Can The Rays Finish Out As a Winner?

It was a question that seemed absurd a month ago. Will the Tampa Bay Rays finish with a winning season? A month ago, with the team over .500 by 14 games it seemed assured.

An eleven game losing streak and a September where the Rays have gone 7-16 has put the winning season in jeopardy.

For most clubs, failure to make the playoffs is failure. It wouldn't matter if the team won 82 games, 90 games, if they weren't playing in October than it didn't matter.

For this franchise, it's a bit different. Before the Rays breakthrough season in 2008, the most games Tampa Bay had ever won in a season was 70. In 2002 they lost 106 games. Before '08, the highest the Rays finished in the AL East was 4th.

So yes, for Tampa Bay, putting together back-to-back winning seasons is an achievement.

Tampa Bay sits four games away from their prize with nine games left.

Standing in their way of completing the feat are the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Yankees.

The Rangers have had the Rays number all season, winning five of seven including last night's 8-4 smashing.

While the Orioles may be the worst team in the American League, Tampa Bay has struggled against them. Thus far they've split the season series with Baltimore with each team winning seven games a piece. Tampa Bay has four at home against the O's.

The Rays finish up the season next week against the best team in baseball during the regular season, the New York Yankees. Tampa Bay is just 5-10 against New York this season but there's a chance the Rays may be facing the Yankees after they've clinched home field advantage throughout the American League playoffs and facing some of the Bronx bombers younger players.

Four wins. Last year the Rays were counting down the magic number to an AL East title. This year, its to be above .500.

My how things change in a year's time.