MLB: Rays Down Yankees, Move Top of the Division
Rays' Johnson congratulated by Pena
Dan Johnson had a solid contribution on Wednesday’s game between Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees. The two rivals produced a very tough meeting as the Devil Rays vaulted the Yankees in the standings for the second time this season. They beat the hosts 4-3 in front of almost 30,000 audience at Tropicana Field. Not only that they moved top of the division, but the Rays went also top of the major league standings thanks to two wins from three from New York. Shields claimed that it was a very great series overall as Don Zimmer himself came on Tropicana to declare that it was one of the best series he’s ever seen.
Johnson brought a 2-1 lead into the fifth inning after a two-run homer to right field and a 4-3 lead in the seventh thanks to a two-run shot to right. “How many big hits can he get for us?” Carlos Pena would ask after the meeting. “What an example of Mr. Clutch,” this also exclaimed, while the player explained his very good performance. He put it simply on his calm feeling. “It’s something about the calm feeling that comes over me in those situations. And once you’ve done it a couple of times, you feel like you’re going to do it every time. I think that really helps you in those situations if you feel like you’re going to do it. You’re probably going to do it,” this added,” while Pena said of the three games that is simply tiring, emotionally speaking. Rays manager Joe Maddon showed pleased with his team’s intensity and tenacity. “You can start using words like mental toughness to go hand-in-hand with those other words. They have to be synonymous.”
Jeter was ruled by the umpire Lance Barksdale on Wednesday for having been struck on the left wrist Chad Qualls’s pitch as Maddon, who has something to say at the time, explained his intervention. “I was just trying to present logic,” he said. “None of them could tell me it hit his hand. I was not being satisfied with what was being said back to me,” while Rays catcher John Jaso said that he is sure he heard the ball hit something. However, Soriano, who came on in the ninth inning and played his fifth game in six days, had his 43rd save of the season. Finally, Shields declared the Rays aim the series this season. He also let the defending World Series champions know that. “They know over in the visitor’s clubhouse that we’re here to stay and that we’re fighters and we play all nine innings pretty hard. They know we’re a tough ball club and we’re going to try to beat them when we go to their place,” he pointed.
