Season at the point of unraveling?

[craig01]

Iwamura done for the year.

No closer. At all.

Bullpen can't be trusted on any given night with any given lead.

Barlett out for a couple of weeks while leading the AL in batting..

Burrell (never really hurt before) has a neck problem and has been unproductive and on the DL.

Pitching staff blows a 10 zip lead.

Maddon still gives players days off when they are not needed.

Kazmir has major control issues.

Sonnanstine may be better as a hitter than a starter.

Price doesn't appear ready.

Defense has been sloppy.

Leadoff hitter (Upton) has yet to reach .200 after 40+ games and K's once every 3 AB's.

Maddon's bizarre game management last year has repeated itself only this time with a backfire.

This is not fun.

[craig01]

Iwamura done for the year.

No replacement in sight

No closer. At all.

The bullpen is ranked 4th in AL ERA, but chokes when it matters.

Barlett out for a couple of weeks while leading the AL in batting..

Nothing has changed, and Brignac forgot to bring his bat

Burrell (never really hurt before) has a neck problem and has been unproductive and on the DL.

Still out, status unknown......hmmmm

Maddon still gives players days off when they are not needed.

I can see it if a guy is banged up, slumping, or whatever....but in April? May? Maddon can be a knucklehead.

Kazmir has major control issues.

It took a fake stint on the DL to "discover" that Kazmir had mechanical issues. Just what does pitching coach Jim Hickey do?

Price doesn't appear ready.

He's pitched fairly well in his last 2 starts. Time will tell.

Defense has been sloppy.

Nothing has changed especially since the middle infield is gone. Navarro, behind the plate has been nothing short of lazy, fundamentally unsound, unproductive at the plate. All Star?

Leadoff hitter (Upton) has yet to reach .200 after 40+ games and K's once every 3 AB's.

BJ is at .220 and climbing.....after a third of the season.

Maddon's bizarre game management last year has repeated itself only this time with a backfire.

Nothing has changed. He's nuts.

This is not fun.

Despite all of the issues, the Rays are just a solid week away from being a factor...or a bad week from being forgotten.

[craig01]

41-35.

Everything beginning to fall in place.

Guess not (unraveling).

[Diehardmagicfan]

IT is looking a lot better for the rays as of late. They are in the series with the JAys and can create some seperation from them and they need the yankees to start losing and also the red sox. But they are looking a lot of better.

[craig01]

It's time for the rotation to kick it into gear.

Price, Kazmir need to kick it up a notch.

This team can not contend with 2 weak links in the rotation.

[Diehardmagicfan]

Kazmir didn't look good at all. HE gave up 7 runs he needs to pick it up. Luckily Rays offense was really good.

[craig01]

Kazmir used to throw his fastball at 92-93.

Last night I don't think he ever got past 90, with most being 88-89.

Something is wrong with him.

[Optimus_Steel]

Something is seriously wrong with Kazmir. He has gone from being one of the best starters in the AL to someone that may lose his spot on the rotation. And this is the second year in a row that he has struggled.

[TheChaser]

Well, if anything the youth should help for a second half surge. Boston and New York are always relatively older.

[craig01]

Especially if Kazmir and Price find some consistency/

[Shootdabull]

I was looking at the games for the weekend and noticed you guys have a big weekend series coming up. I think you have a decent shot. I suspect Shields knocks off Balt today then its.... Yanks vs Bos & Rays vs Tex. You can pick up some nice ground for the wild card - good luck! I have not been paying very close attention to the Rays - what happened to Akinori?

[craig01]

Iwamura tore his ACL in April.

He may be back in September.

What's funny about this year, is the Rays actually control their own destiny with 6 games each against Boston and Texas.

Theyll need to become consistent as a team though....which has plagued them all year.

[Shootdabull]

Tough loss yesterday. Big series good luck!

I cut some snipets on the series from T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com (Rays are getting respect & Kaz sounds like he is ready to go:

08/20/09 11:10 PM ET

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers will play 15 of his next 19 games on the road and, as far as Michael Young is concerned, they begin the odyssey against the team to beat in the American League.

"To get to the World Series, you have to go through Tampa Bay," Young said. "They are the defending champions, so you have to find a way to beat them. There is no doubt you have to go through them. This is a team that last year found a way to get it done and there is no doubt they can still get it done."

"We're going to find out what we're about because they know what they're about. We certainly have to go up there and pitch and play defense because if they start to getting all over the basepaths, we're in trouble."

This is the Rangers' first and only trip to Tropicana Field, where they are 5-12 over the past four years. Sunday's game will be broadcast nationally on TBS.

"It's going to be a huge series," said Rays starter Scott Kazmir, who will be on the mound on Friday night. "We know what they're going to have. They're going to have their guys out there ready to hit the ball out of the ballpark, so it's just a matter of executing pitches, and don't leave anything too good for these guys, because there are a lot of power hitters in that lineup."

[craig01]

The Rangers scare me.

Now that they've found some reliability with their rotation, they just could be dangerous.

[Shootdabull]

Well you came out ahead in the weekend. Then my guys blow two in in a row in the ninth and get swept by the bosox ugh! We cost you in the standings, tough day..........

[craig01]

It was for all.