Rays vs. Rangers
When/where: 1:40 today; Tropicana Field
TV/radio: Sun Sports; 970-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)
Tickets: $12-255, available at Tropicana Field box office, Ticketmaster, raysbaseball.com, team Tampa store; $3 surcharge within 5 hours of game time.
Promotion: Postgame concert by Coco Jones, and 3B Evan Longoria mini drum set to the first 10,000 kids 14 and under
Probable pitchers
Rays: RH James Shields (13-8, 3.88)
Rangers: RH Roy Oswalt (4-2, 5.85)
On Shields: He has won three of his past four starts and allowed three earned runs or fewer in his past seven. He is 6-3, 3.13 in 10 career starts against the Rangers and allowed one run over seven innings in a loss Aug. 28.
On Oswalt: Is stepping in from bullpen to start for LHP Matt Harrison, who was given an extra few days rest. He last started Aug. 23, giving up three earned runs over 5⅓ innings in a no-decision against the Twins.
Key matchups
Rays vs. Oswalt
Jeff Keppinger 6-for-15
Evan Longoria 1-for-3
B.J. Upton 1-for-3
Rangers vs. Shields
Elvis Andrus 13-for-24
Josh Hamilton 4-for-27, 2 HRs
Ian Kinsler 8-for-33, 3 HRs
On deck
Monday: off
Tuesday: at Orioles, 7:05, Sun Sports. Rays — Matt Moore (10-9, 3.66); Orioles — TBA
Wednesday: at Orioles, 7:05, Sun Sports. Rays — Alex Cobb (9-8, 4.28); Orioles — TBA.
Thursday: at Orioles, 12:35, no TV. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (8-10, 3.33); Orioles — TBA
Joe Smith, Times staff writer
AL East
Team W L Pct. GB
Baltimore78 61 .561—
New York 78 61 .561—
Tampa Bay 76 63 .547 2
Toronto 63 75 .457 141/2
Boston 63 77 .450151/2
AL race for wild cards
Team W L Pct. GB
Oakland 78 60 .565—
Bal./N.Y. 78 61 .561—
Tampa Bay 76 63 .547 2
Los Angeles 76 63 .547 2
Detroit 73 65 .529 41/2
Top two wild cards make postseason; GB is games behind second wild card
To the left
The Rays took their annual team photo Saturday afternoon, and, as usual, had a little fun with it. For the last take, everyone tilted their caps to the left to pay homage to RHP Fernando Rodney, who sat in the middle of the second row with all the coaches. Bench coach Dave Martinez even shot an imaginary bow and arrow, mimicking Rodney's post-save celebration. "I kind of liked the whole thing, a little tomfoolery is good now and then," manager Joe Maddon said. "Or a little Rodneyfoolery."
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