When in this madness going to stop? Apparently rookie third baseman and starting pitcher James Shields don't plan on ending the fun anytime soon. The surprise Tampa Bay Rays not only have the best record in baseball, but they have won seven in a row, taking the first three games of a four-game set against the Kansas City Royals.
Armed with just two All-Stars, catching reserve Dioner Navarro and pitcher Scott Kazmir, the Rays are on the up-and-up, soaring 4.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox with their win today.
Longoria has been the difference though, lately. He cranked his sixteenth home run of the season, which is not only impressive because he is a mere rookie, but also because he did not start the season on the big league roster. This mighty Ray may even be able to book a trip to New York for the All-Star Game, as he was chosen among five "AL Final Vote" candidates. With today's game as any indication of his talent, there certainly may be a spot for him when it is all said and done.
Sure, it's just the lowly Kansas City Royals, but this Rays team has caught fire fast. Slugger Carlos Pena has been able to shake off early season slumping to notch fourteen RBIs in his last ten games.
This is all coming from a team who had never even sniffed the playoffs before, but now hover 23 games over the .500 mark, easily good for the best record in the majors.
With performances from their pitching staff such as today, as Shields went seven strong innings, giving up just two runs, the Rays will be contenders in a lot of ball games.
Watch out for these Rays, because while a World Series berth may be farfetched, a playoff berth is well within their grasp.
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