Rays keep showing late-game magic
-
AP Photo/Chris O'Meara
Carlos Pena's three-run homer finished off a six-run ninth inning for the Rays on Wednesday.
By Mark Simon, ESPN Research
RAYS ALWAYS HAVE HOPE
With each improbable victory, the Rays have made it known that they are not going to fade away. No win, though, has been more incredible than Wednesday's ninth-inning rally to beat the Indians. Trailing 7-4 entering the ninth, the Rays scored six times without recording an out. This comeback victory will be well-remembered, capped by a three-run home run from Carlos Pena. The Rays have made a habit of stealing games throughout the season: They lead the American League with nine walk-off wins. In the calendar year of the improbable champion (see: Giants in Super Bowl, Fresno State in College World Series), the Rays may be a perfect fit.| Rays' improbable comeback wins, 2008 | ||
| Day | Opponent | Notes |
| April 26 | vs. Red Sox |
Clay Buchholz has a one-hit shutout going into the bottom of the eighth. Rays get two hits, the second being Akinori Iwamura's two-run homer to beat the Red Sox 2-1. |
| June 21 | vs. Astros |
Gabe Gross slaps a game-winning, two-run double off the chalk as the Rays win 4-3. |
| July 18 |
vs. Blue Jays |
Ben Zobrist is the unlikely hero, hitting a two-run homer in the seventh inning against A.J. Burnett as the Rays edge the Blue Jays, 2-1. |
| August 3 | vs. Tigers |
Rays rally from 3-1 down in the eighth inning to tie and from 5-4 down in the 10th inning to win against the Tigers. The winning run scores on Carlos Pena's bases-loaded walk. |
| August 6 | vs. Indians |
Rays trail by three runs entering the ninth inning, score six without making an out to win. Gross hit a homer to tie the game, Pena connected on one to win it. |
FORWARD THINKING: THURSDAY
• Marlins at Phillies, 1:05 p.m. ET: Cole Hamels (9-7, 3.37 ERA) has not won since July 3, going 0-2 with three no-decisions. The Phillies have scored three or fewer runs for him in three of those starts. Chris Volstad (2-2, 3.25) is 2-0 with a 1.62 ERA on the road this season.
• Dodgers at Cardinals, 2:15 p.m. ET: Clayton Kershaw (1-3, 4.02 ERA) has been untouchable over his past two outings, going six scoreless innings in each start. Keeping with that theme, when Kyle Lohse (13-3, 3.73 ERA) pitched against the Dodgers earlier this season, he tossed, yes, six scoreless innings.
• Rays at Mariners, 10:10 p.m. ET: Andy Sonnanstine (11-6, 4.58 ERA) stopped a three-game losing skid with a solid outing his last time out against Detroit. Felix Hernandez (7-7, 3.04 ERA) is on pace for career highs in strikeouts and walks.
• Complete list of pitching probables for Thursday's games
TOUCH 'EM ALL
Who went deep? Keep track of all the home runs hit each day on Baseball Tonight and on the Baseball Tonight Clubhouse page.
Click here to find out who hit the longest home run. For more, check out the Home Run Tracker page.
| Home Run Tracker | |||||
| NAME | HR | OPP | PITCHER | SITUATION | |
| F. Gutierrez, Cle | 5 | TB | Kazmir | Top 1: 3-2, 0 Outs. None on. | |
| D. Navarro, TB | 6 | Cle | Sowers | Bot 1: 2-0, 2 Outs. 1 on. | |
| J. Bruce, Cin | 11 | Mil | Suppan | Bot 3: 2-2, 1 Outs. 1 on. | |
| J. Peralta, Cle | 19 | TB | Kazmir | Top 3: 3-1, 2 Outs. None on. | |
| C. Lee, Hou | 27 | ChC | Marquis | Top 3: 0-2, 2 Outs. 2 on. | |
| M. DeRosa, ChC | 12 | Hou | Backe | Bot 3: 1-1, 2 Outs. Gr. Slam. | |
| A. Soriano, ChC | 21 | Hou | Backe | Bot 3: 0-0, 2 Outs. 2 on. | |
| V. Guerrero, LAA | 20 | Bal | Olson | Bot 1: 1-1, 2 Outs. 1 on. | |
| G. Gross, TB | 8 | Cle | Mujica | Bot 9: 2-2, 0 Outs. 1 on. | |
| A. Rowand, SF | 10 | Atl | James | Bot 1: 1-2, 1 Outs. 1 on. | |
| J. Mathis, LAA | 9 | Bal | Olson | Bot 2: 1-1, 1 Outs. None on. | |
| C. Pena, TB | 20 | Cle | Kobayashi | Bot 9: 0-0, 0 Outs. 2 on. | |
| L. Montanez, Bal | 1 | LAA | Santana | Top 3: 1-0, 0 Outs. None on. | |
| F. Sanchez, Pit | 8 | Ari | Johnson | Top 4: 0-2, 1 Outs. None on. | |
| N. Markakis, Bal | 16 | LAA | Santana | Top 5: 0-1, 2 Outs. 2 on. | |
| J. Gerut, SD | 9 | NYM | Martinez | Top 1: 0-0, 0 Outs. None on. | |
| B. Giles, SD | 6 | NYM | Martinez | Top 1: 2-2, 1 Outs. None on. | |
| R. Barajas, Tor | 9 | Oak | Gonzalez | Bot 1: 2-0, 2 Outs. 2 on. | |
| R. Howard, Phi | 32 | Fla | Sanchez | Bot 3: 1-2, 0 Outs. None on. | |
| B. Crosby, Oak | 6 | Tor | Marcum | Top 6: 1-2, 0 Outs. None on. | |
| J. Thome, CWS | 22 | Det | Verlander | Bot 1: 0-1, 2 Outs. 2 on. | |
| M. Ramirez, LA | 3 | StL | Pineiro | Top 2: 1-1, 0 Outs. None on. | |
| J. Giambi, NYY | 22 | Tex | Hunter | Top 4: 0-0, 0 Outs. None on. | |
| A. Pujols, StL | 23 | LA | Lowe | Bot 4: 0-0, 1 Outs. Gr. Slam. | |
| R. Ludwick, StL | 29 | LA | Lowe | Bot 4: 1-2, 1 Outs. None on. | |
| C. Headley, SD | 7 | NYM | Kunz | Top 8: 1-1, 1 Outs. None on. | |
| M. Young, Tex | 10 | NYY | Ponson | Bot 6: 0-0, 0 Outs. None on. | |
| J. Ellsbury, Bos | 6 | KC | Mahay | Top 7: 2-1, 2 Outs. 2 on. | |
BBTN ON THE AIR: THURSDAY
| TIME | WHO'S ON? |
| 11 p.m. ET ESPN2 |
Host: Steve Berthiaume Analysts: Buster Olney, Fernando Vina |
| 12:30 a.m. ET ESPN |
Host: Steve Berthiaume Analysts: Buster Olney, Fernando Vina |
SPORTSNATION: ALL-TIME FRANCHISE PLAYERS
"Baseball Tonight" wants to hear from you. Click here to vote for the all-time franchise players for all 30 big league teams.
BBTN MINUTE: RAYS ROLLING
WEDNESDAY'S NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCES
| GOOD |
 • Jeff Karstens, traded by the Yankees to the Pirates, flirted with a perfect game in his second start with Pittsburgh. He retired the first 23 hitters the Diamondbacks sent to the plate Wednesday afternoon before Chris Young doubled. |
BAD |
 • Brandon Backe was given an early lead, but didn't hold it for long. The Astros right-hander gave up nine hits and 11 runs in 3 1/3 innings of an 11-4 loss against the Cubs. |
UGLY |
 • Edward Mujica and Masa Kobayashi couldn't get an out in the ninth inning against Tampa Bay. The Rays scored six times in their final at-bat to pick up a 10-7 win against the Indians. |
FANTASY: PREVIEW OF THURSDAY'S GAMES
Will Harris examines the pitching matchups for the 10 games on Thursday's schedule.
Harris also looks at injuries and details player reports that could help shape your roster for Thursday's games. Daily Notes
MLB DOUBLEHEADER
THIS DATE IN MLB HISTORY (AUG. 7)
• 1907: Senators pitcher Walter Johnson won his first major league game, beating the Indians, 7-2. Johnson notched 416 victories during his 21-year career.
• 1987: Bill Mazeroski's No. 9 was officially retired from active service by the Pittsburgh Pirates. • 1999: Wade Boggs collected his 3,000th career hit. The Devil Rays third baseman, who was the first player to reach the milestone with a home run, rounded the bases pointing skyward and blowing a kiss in memory of his mom. He got down on his knees to kiss home plate. • 2004: Greg Maddux pitched five innings to register his 300th career victory as the Cubs beat the Giants, 8-4. The 38-year-old was the 22nd pitcher to reach the plateau. • 2007: Barry Bonds surpassed Hank Aaron as the all-time home run leader when he hit his 756th homer against Mike Bacsik of the Washington Nationals at AT&T Park.