AL EAST Chronicles

At this point many including myself being a Yankee fan, thought the Rays would have cracked and dropped out of the race.

Many of the so called national pundits predicted the quick fall of the rays by mid August or earlier, but the Rays keep getting great pitching and defense and enough runs to win one game after another.

For most of the season the Rays where just about injury free, up until about 2 weeks when 3 of there front line players went down (Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford and Troy Percival).

Despite all this and the Problems with BJ Upton the Rays have kept things going, I and all Rays fans received huge surprise with the return of Rocco Baldelli.

Who is the surprise of the year for the Rays, when I heard about his muscular problems in the spring, I am no doctor, but it sounded very much like Lou Gehrig's Disease, which is life threatening and has no known cure.

Since Rocco's return he is hitting .308 with 2 hr's and 4 rbi's in 8 games

September is just around the corner and if the Rays are going to fall they will fall to the Schedule of September, it is a killer 26 games in 27 days and all but 7 games with top teams.

It all starts with the Yanks on the 2ed at the Trop for 3 games, then the Rays go on the road to Toronto for 3 with the Jays, the Rays then head to Boston for 3 with the Sox. After there only day off in the stretch on the 11th, they then they head to NY for 3 with the Yanks, its then 3 in Minneapolis with the Twins.

After all that its home with 3 games with the O's and 4 with the Tigers.

If the Rays finish the road trip, in 1st place, not only do I think they will make the playoffs I think they will go deep into them.