Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria looks like an All-Star in his rookie season, which almost certainly means Joe Crede’s All-Star(less) streak will continue. Longoria was 4-for-10 with two walks while fielding his position well in last week’s sweep of Boston, which pushed the Rays’ lead to 3 1/2 games in the AL East.
Tampa Bay is 6-0 at Tropicana Field against the Red Sox and an amazing 18-2 at home against a group of elite teams, including the Yankees, Angels, White Sox and Cubs. It’s no surprise players have begun to believe they are a lot more than a nice first-half story.
David Ortiz created a stir by saying he didn’t believe the Rays can hang on, saying that in the end experience will tilt the race back toward Boston.
“He’s right — history backs him up,” Tampa Bay closer Troy Percival said. “But it’s not going to happen to us. If we don’t win this thing, it’s not going to be because we fall. They will have to come and take it from us. There’s a difference.”
Ace Scott Kazmir is pinching himself about the Rays having climbed 20 games above .500.
“It’s exciting just to hear that, it really is,” he told the St. Petersburg Times. “It is still early. We can’t just think that we’ve already won it right now, because we’re a long way away. But we have the makeup of playing in October. We have the makeup of really making a run.”
Longoria, who made his big-league debut 10 days into the season, went into the weekend hitting .275 with a team-high 15 home runs and 50 RBIs.
“Love him,” said Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley, a member of Boston’s broadcast team.
“This kid is the real deal. He reminds me of an Edgar Martinez and an Alex Rodriguez. And he can play third base. He’s so smooth.”
