The American League wild-card winner will come down to game No. 162 – at a
minimum – as the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox enter their games tonight tied for the AL’s
final playoff spot.
The Rays were nine games back of Boston as recently as Sept. 2 and would
complete the biggest rally in MLB history that late in the season if they beat
the Yankees tonight in St. Petersburg for their fifth straight win and Boston
loses in Baltimore. Both the Rays and Sox won on Tuesday night. And if they both
win, or lose tonight, then a one-game playoff will take place in Florida on
Thursday. Things certainly look good for Tampa tonight as it starts lefty David
Price (12-13, 3.55). He is 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA against the Yankees this
season. Price, however, allowed five runs in six innings of a 5-1 loss to
Toronto on Friday to fall to 0-5 with a 3.55 ERA in seven starts at Tropicana
Field since beating Boston there July 15. As of this writing, the Yankees don’t know who they will pitch because they
have nothing to play for. It’s thought New York will use a bunch of pitchers for
in short-inning bursts as it prepares for Friday’s ALDS opener. The Yankees are
expected to play most, if not all, of their regulars so they don’t go into the
playoffs on a four-game losing streak. There is no line on this game as of this
writing on Bodog's MLB baseball odds. Boston, meanwhile, got a huge lift from rookie catcher Ryan Lavarnway
in Tuesday’s 8-7 win over the Orioles as he hit two homers and knocked
in four with Jason Varitek and Jarrod Saltalamacchia
out injured. It was only Boston’s seventh win this month. The Red Sox
did use several key relievers so it will be interesting to see if they can go
tonight. The Red Sox start lefty Jon Lester (15-9, 3.49) tonight,
only the second time in his career he will go on three days’ rest. Lester has
struggled of late, losing three straight outings and allowing a combined 16 runs
in 13 2/3 innings. But he owns the Orioles, going 14-0 with a 2.33 ERA in 17
starts. Baltimore goes with Alfredo Simon (4-9, 4.85). He
hasn’t won in over a month and is 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA in six starts since,
including two losses in four games at Camden Yards. Boston is a solid favorite
on Bodog's MLB baseball odds. Bet on MLB’s final day of the regular season now at the Web’s gaming leader
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