The wait is over. The Tampa Bay Rays won their first American League East title late on Friday night when the Boston Red Sox lost to the New York Yankees 8-19. The Rays lost 4-6 to the Tigers in Detroit earlier and had to sit through the rain-delayed Boston loss before celebrating their championship.
Manager Joe Maddon and a few of the players remained in the clubhouse at Comerica Park to watch the Red Sox game. Others watched it at Detroit's MGM Grand and back at the team hotel.
"It's one of those things where it's something you've fantasized about your whole life," Maddon said. "You can't believe it. You have to kind of wait and sit back. It just feels fantastic right now, wonderful."
After the Red Sox lost, Carlos Pena hugged teammate B.J. Upton and yelled, "I told you we could do it! I told you we could do it!"
"Unbelievable," Pena conceded. "It just feels unbelievable."
Tampa Bay, which had never won more than 70 games in a season, became the first team other than Boston and New York to win the division since Baltimore did it in 1997.
The Rays also became the first AL team in the divisional era to finish with the worst record in its league then win its division in the following year, according to Stats, LLC. Atlanta in 1991 and the Chicago Cubs in 2007 also accomplished the feat.
Their mantra was "98" - which essentially means nine players playing hard for nine innings every day equals one of eight playoff spots.
Elsewhere in the AL, it was: Blue Jays 3, Orioles 0 (in seven innings, rain) Royals 8, Twins 1 Cavaliers 11, White Sox 8 Rangers 12, Angels 1 and Mariners 10, Athletics 8.
In the National League, it was: Phillies 8, Nationals 4 Marlins 6, Mets 1 Cardinals 7, Reds 6 Astros 5, Braves 4 Brewers 5, Cubs 1 Pirates 6, Padres 3 Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 4 and Giants 6, Dodgers 5 (in 10 innings).
In Detroit, Gary Sheffield hit two home runs and Ramon Santiago also went deep in the Tigers' victory.
"We were definitely disappointed, it would have been nice to win it on the field," Pena said after the loss.
Sheffield, who returned from a four-game suspension for fighting with Cleveland pitcher Fausto Carmona, has 499 career home runs.
Home run milestone
"It wasn't something I thought about," Sheffield said about the 500-home run milestone.
Santiago homered for the third time in two days and Justin Verlander (11-17) won his first game since August 22. He allowed two runs and five hits in five innings, walking three and striking out eight.
Upton homered and drove in two runs for the Rays.
Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 12th save in 18 chances. He allowed a run on first baseman Miguel Cabrera's error, but escaped a second and third, two-out jam by getting Jason Bartlett to fly out.
Andy Sonnanstine (13-9) gave up five runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Rays.
In Boston, Cody Ransom pinch hit for Derek Jeter and went 3-for-3 with two homers, Robinson Cano tied a career-high with five RBI and Brett Gardner had a career-high four RBI for the Yankees.
With the loss, Boston will face the Los Angeles Angels in the first round of the playoffs.
The Yankees scored in each of the first five innings to open a 13-4 lead and chase Daisuke Matsuzaka substitute David Pauley, who was making his second start of the season. Pauley (0-1) allowed six runs and seven hits with eight outs.
David Robertson (4-0) struck out three in two innings of scoreless relief for the victory.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily September 28, 2008)