Devil Rays 5, Orioles 4.
Don't the Devil Rays know they are not supposed to win games like have recently?

Don't they know they are not supposed to come from behind to win a game? Don't they know they are supposed to lose a game in extra-innings after teasing us by tying it in the 9th? Don't they know the bullpen is not supposed to throw 4 scoreless innings when the game is tied or winning by 1? Don't they know the Devil Rays are the team that gives up 11 runs in an inning? Don't they know they aren't supposed to beat the Orioles, a team they should beat on a consistent basis? And they should at least know they aren't supposed to beat them two nights in a row. And don't they know they are not supposed to win games on the road? And they sure as hell are supposed to know that they are not supposed to win 5 of 6?

Don't look now, but the Devil Rays are only 6 games behind the O's for 4th place in the AL East. They have made up 5 games in the last 10. And the Rays are now only 4 games behind the White Sox for the worst record in baseball. This was a team that at one point looked like they could lose 105 games. Now they would have to fall flat on their face to lose 100, needing only 10 wins in their last 29 to avoid the dubious feet.

We don't blame you if you have already given up on the 2007 Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but for the first time all season, this team is fun to watch. This is the team we dreamed of back in March when we had delusions of grandeur.

Suddenly our Derrick Brooks jersey, shredded Bucs hat and of course our lucky Sunday-red boxers just got one more week in the closet.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Joe Maddon says that he and Steve Henderson are not the reason for the recent surge in scoring, stating that their message has been the same all along. Rather he believes that the young players are finally absorbing what has been taught. [TBO]

"It comes down to this: When the student is ready, the teacher's going to appear," Maddon said. "You can say this stuff for years, and you have to keep saying it until it hits. Until, boom, it finds the mark...For years, as a player, I used to think my coaches were idiots because they were so redundant. But I was the idiot, because I could not grasp what they were trying to tell me."

• Bill Simmons attended a Red Sox-Devil Rays game at the Trop. Would "The Sports Guy" finally set the record straight and tell the world what we already know...the the Trop is not that bad and is actually a good place to watch a baseball game? Nope. No, Simmons went for the cheap laugh and played to the stereotypes. [ESPN]
• Of course, Bill Simmons then somehow defends the greatness of Red Sox fans by ridiculing all the bandwagon members of Red Sox Nation, and their ignorance for the game of baseball. [ESPN]

[Narrator] There was a time, a time before Pink Hats and green jerseys. When the World Wide Leader reigned supreme. When people believed everything they heard on ESPN.com. This was an age when only real fans were allowed to read "Page 2". And in the blogosphere, one blogger was more man then the rest. His name was Bill Simmons. He was like a god walking amongst mere mortals. He made jokes that could make a wolverine purr and typed words so fine they made Truman Capote look like a hobo. In other words, Bill Simmons was the balls.

• Jordi at The Serious Tip takes Bill Simmons to task, and rightfully so.
  

Simmons resorts to taking cheap shot after cheap shot at an organization that has struggled for respect in a division steeped with tradition

• Joe Torre is afraid that Mike Mussina cannot handle the Devil Rays. Mussina will be replaced in the rotation by Ian Kennedy on Saturday against the Rays. In the past, this would be viewed as opportunity to get a veteran pitcher back on track. [River Ave. Report]
  

AL EAST	W	L	GB	L10	STK	E#
Boston Red Sox	6	4	-	6-4	W2	--
Toronto Blue Jays	7	5	-	6-4	W1	--
Baltimore Orioles	6	6	1.0	6-4	W3	150
New York Yankees	5	6	1.5	4-6	L1	150
Tampa Bay Devil Rays	5	7	2.0	4-6	W1	149

A's 5, Yankees 4. Mariano Rivera is the only player in baseball that is still allowed to wear #42 regularly, so it was fitting that Rivera picked up his first save on Jackie Robinson Day. What? oops. our bad. Apparently Marcus Scutaro didn't get the memo that said the A's were supposed to let Mariano pick up the save so that SportsCenter could have their feel-good moment.

Blue Jays 2, Tigers 1. Josh Towers worked into the 8th inning and allowed only 3 hits, a walk and an unearned run.

NOTES FROM AROUND THE AL EAST....

• The Yankees placed Mike Mussina and Carl Pavano on the DL. AA pitcher Chase Wright will be called up to start on Tuesday.
• Derek Jeter has committed more errors (6) than BJ Upton (5). That's not an easy thing to do.
• Yet another big name pitcher goes to the DL in the AL East. This time it is Jays' closer BJ Ryan.
  
• Selling Japanese players to the Japanese market is easy. Selling teams to Japanese baseball fans is not as easy, but that is exactly what MLB is trying to do.
• Boston is hoping that Diasuke Matsuzaka will boost local tourism.
• Willy Mo Pena is the odd man out in Boston.
• The baseball schedule features one morning tilt every season, on Patriot's Day in Boston. Make that zero games this season as the game has been rescheduled for noon.

AL EAST	W	L	GB	L10	STK	E#
Toronto Blue Jays	5	4	-	5-4	L1	--
Boston Red Sox	4	4	0.5	4-4	L1	154
New York Yankees	4	4	0.5	4-4	L1	154
Baltimore Orioles	4	6	1.5	4-6	W1	152
Tampa Bay Devil Rays	3	6	2.0	3-6	L1	152

Orioles 2, Royals 1. If there is any consolation to the 3-6 start for the Rays it is that just about everybody else in the AL East has had a shot at the Royals except for the Rays. The O's are the latest with a chance to feast on Kansas City, scoring the winning run on a Jay Gibbons single in the bottom of the 10th. The human rain delay, Steve Trachsel worked 7 innings and only gave up 3 hits.

Tigers 5, Blue Jays 4. Tomo Ohka worked 6 innings but gave up 5 runs on 8 hits and a walk.

NOTES FROM AROUND THE AL EAST...

• Sounds like the Yankees have finally restocked their minor league system after years of trading away all prospects. In particular, the AAA team is loaded with good arms.
• The Yankees are stealing more bases this season. Four of the top 16 thieves are Yankees.
• Darrell Rasner will take Mike Mussina's spot in the rotation on Tuesday. No word yet if Moose is going on the DL.
• With the Red Sox rainout yesterday, Terry Francona adjusted the rotation and now Diasuke Matsuzaka will get two cracks at the Yankees.
• So far, the 2007 version of the Orioles is bizarro-Baltimore. The pitching has been good, but the hitting is slow to get started.
• Jaret Wright was placed on the DL by the Orioles.

AL EAST	W	L	GB	L10	STK	E#
Toronto Blue Jays	5	3	-	5-3	W1	--
Boston Red Sox	4	4	1.0	4-4	L1	154
New York Yankees	4	4	1.0	4-4	L1	154
Tampa Bay Devil Rays	3	5	2.0	3-5	W1	153
Baltimore Orioles	3	6	2.5	3-6	L1	152

Mariners 3, Red Sox 0. Felix Hernandez says "where's my $100 million?" All the talk last night was on Daisuke Matsuzaka's Fenway debut and his matchup with Ichiro. However King Felix had other ideas as he took a no-hitter into the eighth and pitched a complete game 1-hitter, screaming "sashimi!" after each of his 6 strikeouts. We might have made that last part up. Dice-K gave up 8 hits and 3 runs as the Mariners looked decidedly less Royals-ish.

Tigers 4, Orioles 1. You can always tell major leaguers don't get paid overtime. Once two teams hit the 9th inning of a tied game, everybody starts swinging for the fence. After all, how many opportunities will the Tigers players have to hit the nightlife in Baltimore? The O's and the Tiggers were scoreless through 11 last night before Craig Monroe hit a 2 out grand slam.

Blue Jays 7, Royals 4. In danger of losing a 3-game set to Kansas City at home. Gustavo Chacin and his cologne pitched just well enough to hold off those scrappy Royals. Scrappy is code in sports for "not very good". Troy Glaus hit a home run.

Twins 5, Yankees 1. There is a reason why Kyle Farnsworth never became the great closer that many had predicted. Sure he throws hard, but he throws straight. A 95-mph fastball isn't a great weapon in the major leagues if it doesn't move and you don't have an off-speed pitch to compliment it. Last night, the twins scored 4 runs in the 8th of of Farnsworth, to break a 1-1 tie.

NOTES FROM AROUND THE AL EAST...

• Mike Mussina became the latest Yankees pitcher to be injured. He injured his left hamstring in the third inning and had to leave the game versus the Twins.
• Jose Guillen invited Red Sox reliever Brendan Donnelly to throw down after the game. Jose Guillen has never been the most mature of major leaguers.
  
• Four Yankees will wear #42 on Monday including Mo Rivera who wears the number normally.
  
• Jay Payton was signed as a free agent this off-season by the Orioles. He is yet to play with Baltimore, having started the year on the DL. Now his return has been delayed at least another week.
• The Orioles have a pretty decent prospect, in Hayden Penn, if Jaret Wright must go on DL.
  
• The Red Sox made several roster moves yesterday.
• Fans in Toronto had other things on their mind last night (playoff hockey, snow) and the crowd showed.