2013 Junior League Play-In Game: Rays @ Rangers

The year is spinning out of control.  It’s not even the end of September yet and we have playoff Baseball.

Or play-in, but who’s counting?

Tonight’s matchup is the Tampa Bay Rays at the Texas Rangers who finished with identical 91 – 71 records.  The Rays closed the season with 7 wins including 7 – 6 over the Jays Sunday.  They’ll be starting David Price (9 – 8, 3.39 ERA L) who is 1 – 2 with a 10.26 ERA at Arlington.

Team W (for steroids) will start rookie Martin Perez (10 – 5, 3.55 ERA L) who has been doing better than average down the stretch.  The question for them is whether their big bat, Nelson Cruz who is finishing up a 50 game steroid suspension.  He hasn’t played since August 4th at which time he had 27 HR and 76 RBI.  Cruz is .429 v. Price, 9 for 12 with 3 HR.

As I’ve said many times, unless you’re extremely lucky, playoff Baseball is not about who you like.  No, it’s about who you hate and in most cases who you hate less.  Perhaps it will help you decide if I tell you the inoffensive Rays are an expansion team from 1999 and have hardly had any time to develop serious rivalries.  They have 3 post season appearances, losing twice to Team W (for steroids).

Team W (for steroids) on the other hand, in addition to rampant drug abuse (Clemens, Pettite), have the misfortune of scorching your eyes with picures of W himself throwing out ceremonial first pitches and him and killer Laura sitting in the stands.

Not that magical thinking works, but I think you know what to do now.

The winner advances to face the hapless Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field in your “normal” one game Sudden Death Wild Card on Wednestday.  Game time is 8:05 pm ET.