11:44 Update: The Phillies made it interesting, scoring one more time in the ninth. Price struck out Utley with one in the ninth inning, though, before getting Howard to ground into the Rays’ shift to end the game and give the Rays a 4-2 victory.

Shields, who scattered seven hits in 5.2 shutout innings, picked up the win. Myers suffered the loss, as he allowed all four runs, three of which were earned, in seven frames.

The win was huge for the Rays, who did not want to head to Philadelphia down two games. Tampa Bay is now back in the drivers’ seat, with favorable pitching matchups the rest of the series. Matt Garza, the Most Valuable Player of the ALCS, will square off against veteran lefty Jamie Moyer at Citizen's Bank Ballpark in Game 3 on Saturday night, if the weather holds up.

The Rays ran into one of the majors’ most effective pitchers, Cole Hamels, on the way to losing the opener. But, with the series again even, they remain the favorites, with Garza and Andy Sonnanstine slated to pitch Games 3 and 4 against the fairly average duo of Moyer, now 45 years old, and Joe Blanton.

Philadelphia will look to use its home field advantage, though, to jump out to another series lead. In order for this to happen, the Phillies are going to need for Howard and Rollins, who is now 0-for-10 in the series, to pick it up offensively and improve on their poor execution with runners in scoring position. The Phillies, following the loss, are now 1-for-28 with RISP. On the lone hit, though, the Phillies could not score a run, quite amazingly.

11:16 Update: With one out in the eighth inning, pinch hitter Eric Bruntlett blasted a home run to left field off of Price. Bruntlett is now 2-for-9 in the postseason. He batted .217/.297/.297, with two home runs and 15 RBIs, in 212 at-bats during the regular season.

10:55 Update: Price came on of relief of Wheeler with two outs in the top of the seventh. The young left-hander walked the first batter he faced, the dangerous Chase Ultey. He continued to impress by striking out the struggling Ryan Howard a few minutes later, though. Howard, who is now 2-for-4 on the night, went down looking.

Price has still not allowed a run in limited postseason work.

Click here for an old interview that I did with Price back before the start of spring training.

10:37 Update: David Price is warming up in the Rays’ bullpen. Price, the top prospect in the minors entering the season, caught the nation’s eye with his tremendous performance in the Rays’ game 7 win over the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series. The number one pick out of Vanderbilt University in the 2007 draft, he tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless ball, flashing a mid-90s heater, filthy slider and tremendous poise for such a young kid to help the Rays hold off the Red Sox in their biggest game of the year.

Although a minor arm injury set him back a few weeks in spring training, Price began the year with a ####, touching 99 on the gun while impressing Alex Rodriguez, his teammates and the rest of those watching him mow down the New York Yankees during a Grapefruit League game on the YES Network.

Price then spent the next several weeks at the Rays' training complex in St. Petersburg, where he had the opportunity to face A-Rod again, drawing praise from the Future Hall of Famer during an extended spring training game.

When he was healthy enough to make his long-anticipated debut, Price made the move to the Florida State League, where he set the circuit on fire with his performance for the Vero Beach Devil Rays. In six starts there, he went 4-0 with a 1.82 ERA and a 37-to-7 K/W ratio in 34.2 innings pitched.

Price then went a perfect 7-0 in the Southern League, posting a 1.89 ERA in nine starts for the Montgomery Biscuits. With Montgomery, he earned Southern League Postseason All-Star honors, in addition to being named the league Pitcher of the Week twice.

Soon enough, Price forced the organization’s hand to promote him to Triple-A Durham. Although he had some struggles (4.50 ERA in four starts) there, he continued to impress and was called up to Tampa Bay on September 13. In 19 minor league starts combined between all three stops, he finished 12-1 with a 2.30 ERA, 109-to-32 K/W ratio and .228 opponents’ batting average to earn USA Today Minor League Player of the Year honors.

During September, Joe Maddon used Price sparingly, perhaps waiting to unleash his secret weapon at the perfect time—the ALCS. In five appearances, including one solid start against the Baltimore Orioles, he posted a 1.93 ERA in only 14.0 innings pitched.

Price earned his first major league win during Game 2 of the ALCS, and his first save a few days later in the series finale. He has not allowed an earned run in three postseason appearances.

10:26 Update: Shields’ night is done. With his pitch count over 100, he was removed after surrendering two hits in the top of the sixth inning. The 26-year-old right-hander, the eldest pitcher on the Rays’ staff, allowed seven hits and walked two hitters in 5.2 shutout innings. With runners on the corners, Dan Wheeler came on in relief to record the final out of the inning. He retired Philadelphia third baseman Pedro Feliz on a fielder’s choice, getting Shields off the hook as the Phillies continued to struggle with men on base. “Big Game” James has now allowed eight earned runs in 29.0 postseason innings pitched.

10:04 Update: James Shields has looked fairly solid through five shutout innings. Shields, who went 9-2 with a 1.59 ERA during the regular season at Tropicana Field, has scattered five hits and surrendered three walks. The Phillies’ struggles to cash in on opportunities with runners in scoring position have continued, however, in part due to his ability to get several big outs. Shields labored through the first few innings, though, and may not last much longer.

Brett Myers, on the other hand, has not had the same luck. Myers has allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits. The Rays have capitalized on their chances using any way possible, with only one of the runs coming on a base hit—an RBI single by B.J. Upton in the second inning. The Rays scored twice on RBI groundouts in the first inning.

Cole Hamels was sensational on Wednesday night, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the World Series. Hamels, who is now 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA in the postseason, allowed only two runs in seven strong innings.

The talented 24-year-old left-hander kept the surging Rays’ lineup in check, using his devastating changeup and excellent command to silence an offense that slugged over .500 and blasted 16 home runs during the American League Championship Series. He exploited several of the Rays’ young hitters to outpitch Scott Kazmir, who again had a poor first inning and continuously fell behind in the count but ended up keeping Tampa Bay in the game through six solid frames.

Chase Ultey took Kazmir deep in the top of the first, though, launching a drive into the right field bleachers to stake Philadelphia an early 2-0 lead. Carlos Ruiz, a few innings later, brought in the Phillies' third run with an RBI ground out.

With the way that Hamels was pitching before turning it over to the Phillies’ lights-out relief combo, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge, that was more than enough run support.

Madson and Lidge combined to throw two perfect innings to shut the door, helping to improve the Phillies’ record to 87-0 when leading after eight innings.

Despite going 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position—and an 0-for-5 performance from NL home run and RBI leader Ryan Howard—the Phillies are now sitting pretty with a 1-0 series lead.

In 10 of the past 11 World Series (and the last five), the team that won the opener has captured the trophy.

Which certainly bodes well for the city of Brotherly Love.

Before you crown the Phillies champions just yet, however, consider a few things.

While it was huge for the Phillies get out to such a great start—especially at Tropicana Field, where the Rays posted the majors’ best home record—there is a lot of baseball left to be played.

The Phillies, with their clear-cut ace on the mound squaring off against the Rays’ number three pitcher, needed to win that game. In fact, one could make the argument that it was the only pitching matchup that favors the Phillies until Hamels takes the ball again, and losing would have been a devastating blow to their chances.

The Rays were not nervous. Not intimidated. They simply got beat by a tremendous pitcher in Hamels, the best starter on either team. He was nearly perfect, minus a sole home run from speedster Carl Crawford and a 3-for-4 night from Tampa Bay second baseman Akinori Iwamura.

Sure, they must come out and win tonight, as they do not want to head to Philadelphia for three games down 2-0.

But this group is not exactly in unchartered territory. They lost the opener of the ALCS as well—against a much stronger team than Philadelphia, the Boston Red Sox—and lived to tell the story.

The Rays have James Shields taking the ball tonight against Brett Myers.

Matt Garza will then battle with 45-year-old Jamie Moyer in Game 3 on Saturday night, weather permitting.

Myers can dominate any lineup, depending on which version of Myers shows up at the ballpark. With Shields on the hill, however, the Rays clearly have the edge when looking at the matchup objectively. He has been more consistent, constantly works ahead and, when his changeup is at its best, he can shut an offense down completely.

The Rays may have lost some of their home field advantage, like they did after nearly getting no-hit by Daisuke Matsuzaka in the ALCS opener, but the series is far from over. The Rays have not backed down all year on their way to finishing with the best record in the most competitive division in the game while playing in the superior league.

The Rays will have their hands full if they are trailing late, as Madson and Lidge are a remarkable combination for innings eight and nine.

If the aforementioned starters can continue to put up zeroes like they have been doing and the bullpen is as effective as it was in the opener and has been all season, though, Tampa Bay is going to be a difficult team for Philadelphia to put away.

Unless they lose tonight—or Hamels can magically find away to pitch every night—my prediction stands.

Rays in six.

A few quick thoughts/questions that popped into my head while doing the live blog with Chuck Hixson of PhillyBaseballNews.com on Scout/FoxSports last night: —Ryan Howard cannot hit good pitching.

—Grant Balfour and Ryan Madson throw absolute smoke. Honestly, Madson would be closing on a lot of other teams. He has mid-90s heat and solid secondary stuff, and has really provided Manuel with a tremendous weapon.

—The backend of the Phillies' bullpen is outstanding. They are now 87-0 when leading after eight innings. Are they due for a blown save?

—A change of scenery has been great for Brad Lidge, whose knee has finally healed fully.

—Chase Utley might just be the best player on the diamond in the Fall Classic. Utley, whose two-run home run in the first inning off of Kazmir proved to be the difference, also stole his first base of the postseason, making a lot of Tace Bell fans happy.

—Is Chris Coste the least intimidating DH in World Series history? Coste has hit lefties well, so I see why he got the nod at the DH spot with Kazmir on the mound. And it is hard to root against the Chris Coste story. Seriously, though, I want to hear some names.

—Will "Big Game" James live up to his name tonight?

—How different would the outcome of the game been if Utley was successful in his first-inning bunt attempt?

—Will the Phillies' struggles with runners in scoring position come back to haunt them later in the series?

—During the blog, I wondered aloud why Ben Zobrist was given the nod to start for the Rays in right field. Longtime Tampa Bay beat reporter Mark Topkin answered my question in the St. Petersburg Times this morning.

Topkin:

Part of the reason manager Joe Maddon gave switch-hitting Ben Zobrist his second career start in rightfield Wednesday in Game 1 against Phillies LHP Cole Hamels was that he believed it was more advantageous to start right-handed-hitting Rocco Baldelli tonight against Phillies RHP Brett Myers.

That seems backward, but Myers has "reverse splits," in that his numbers are worse against right-handers (.293) than lefties (.235). And Baldelli, dealing with the effects of a rare muscle fatigue disorder, has not played the field on back-to-back days. "It's not something Joe has done," Baldelli said, "and I don't think it's something he would start now."

—Jason Varitek shocked the world by leaving the yard in the ALCS, cheating on a 2-0 fastball from Shields in a Game 6 win. Crawford's blast last night, though, was nearly as unlikely, especially considering who he went deep off of. Against southpaws during the regular season, he posted an anemic slash stats line of .248/.293/.348 and .641 OPS, with only three home runs.

—B.J. Upton wears number two in honor of his favorite shortstop growing up, Derek Jeter. Well, Upton now has something in common with his former hero, as he became the first player to ground into a pair of double plays in a series game since the Yankee Captain did the trick back in 2003 against the Florida Marlins.

Speaking of Upton, he appeared to hurt himself or was not hustling down to first base in one of those instances. Although he has hit seven postseason homers, will the boo-birds at the Trop start to resurface? He went hitless on the night, lowering his postseason line to .280/.339/.760. With seven homers and 15 RBIs, he has a legitimate chance to sketch his name into the postseason record books if he can pick it up the rest of the way.

—Hats off to Pat Gillick for dealing Michael Bourne for Lidge this offseason. Buying low and selling high is pretty effective method when making trades, isn't it?

To send your answers on the Coste question, or to tell me why I am wrong, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

The dog days of summer are fast approaching in the 2008 Major League Baseball season.

With only 60 games left on the docket, around half of the majors’ 30 teams are in striking distance in their respective division. Granted, this total includes nearly every club from the National League West, where the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers are tied for the division lead despite sub-.500 records.

So, which teams are legitimate contenders? In the first edition of a two-part series, here are my contender and pretender picks in the American League.

American League East:

In 2008, the division has three contenders, all of which would be running away with the thing if placed in the NL East.

Boston Red Sox: Contenders—

The Red Sox had a tough weekend, watching their division lead disappear after struggling to do anything offensively against the Los Angeles Angels. To make matters worse, the “Manny Being Manny” antics have taken on a whole new meaning.

Regardless, Boston is still the favorite to take the division crown. Even without the presence of David Ortiz, the Red Sox have scored runs in bunches, having posted the third-highest runs total (503) in the majors through July 21. The club also ranks second in batting average (.280), on-base percentage (.355), slugging percentage (.448) and OPS (.804), trailing only the Texas Rangers by small margins in nearly every category.

When Ortiz returns and if Jason Varitek, sitting below replacement-level right now, can regain anywhere near his normal level of production, look out.

J.D. Drew, who was named the Most Valuable Player at the All-Star game in New York, has been invaluable since Ortiz went on the disabled list. Drew has posted a slash stats line of .294/.406/.557 with 17 homers and 55 RBIs while sitting among AL leaders with a .963 OPS.

Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis were deserving of their All-Star selections as well.

However, there is some concern about Ramirez, who allegedly struck out on purpose in an at-bat against Mariano Rivera in New York a few weeks back. This was reportedly a reaction to the six-figure fine that he received for pushing a longtime club employee after his unusual, last-minute request for tickets. Henry’s patience is wearing thin with the slugger for accusing the organization of being dishonest in contract negotiations as well.

All things considered, it might be in the organization’s best interest to wash its hands of Ramirez after the season, as he enters the decline stages of his career. With stricter testing policies for performance-enhancing drugs, players are not aging as well as they did back at the turn of the century. This makes it unlikely that he will sustain his consistent .950-OPS level of production as he inches closer to age 40.

Boston needs Ramirez now, though. So the chance that he becomes a distraction while losing his focus as a hitter is a real cause for concern. Off-field-issues aside, he has been productive yet again through this month, hitting .297/.397/.531 with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs to help pick up the slack while the lineup was without Ortiz.

Boston is also one of the strongest teams in the league when it comes to run prevention, with a strong starting rotation and the sixth-highest defensive efficiency rating in the majors. Clearly, then, it is not a surprise that the club has the largest run differential, +77, in the American League.

There are some concerns with in the bullpen, as the link to closer Jonathan Papelbon has not had its ups and downs. But with such a deep pitching staff—Daisuke Matsuzaka, 10-1 with a 2.65 ERA and 77-to-16 K/W ratio leads the way, though he has not been efficient enough with his pitches—and potent offense, the Red Sox are not only contenders, they are in position to make a deep run in October.

New York Yankees: Contenders—

New York has won seven of its last 10 games to move within five games of first-place Tampa Bay. Considering where the Yankees were in May—as they were in ’07 as well—this is no small feat.

Brian Cashman and the club gambled on a pair of youngsters to carry the Yankees’ starting rotation, right-handers Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. The experiment has not gone according to plan, however.

Hughes, who is still projected to turn into a potential front-end starter, turned in six relatively ineffective starts before going on the disabled list with a strained oblique and cracked rib.

Kennedy’s struggles, on the other hand, have prompted questions about whether or not he was as promising as the organization let on. Drafted out of the University of Southern California in ’06, he has posted excellent statistics in his professional career, but his fringe stuff leaves little room for error when his command is off.

To make matters worse, ace Chien Ming-Wang is out until September after injuring himself running the bases in Interleague Play. Wang, the majors’ winnignest pitcher the previous two seasons, has used his heavy sinker to induce ground ball outs at the top of the New York staff. The loss of the right-hander, who was 8-2 with a 4.07 ERA before hitting the DL, created a hole, which prompted New York to offer a contract to Sidney Ponson.

Luckily, Mike Mussina has been a pleasant surprise, going 12-6 with a 3.49 ERA in his first 20 starts. Mussina was perhaps snubbed from the All-Star game, but will he be able to maintain his performance or will he regress back to the mean?

Joba Chamberlain has provided a boost as well, moving from the eighth-inning role to return to his original status as a starter. As excellent of a setup-man as Chamberlain was, he adds more value in his new role, especially considering the alternatives. He will help hold down the fort until Wang returns should Mussina and Ponson falter.

Then there is Mariano Rivera, who is enjoying one of the finest seasons of his career. Rivera has yet to blow a save in 24 chances, posting 1.22 ERA, K/9 of 10.76 and 0.68 WHIP. When the Yankees have a lead entering the ninth inning, the game is essentially over.

New York pitchers, though, have not exactly received a boost from their defense behind them. In fact, the Yankees rank 24th in the majors in defensive efficiency, as the arms have made more of an impact in the run prevention equation in the Bronx.

Offensively, the Yankees—despite a lack of production from Robinson Cano and replacement-level center fielder Melky Cabrera—have plenty of firepower. The early-season struggles were more of a result than injuries to players like Alex Rodriguez than anything else.

When healthy, Rodriguez has been a force, hitting 20 homers with a .975 OPS despite a plethora of off-the-field distractions. Jason Giambi helped carry the lineup when A-Rod and a few of his teammates were on the shelf. Giambi, in fact, nearly missed making the All-Star game, recovering from a poor first month to solidify the middle of the New York batting order.

Although Cano needs to improve his approach, the sweet-swinging second baseman always turns it on in the second half. Look for him to pick it up—his .676 OPS is among the lowest marks at his position in the league—down the stretch.

Derek Jeter is a polarizing player, as many analysts think that his defense at shortstop is a major crutch to his team. Jeter has not been himself at the plate, either, so far, frequently grounding into rally-killing double plays. Also, his .282/.347/.392 line is not up to par by Jeter standards, but it would not be a surprise to see him improve the rest of the way as well.

It does not help that left fielder Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada, sent to the disabled list on Monday, are out indefinitely.

If the double-play duo can get it going, coinciding with a return of Johnny Damon and a potential deal for another impact bat—Richie Sexson, though he may help against lefties, is not going to cut it—at the deadline, the Yankees’ postseason run may not be in jeopardy after all, most likely via the Wild Card.

Tampa Bay Rays: Contenders—

The Tampa Bay Rays’ success has been one of the surprise stories in Major League Baseball. Tampa Bay, which has never won more than 70 games in a single season, is currently leading the division, at 57-40.

Regardless of their pre-break slide, the Rays are still a legitimate contender, backed by their excellent defense.

While the club has made its fair share of errors in the month of July, it still ranks second in the majors in defensive efficiency rating—the rate at which balls put into play are converted into outs. One of the most underrated aspects of its turnaround, Tampa Bay has made marked improvements defensively as a team.

Every Tampa Bay pitcher—from ace Kazmir, the winning pitcher in the All-Star game, to reliever J.P. Howell—has reaped the benefits.

The pitching staff has seen a major upgrade as well.

Matt Garza, Kazmir and Shields are a tough group to face in short series. Shields, however, is the eldest starting pitcher in the Rays’ rotation, at 26 years old. This has caused some writers to pull out the inexperience card, which is definitely a legitimate factor. Perhaps most concerning, though, the majority of Tampa Bay starters are rapidly approaching upon career-high totals in innings pitched. Whether or not the youngsters’ arms can hold up is a huge question mark for Tampa Bay.

If any of young pitchers in the Tampa Bay rotation should falter or go down with an injury, the club does have internal reinforcements down on the farm. Jeff Niemann, who made his major league debut in April, is an option. Not to mention, the potential is there for Tampa Bay to call up David Price, the top pitching prospect in the minors. Price, now in Double-A, has been dominant in his first professional season, going 8-0 with a 1.92 ERA and 62-to-17 K/W ratio in 11 combined starts between Single-A Vero Beach and Double-A Montgomery. Selected by Tampa Bay with the number one overall pick out of Vanderbilt University in the '07 draft, the southpaw will perhaps turn into this year's version of Joba Chamberlain.

The Rays’ relief corps has been more effective as well. This rings especially true when compared to the '07 group, featuring the likes of Shawn Camp and Brian Stokes, which posted the highest bullpen ERA in the past half century.

Offensively, though, Tampa Bay finds itself in the middle of the pack, as it headed into the All-Star break sitting 10th in the majors in on-base percentage (.336), 13th in OPS (.745) and 15th in runs scored, batting average (.260) and slugging percentage (.409).

This is why the Rays have staying power down the stretch, as many players should post improved individual statistics in the second half. Tampa Bay, though, needs its position player stars, from Carl Crawford to Carlos Pena, to improve the rest of the way.

Tampa Bay is much better at home than on the road, with a 19-25 record away from Tropicana Field. The club will need to prove that it can win on the road, especially in places like Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium.

Regardless, the Rays have enough talent already, assuming the pitching can hold up, to make a run. Boston is still the favorite in the division, but Tampa Bay has a deep enough roster to stay in the Wild Card hunt.

To read more about the Rays’ chances, click here.

American League Central:

Before the season, the Central figured to be among the deepest divisions in the majors. The Detroit Tigers made a major upgrade to their roster, adding an impact hitter, Miguel Cabrera, and Dontrelle Willis in a blockbuster deal with the Florida Marlins. Detroit also added Edgar Renteria, shipping prospect Jair Jurrjens to the Atlanta Braves for the veteran shortstop to become the early-season favorite to win the American League.

The Tigers’ poor start in April, however, opened up the division for the Chicago White Sox and the surprise Minnesota Twins.

Chicago White Sox: Contenders—

Chicago, at 58-40, has a .5 game lead over Minnesota. Unlike the Twins, however, the White Sox have staying power as the clear-cut favorite in the division.

Chicago has posted a +78 run differential. On the other hand, Minnesota—which will not be able to maintain its current level of production with runners in scoring position—has a run differential of +33.

Joe Crede is enjoying a nice comeback, Jermaine Dye (.927 OPS) deserved to be an All-Star, Carlos Quentin (.913 OPS, 71 RBIs) has been an MVP candidate and Jim Thome has rebounded nicely after a rough start. Second baseman Alexei Ramirez has been one of the better rookies in the league as well.

The pitching has been the story in the Chicago, though. While John Danks and Gavin Floyd may regress in the second half, the pair has been excellent so far, combining to go 13-4. A top prospect, Danks appears to be emerging into a legitimate starter in this league, having posted the fifth-lowest ERA among qualifying pitchers in the AL.

Overall, the White Sox’s pitching staff has combined to post an opponents’ line of .251/.313/.391, as Mark Buerhle and others are also consistently getting hitters out. Even with Jose Contreras—who hid an injury and is now on the 15-day disabled list—on the shelf, it truly appears as if each team from Chicago, 12th in the game in defensive efficiency, will end the season in first place in the Central division.

Detroit Tigers: Pretenders—

A lot has gone wrong in Detroit. After sending Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller to Florida in the blockbuster this winter, Detroit has not seen any immediate short-term gains.

Cabrera’s days as a third baseman are over, as he was a major weakness on the left side of the Detroit infield before moving across the diamond to first base. Offensively, he is struggling through a down year as well, with a decent but not great line of .281/.348/.485 and .833 OPS.

Willis, who has struggled mightily with his control and command, is working out his issues in the minors. His performance has declined steadily in each of his final seasons down in Miami, and moving to the American League—even with a better defense behind him—was not expected to be easy. Still, no one predicted control to be this major of an issue for Willis, who posted a terrible 5-to-21 K/W ratio in 11.1 innings pitched before getting demoted.

The other high-profile acquisition, Renteria, has lost a step at shortstop and is no longer a stolen base threat. Making matters worse, he has disappointed at the plate, batting .256 with a putrid .307 on-base percentage and .635 OPS. His power is gone as well, evident by his .325 slugging percentage and low home run total, five.

Not to mention, veteran Gary Sheffield is hovering around replacement-level production right now, with only six homers in 209 at-bats.

With a healthy Magglio Ordonez, though, the club still has the firepower and personnel offensively—especially if the aforementioned hitters pick it up in the second half—to score runs down the stretch. Plus, at 49-49, they are only 6.5 games back.

With Jeremy Bonderman out for the year, do they have the pitching to make a run?

Armando Gallaraga has been effective while several of his staff mates have struggled, going 7-4 with a 3.41 ERA and 68-to-37 K/W ratio in 100.1 innings pitched over 16 starts. Gallaraga has been a nice surprise, and is the perhaps the one offseason acquisition—Detroit received him from Texas in exchange for a minor league outfielder shortly before pitchers and catchers reported to spring training—that has exceeded expectations.

Ace Justin Verlander nearly threw his second career no-hitter in his first outing, then struggled through the first two months. He has won six games in his last eight outings, though, and will need to carry over his recent success for the Tigers to play any meaningful games come September.

Regardless, the rest of the pitching staff appears to be too thin in Detroit, which also sits in the middle of the pack in defensive efficiency.

Nate Robertson has a 5.69 ERA and 1.54 WHIP.

Kenny Rogers is 43 years old with 4.62 ERA.

The Tigers’ bullpen has not exactly been stellar, either, as closer Todd Jones has 18 saves but a 4.78 ERA.

The group hopes to receive a boost from Joel Zumaya, who reportedly may move into a starter’s role for the Tigers in the near future.

A postseason invitation seems unlikely, even if the alleged veteran stars actually start living up to their names.

Minnesota Twins: Pretenders—The Twins’ winning streak before the break pushed the team into contention. The odds of Minnesota—21-7 in its last 28 games—maintaining its success, however, are fairly low.

Ron Gardenhire has certainly done a great job of getting his players to play hard.

Even without Pat Neshek, the club still has a decent bullpen, with a lights-out closer in Joe Nathan.

Also, a return to the majors seems inevitable for 2006 sensation Francisco Liriano, who is 8-2 with a 3.34 ERA in 17 starts at Triple-A Rochester.

Regardless, the Minnesota rotation, in the middle of the pack in the majors in starters’ ERA (4.47), is less than stellar. The staff, consisting of Scott Baker (3.26 ERA, 76-to-15 K/W ratio), Nick Blackburn, Glen Perkins, young Kevin Slowey and innings eater Livan Hernandez (10 wins, 5.29 ERA), does not have the makings of a postseason-caliber starting rotation.

Perkins, a local product of the University of Minnesota, has added a boost, going 7-2 with a 3.84 ERA. Regression seems likely for the 25-year-old left-hander, though.

Slowey has been a top prospect in the Twins’ organization ever since he was selected in the second round of the 2005 First-Year draft out of Winthrop University. A control specialist who has drawn comparison to former Minnesota ace Brad Radke, he has excellent command for a 24-year-old. Still, he has only 27 career appearances under his belt.

While Liriano, who missed all of the 2007 season, has a chance to help the Twins in their push for the playoffs, he is still always an injury risk as well.

Even with one of the better bullpens in the AL, the club also ranks 28th in opponents’ batting average (.277) against in the majors while allowing opposing hitters to post a .758 OPS. To put this into perspective, outfielder Delmon Young, expected to make a major impact after coming over from Tampa Bay, has a lower mark, with a .745 OPS.

The team defense is shaky as well, with the Twins currently ranking 22nd in defensive efficiency.

Then how are they doing it?

The answer is simple: offense, as Minnesota is fifth in the majors with 484 runs scored.

With Joe Mauer and former MVP Justin Morneau, the team has two of the better young hitters in the division.

Mauer started the All-Star game after a strong first half, and has a chance to win another batting title; he currently is among league leaders with a .324 batting average and .419 on-base percentage. While he has only hit six homers, Mauer is also one of the best defensive players at a crucial position.

Justin Morneau (Associated Press)

Morneau, the Home Run Derby Champ, has a line of .322/.391/.519, for a .909 OPS.

Carlos Gomez and Young have been disappointments, though, because of their poor plate discipline. Gardenhire would be wise to move Gomez, one of the New York Mets’ top prospects when he was shipped to Minnesota in the Johan Santana deal, out of the leadoff spot. He is an exciting player to watch and fits the description of a prototypical leadoff hitter, but his .285 on-base percentage is the lowest total in the majors among leadoff men.

Without question, the Twins’ offense has really been exceptional when it counts, hitting .313/.385/.460, for an .845 OPS, with runners in scoring position. It is unlikely, obviously, that the club can sustain its knack for collecting big hits in big spots at this level.

Therefore, similar to the Florida Marlins, the Twins are a pretender, because they have relied on unsustainable run production to this point, and are likely to falter when the tremendous clutch hitting regresses back to the mean.

American League West:

Los Angeles Angels: Contenders—

The Angels, 60-38, are coming off a big weekend in which they swept the Red Sox while their biggest competition in the division, the Oakland Athletics, were swept themselves in New York.

The Angels’ lead in the division is now up to nine games over Oakland, which saw its talented general manager Billy Beane deal starters Joe Blanton and Rich Harden in the past month.

The path to the playoffs, then, seems clear for the Angels, who are among the majors’ best teams when it comes to run prevention. Los Angeles has built its roster the right way for playing in Angel stadium, relying on excellent pitching and defense.

The Angels ranks eighth in defensive efficiency, which goes hand-in-hand with the plus starting pitching.

Southpaw Joe Saunders, 12-5 with a 3.05 ERA, and Ervin Santana, 11-3 with a 3.34 ERA, were huge for the Angels when John Lackey was on the shelf. Lackey is back now, and has not missed a beat. He is 7-2 with a 2.58 ERA and 72-to-17 K/W ratio in 12 starts since returning. Jon Garland and Jered Weaver are solid at the back of the rotation as well.

For a team built on pitching and defense—thus likely to be involved in many low-scoring games—it certainly helps to have a capable closer like Francisco Rodriguez, who is on pace to shatter Bobby Thigpen’s single-season record for saves. While Rodriguez is not missing bats as frequently as he has in previous seasons, he has been unhittable at times, picking up 40 saves while posting a 2.25 ERA in 44.0 innings pitched. The 26-year-old right-hander from Venezuela is undoubtedly one of the strongest ninth-inning stoppers in the game.

Do the Angels have enough offense to make a realistic run once they reach the postseason?

Sitting 21st in the league with only 425 runs scored, the answer seems to be, no. The Angels’ inability to score runs is a direct result of a poor .319 on-base percentage, 25th in the league, and .712 OPS, 23rd in the league. Due to the anemic offense, it is no surprise that the A’s actually have a higher run differential, despite being so far back in the division. Perhaps this is why Mike Scioscia was prompted to bunt with one out during a game two weeks ago.

While their pitching gives them a strong chance in a short series, they need to add another bat to take the load off of Vladimir Guerrero, who is leading his team in nearly every offensive statistical category. After struggling out of the gate, Guerrero has rebounded to get his slash stats line up to .287/.347/.496. He also has 17 homers and 53 RBIs, providing production in the middle of a poor lineup.

Gary Matthews Jr. appears to have turned one good season and spectacular catch in Texas into a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal. He is providing his team replacement-level production, for a little under $10-million this season, giving Barry Zito a run for his money as the most overpaid player in California.

In Anaheim, he is not alone in the inability to help create runs, as only two players—Guerrero and Howie Kendrick—have an OPS above .800.

Regardless, Beane continues to sell high, and has conceded for 2008 so the Angels are the easy pick to win the West. The A’s, though, appear to be stocking enough talent to dominate the division for years to come, perhaps ending the Angels’ status as the premier team on the west coast. Oakland remains a pretender, even in the Wild Card for now, but Beane is stockpiling enough talent to realistically make dynastic run as we enter the next decade.

To contact Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

The Tampa Bay Rays won their second consecutive road series on Sunday, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the rubber-match of a three-game set. Backed by Shawn Riggans' 3-for-4 performance and Andy Sonnanstine's seven effective innings, the Rays closed out their road trip with a 5-1 record.

With the Boston Red Sox losing two of three down in Houston, Tampa Bay now has a one-half game lead in the American League East. Even more impressive, the club improved its record to 49-32, the best mark in all of Major League Baseball.

Troy Percival earned his 18th save in 20 chances, striking out two to close the door with a scoreless ninth. It was an important outing for Percival, who had given up a run in his previous three appearances.

"We went 5-1 on the trip and I felt we let one slip away," said Percival, who walked four batters in a shaky ninth inning against the Florida Marlins in his last outing. "You get too that point, you've got a team that's doing something special."

The Rays are the best team in baseball at the midway point, and have relied on their excellent starting pitching and defense to get to there. With Carlos Pena returning to action and an expected offensive turnaround from Carl Crawford—who has had a disappointing first half, .731 OPS—the club has a realistic chance to live up to its 2008 PECOTA projection by winning 88 games, if not more.

Monday marks the opening of a crucial three-game series with the Rays' new rival, the Boston Red Sox, at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay swept Boston at home at the end of April, but lost all three games and several players to suspensions in the entertaining series at Fenway Park earlier in the month. Coco Crisp, the instigator of the infamous brawl between the two division foes, will miss the series, but Jonathan Papelbon—who issued a warning for the Rays following the incident—will likely make an appearance in the next few days.

Regardless of what happens, for the first time—well, ever—a July series at the Trop will actually have a significant impact on the AL East standings. James Shields, who threw a one-hit complete game against Boston on April 27, will take the ball for the Rays. Despite a 5-5 record, Shields ranks second in the AL in complete games (two), ninth in WHIP (1.16) and 11th in strikeouts (83), and has limited opponents to a line of .254/.298/.396 in a team-leading 103.0 innings pitched.

It is only fitting that Shields will take the ball in the opener. It was the talented right-hander, of course, who struck Crisp on that eventful June night, retaliating a day after the Red Sox outfielder went into second base spikes high to take out Tampa Bay second baseman Akinori Iwamura. Iwamura, who is still serving his suspension for his role in the ensuing brawl, was not even the intended target, as Crisp was gunning for Tampa Bay shortstop Jason Bartlett. Shields was dealt the loss that night, though he was ejected after allowing four earned runs in one inning. After a few rough outings, he turned in a strong performance against Florida on Wednesday, when he scattered four hits and allowed only one earned run in the Rays' 15-1 rout down in Miami.

Crisp dodges Shields' punch in the brawl earlier this month. (AP)

It isn't just Red Sox fans packing the Trop anymore, writes Marc Lancaster.

The Red Sox present high stakes for the first-place Rays, writes Mark Topkin.

The two clubs have a history of violence, writes Roger Mooney.

The upstart Rays are no longer an easy prey for the Red Sox, writes Steven Krasner.

Percival Back On Track, Hopefully

While Troy Percival earned the save in the Rays' win on Tuesday in the opener of the series against the Florida Marlins, his shaky performance led to speculation that he was injured. The veteran righty walked a career-high four batters before getting out of the jam by allowing only one earned run. Following the poor showing, he then complained about his left hamstring, which has aggravated him for much of the spring and forced him to spend some time on the disabled list earlier this month. Percival, who came off the DL on June 14, ranks seventh in the American League is saves and has posted a stellar 0.88 WHIP in 27.1 innings pitched. He has also been a tremendous influence on the Rays' younger players, helping to establish a culture of winning in the clubhouse and bullpen. The Rays need him down the stretch, though, so it is crucial for him to stay healthy in the second half.

A few days of rest were good for Percival, whose velocity was back up in the 91-to-92 MPH range on Sunday, writes Joe Smith. Within this notebook there is word that Rocco Baldelli wrapped up his rehab stint with Vero Beach and could jump up a level after he is reevaluated by team doctors on Monday.

Riggans Makes Most Of Start

Tampa Bay backup catcher Shawn Riggans made the most of his start on Sunday afternoon, going 3-for-4 with a homer, his fourth of the year, and two RBIs to lead Tampa Bay to a 4-3 victory in the rubber game of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh. Riggans broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with a solo shot to center field. In a limited role, the 27-year-old backstop is batting .274/.313/.479 with 15 RBIs in 73 at-bats. In his last start behind the plate, Thursday in the Rays' series finale against the Florida Marlins, he doubled and scored a run while catching one of the strongest pitching performances in Tampa Bay history. Matt Garza tossed nine shutout innings, surrendering only a home run to Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez that afternoon. On Sunday, he caught another excellent pitching performance, as Andy Sonnanstine tossed seven strong innings to become the first Rays starter to win nine games this season.

The Rays were far from perfect, but an unlikely hero, Riggans, helped the Rays end their road trip with five wins in six games, writes Joe Smith.

Sonnanstine Earns Ninth Win

Andy Sonnanstine became the first Tampa Bay starter to win nine games on Sunday afternoon, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits in the Rays' 4-3 series–clinching win over the Pirates. Sonnanstine struck out four while walking one to improve to 9-3 on the season. While the 25-year-old Kent State product has had his fair share of run support this season, he has kept his team in nearly every game that he has started. In fact, the Rays are undefeated in his last five outings. His win-loss record is a bit misleading, however, as he entered his start on Sunday with an opponents' line of .303/.331/.474, for the highest OPS against (.805) of any Tampa Bay starter. Scott Kazmir, on the other hand, has posted a stellar .577 opponents' OPS.

With the win, though, the Rays improve to 49-32. And combined with a Red Sox loss, the club now has sole possession of first place in the American League East.

Tampa Bay Minor League Notes:

Cummings: From Taiwan To North Carolina

Jeremy Cummings, a career minor leaguer, has one goal left in his professional career: to reach the majors. Cummings, who began the 2008 season in Taiwan, is perhaps inching closer to that dream with every start. After signing with Durham as a free agent in May, he has been one of the most effective starting pitchers in the International League over the past two months. He tossed seven innings of one-run ball in the Bulls' 5-1 victory over the Richmond Braves on Sunday, improving his record to 7-2. The right-hander has registered a 2.72 ERA in 10 starts. In 59.2 innings pitched, he has allowed only 19 runs, 18 earned, while posting a 55-to-14 K/W ratio and an opponents' batting average of .201. Cummings has come a long way since the St. Louis Cardinals selected him out of West Virginia University in the 1999 draft, but if he can continues to make pitching against Triple-A competition look this easy, his dream of the reaching the majors may just come true after all; if not with Tampa Bay, an organization stacked with pitching prospects, then perhaps another franchise in the future.

Cummings is still going for his dream, writes Madeline Perez.

Davis, Rollins Suffer Losses On Sunday

Wade Davis' record dropped to 7-6 on Sunday, as he allowed all five earned runs in the Biscuits' 5-4 loss to the Mobile BayBears, raising his ERA to 4.14. He struck out seven while only walking one, but surrendered seven hits, including two homers, in the loss.

Heath Rollins was the tough-luck losing pitcher in the Vero Beach Devil Rays' 2-1 loss against the Sarasota Reds on Sunday. Rollins pitched well enough to earn a win, scattering three hits and one earned run in six impressive innings. The Devil Rays' offense, however, could only muster one hit off of four Sarasota pitchers, leaving the former Winthrop star on the hook for the loss.

Rollins enjoyed a fine season in 2007, going 17-4 with a 2.54 ERA, 149-to-38 K/W ratio and .223 opponents' average to guide—along with top prospect Jeremy Hellickson— the Columbus Catfish to the South Atlantic League Championship. He has struggled at times (he drops to 4-7 with the loss) in High Single-A this year. While he does not have the stellar record going for him again, though, the 23-year-old has still posted a 3.90 ERA and 88-to-18 K/W ratio in 94.2 innings pitched.

Other Links:

Evan Longoria is long on talent, writes Chris Harry.

Carl Crawford's four-game suspension provided him with some necessary rest, writes Roger Mooney.

This guy will certainly be at the game tomorrow night, will you?

The Cowbell Kid, by the way, was not happy with how he was portrayed in his Tampa Bay On Demand feature.

I was sorry to hear that Will Leitch is leaving Deadspin, moving on to bigger and better things. But his most recent interview with Buzz Bissinger, the author of Friday Night Lights who verbally assaulted Leitch on Costas Now, is a must read.

Bartlett Is Where He Belongs

I have received some emails saying that Jason Barlett should move up in the lineup, to the leadoff or two spot in the Tampa Bay batting order. Just because a player is "scrappy" or "a good bunter" or a good guy for the "hit-and-run" (really all of the subjective ways people associate with what a leadoff hitter should do) does not mean that they are a good fit for the top of the batting order. As of this writing, Barltett ranks last among those who qualify with a terrible .579 OPS. Yes, he has stolen 15 bases, but any player with a sub-.300 on-base percentage does not deserve to bat anywhere near the top of the lineup, at least not for teams that are in the business of winning baseball games.

Listen, Bartlett's play at shortstop has been a major asset for the Rays, as he provides the club with a capable defensive option at the position for the first time in a long time. But while his poor first-half is based off a relatively small sample size, he does not have the track record, offensively, for Joe Maddon to justify batting him at the top of a major league lineup. While he should improve a bit over the next 81 games—though he tends to cool off in September, with a career batting average of .205 in the month—we are almost at the All-Star break, and he has yet to hit a home run. Even worse, he has only seven extra-base hits in nearly 300 at-bats. Bartlett has stabilized the infield, though, and deserves to play on a regular basis solely for that reason. Any thing that he provides with the bat is really just a bonus. So, yeah, the nine hole is where he belongs.

Now that Barlett's wife, Kelly, has delivered the couple's first child, though, perhaps he will begin to get more selective at the plate.

This article orignally appeared at RaysDigest.com. You can contact Tyler Hissey,  by sending an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.