Baseball, Tampa Bay Rays | featured news

Back on the road in the playoffs, the Texas Rangers won again. Colby Lewis outpitched All-Star David Price, Mike Napoli hit a go-ahead two-run homer and the defending AL champions survived a shaky night from the bullpen to hold off the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 Monday night in Game 3 of their postseason series.

Matt Moore dominated in his second major league start, pitching seven innings of two-hit ball as the improbable Tampa Bay Rays opened the real playoffs with a 9-0 victory over the defending AL champion Texas Rangers on Friday.

A little late-season magic helped both Boston and Tampa Bay, and they enter the final day of the regular season tied for the A.L. wild card.

The Tampa Bay Rays moved within 1½ games of Boston in the AL wild-card race, getting a clutch three-run homer from Johnny Damon in a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night.

Matt Moore struck out 11 in five innings of his first major league start and the Tampa Bay Rays unloaded on the watered-down Yankees for a 15-8 victory Thursday, a night after New York clinched the AL East title.

Jeremy Hellickson pitched seven strong innings and Tampa Bay took advantage of sloppy New York defense to score two runs that gave the Rays a 3-2 victory over the Yankees on Tuesday night....

Russell Martin's patience paid off for the Yankees. The New York catcher drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, giving the Yankees a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

Alex Rodriguez has pulled out of the All-Star game, joining his New York Yankees' teammates Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera in missing the midsummer classic. Rodriguez was elected by the fans to his 14th All-Star appearance. He is nursing a sore right knee. A-Rod is being held out of Friday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays and was sent for an MRI.

James Shields delivered a message to surging Boston with his major league-leading third shutout of the season....

Unwilling to face another drug ban, Manny Ramirez is leaving baseball and at peace with his decision while the sport confronts the specter of steroids again....