Ray of Nope: Last Night's Tampa Bay Game Shows Why Postseason Won't Happen

For teams that just miss the playoffs, there are nights like this. Nights when all the stars seemed aligned to bring you victory and some how, some way you blow it. It's been this way for the Tampa Bay Rays this season.

That's not to say the Rays are struggling. On the contrary, since June 1, Tampa Bay has been one of the most consistent teams in baseball, going 43-29. They've won seven of their last ten games.

Still, its like being on a treadmill. Yes you're running and maybe you're getting some great exercise but in the end, you're not going anywhere.

While the Rays have been playing solid, good baseball—what has it gotten them? They're still four games out of the wild card race and haven't been closer then one and half games all season—so close they can touch it but never close enough to take it. They're out of the AL East race.

To overcome their slow start, Tampa Bay needs every win they can get. In that, lies the problem. Of course Tampa Bay's not going to win 39 straight games to the finish line.  The longest winning streak in baseball history was 21 by the 1935 Chicago Cubs (technically the NY Giants won 26 straight, but had a tie midway through the streak).

When you have chances to put games in your pocket, though, you've got to do it. This season, the Rays have had too many of these stumbles and in the end, it's what's keeping them three or four games behind.

Last night was a prime example. Scott Kazmir, who's struggled with injuries all season, was on fire. Six innings of four hit ball while fanning ten Blue Jays, he kept his team in the ballgame while they struggled once again to hit against a no-name young left-hander.

After being no hit through five innings, Pat Burrell broke through for the good guys with a base hit. Gabe Kapler followed with a bomb to left, putting the Rays up 2-0. In the bottom half of the sixth, Toronto would get a run back off of a tiring Kazmir.

It would stay that way until the bottom of the ninth, when Rays pseudo-closer JP Howell stepped on to the mound. What followed was a comedy that even the Bad Newz Bears would have laughed at.

After getting the lead off man, John MacDonald to pop out, Howell served up a meatball for pinch hitter Rod Barajas who promptly launched it to Montreal, tying the game at two.

Howell came unglued, unable to find the strike zone and proceeded to walk the next three batters. Then, to finish this amazing relief performance, he bounced a pitch to catcher Greg Zauhn, which took an fieldturf bounce over his head and to the backstop. Michael Scutaro would come home on the wild pitch, winning the game for the Blue Jays.

If you're a playoff baseball team, you don't allow things to happen like that. It's not Howell's fault. Sure it was his eighth blown save this season but the kid is a set-up man masquerading in closer clothing. The fact he's managed to secure 15 saves for Tampa Bay is a minor miracle.

No, this falls on the ownership of the Tampa Bay Rays who decided to go cheap at the trade deadline, then followed it up by remaining cheap while the Red Sox secured a reliever like Billy Wagner.

I'm not saying Tampa Bay can compete payroll wise with Boston, certainly not—but come on—is Billy Wagner's remaining salary truly that much more than the cool $3 million they wasted on Russ "don't call me Jerry" Springer?

It's how you divide the small pie you have to work with. Only now with time running out in the season is Pat Burrell earning that $7 million contract of his. Troy Percival is getting acupuncture in California. BJ Upton plays when he feels like it. Carlos Pena has more home runs than hits.

For Rays General Manager Andrew Friedman, it all came together like a perfect storm last year. The young kids grew up, journeymen relievers had career years on the mound and it was just enough to get this team to the post-season and an AL Pennant.

Now, Friedman has to make the bold moves to keep his team in contention. I'm not saying at $200 million to payroll. But for crying out loud, the MARLINS made a move a the deadline...THE MARLINS. You're telling me a team that plays in a football stadium and are dead last in attendance can afford to make a move but you cannot?

The Red Sox righted their ship by adding depth to the bullpen, while JP Howell melts down (again) against the Blue Jays - what's wrong with this picture?

Add to the inaction of the management team the kooky management style of Joe Maddon (who kept a .220 hitter in BJ Upton at leadoff for over half the season) and its no wonder the Rays are running in quicksand.

Tampa Bay's a good baseball team and for the second straight year, they're going to be on the sunny side of wins and losses. In any year before 2008, that would have been cause for a parade in Downtown St. Petersburg.

Now, it's just a coulda-woulda-shoulda. When the Rays end this season three or four games out of the playoffs, fans will be left wondering what might have been.