Fenway in droves on Thursday night in the 6th and 7th innings. Big League Stew has the top 10 things overheard from the exodus. To which we would have added: "Who is Carl Yaster Zemski?" [Big League Stew]
• Big League Stew answers the question: "Why cowbells?" for those not familiar...Stu Sternberg (and Joe Maddon with his 9=8) both understand a very simple premise in marketing. Keep things simple. Keep them corny. The initial reaction will often be to snicker. But stick to it, and eventually corny becomes cool. [Big League Stew]
• Rob Neyer explores James Shields nickname "Big Game". The reason is suggestion #2 from Neyer. Joe Maddon believes it and wants Shields to believe it also. It is that simple. [ESPN]
• Nasty Boy Brian Knobbs got kicked out of Fenway during game 5, to which we ask: Who wears a shirt with their own picture on it? Knobbs does. [Home Run Derby]
  
• Rhyne Hughes is having himself a nice little Arizona Fall League. [Tampa Bay Rays Prospects]
  

AL EAST	W	L	GB	L10	STK	E#
Boston Red Sox	17	9	-	6-4	W1	--
Toronto Blue Jays	13	14	4.5	5-5	L2	132
Tampa Bay Devil Rays	12	15	5.5	5-5	W1	131
Baltimore Orioles	12	16	6.0	1-9	L4	130
New York Yankees	10	14	6.0	2-8	W1	132

Red Sox 6, A's 4. Josh Beckett has 6 starts. Josh Beckett has 6 wins. Roger who?

Tigers 3, Orioles 2. Gary Sheffield is warming up and we couldn't think of a better team for it hapen against than the O's. A few days after being benched because of a slow start, Sheff went 4-4 with his 3rd home run. Steve Trachsel gave a rare strong performance by a Baltimore pitcher as he lasted 7 innings. Somehow Trachsel pitched 7 innings and the game last less than 6 hours.

Indians 7, Blue Jays 6 (11 inn). Victor Zambrano made his first start of 2007 and the Mets fans are still angry. He gave up 2 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks in just 2.2 innings. Travis Hafner won the game in the 11th with an RBI double against a defensive shift.

NOTE FROM AROUND THE AL EAST...

• Things aren't going so well in the South Bronx. Two days after giving the GM and the Manager a show of support, the Yankees fired their strength coach. The coach had zero experience with professional baseball players before the season and many of the players had already complained publicly. The hamstring injury to Phillip Hughes while in the midst of throwing a no-hitter, was the final straw.
  
• Last season Roger Clemens signed with Houston on May 31. This year with all the pitching injuries on the Yankees roster, he may not be able to wait that long.
• JD Drew missed a game with "viral symptons", also known as "just being JD Drew".
• Adam Loewen is the latest AL East pitcher to feel pain in his arm. He is scheduled to see a doctor to determine the extent of the injury.
  

AL EAST	W	L	GB	L10	STK	E#
Boston Red Sox	6	4	-	6-4	W2	--
Toronto Blue Jays	6	5	0.5	5-5	L1	152
Baltimore Orioles	6	6	1.0	6-4	W3	151
New York Yankees	5	5	1.0	5-5	W1	152
Tampa Bay Devil Rays	4	7	2.5	4-6	L1	150

Yankees 4, A's 3. Jason Giambi won the game in the 13th inning with a home run against his former team. Here is a sentence we will never write about the Devil Rays...The Yankees bullpen pitched 7.2 shutout innings. That was more depressing to type than it should have been.

Red Sox 8, Angels 0. Curt Schilling pitched 8 shutout innings and now has pitched 14 consecutive scoreless innings. After struggling his first outing of the season against the Royals, Schilling looks to be on top of his game which will go a long ways to getting the Red Sox back to the playoffs. David Ortiz had 4 RBI on 2 hits including his 3rd home run. The win vaults the Sox past the Blue Jays and into first place of the AL East. The Red Sox bullpen pitched 1 shutout inning. *feeling sad*

Orioles 6, Royals 4. The Orioles are getting well at the expense of the Royals, as they have now won 3 straight and have evened their record on the season. A grand slam by Chris Gomez in the 6th gave the O's the lead and they held on for the win. The O's bullpen pitched 4 shutout innings. *crying hysterically*

Tigers 10, Blue Jays 7. The Jays bullpen gave up 6 runs in 3.2 innings. We feel better now.

NOTES FROM AROUND THE AL EAST....

• Chien-Ming Wang pitched 5 hitless innings during an extended spring training game against Devil Rays minor leaguers. Wang is on the DL and is expected to make one more rehab start before returning to the Yankees.
• Carl Pavano is the latest Yankee to miss a start due to an injury.
• Kei Igawa and baseball fans in Japan are realizing that Yankees fans can be less than forgiving.
• The Blue Jays called up one of their top prospects, Adam Lind.
  
• JD Drew is off to a hot start in Boston. That should not be surprising as he has always put up strong numbers when he is healthy. Still, Red Sox fans must cringe every time he runs down a fly ball and every time he starts running out of the batters box.
• Cal Ripken would like to follow in his fathers footsteps and manage after his children have grown.
  
• The Red Sox had an opportunity to sign Jackie Robinson but racial attitudes in Boston and withing the organization at the time may have stopped them from doing so.