KEVIN CASH

The Kansas City Royals had qualified candidates to become their next manager already within the organization, including one hired by the Chicago White Sox just this week.

The atmosphere at Petco Park will be absolutely electric when Blake Snell and the Padres face Tony Gonsolin and the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the first playoff game at San Diego's downtown ballpark with fans in the stands in 16 years.

José Ramírez connected for a two-run homer, Shane Bieber dominated Tampa Bay for 7 2/3 innings and the young Cleveland Guardians played with poise in their postseason debut, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 in their wild-card opener.

The Philadelphia Phillies grabbed baseball’s last playoff ticket, and Bryce Harper and company partied into the night.

Jeremy Pena hit an early two-run homer and drove in an insurance run late, lifting the Houston Astros to a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Randy Arozarena hit his 20th homer and drove in six runs as the Tampa Bay Rays beat Toronto 10-6, tying the Blue Jays at the top of the AL wild-card standings.

Wander Franco had three RBIs, Jonathan Aranda homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-5 in the opener of a big four-game series between playoff contenders.

Rays teammates Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena had an altercation after a 4-0 loss to the Astros on Monday, partially prompting Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash to bench both players Tuesday in a 5-0 defeat to Houston.

Rays teammates Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena had an altercation after a 4-0 loss to the Astros on Monday, partially prompting Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash to bench both players Tuesday in a 5-0 defeat to Houston. Arozarena told reporters Wednesday night that there was no physical contact with Díaz, and that there were some little things they needed to address. Arozarena, a breakout star of the 2020 postseason who won AL rookie of the year in 2021, was in Wednesday's lineup.

Tampa Bay Rays ace Shane McClanahan was pulled in the fifth inning with neck tightness during a 5-0 loss to the Houston Astros.

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays got another impressive start Friday from Shane McClanahan, and their mostly usual strong bullpen work. They got a tying clutch hit from Randy Arozarena and created several other opportunities. But they lost — stop us if you’ve heard this before — because they can’t stop making outs on the bases. The final score was 3-2 Royals in 10 innings, the winning run coming on a ...

Tampa Bay Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder injured himself walking toward the mound to visit ace Shane McClanahan during the seventh inning of a 9-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

The Tampa Bay Rays already have 15 players on the injured list. Now pitching coach Kyle Snyder might be on the shelf, too. Snyder injured himself walking toward the mound to visit ace Shane McClanahan during the seventh inning of a 9-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.

Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso swing away as the Subway Series starts up at Citi Field on Tuesday night with both New York teams in first place.

Red Sox lefty Chris Sale is set to make his season debut when he starts against Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night.

Mark Kolozsvary scored on a game-ending balk by Matt Wisler in the 10th inning, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 26th and 27th home runs, Jose Trevino delivered a two-run shot that put New York ahead in the eighth inning and the Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4.

Gerrit Cole took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, Aaron Hicks hit a tiebreaking triple in the ninth as Manuel Margot slammed into the right-field wall and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 for their 50th win.

Anthony Rizzo hit a solo home run with one out in the ninth inning and the streaking New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 for their 14th straight home win.

Shane McClanahan pitched eight superb innings to win his fifth consecutive start and the Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a 2-1 victory.

"It's not judgmental. It's not looking down," said one of the players in a statement, citing religious beliefs.

A number of Tampa Bay Rays players decided not to wear rainbow-colored logos on their uniforms as part of the team’s annual “Pride Night” on Saturday that recognized the LGBTQ community.

The Rays have put shortstop Wander Franco on the 10-day injured list with a right quadriceps strain, the latest setback for the injury-plagued team.

Randy Arozarena hit a pair of homers, Jeffrey Springs threw shutout ball into the sixth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays spoiled the debut of Baltimore Orioles top prospect Adley Rutschman with a 6-1 victory.

Vidal Bruján got an RBI double leading off the 10th inning for his first hit of the season, and the Tampa Bay Rays rebounded from their no-hit loss with a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

New York Mets ace Max Scherzer starts at night against Bryce Harper and the Phillies at Citi Field.

Cole Irvin pitched into the seventh inning,and the Oakland Athletics beat Tampa Bay 6-3 to take three of four from the Rays, Irvin allowed three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings as the rebuilding A’s under new manager Mark Kotsay improved to 4-3.

Two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber looked good in his debut with the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching into the fifth inning to help the defending AL East champions beat Baltimore 8-0 and complete a season-opening sweep of the Orioles.

Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash has become the second skipper to win Manager of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons, taking this year's American League award.

The AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays saw their record-setting season come to a sudden end Monday night when they lost to the Boston Red Sox 6-5 in Game 4 of their Division Series and were eliminated in the best-of-five playoff.

The Astros are facing renewed suspicions over sign stealing two years after being punished by the league for a scandal during their 2017 World Series run.

Boston fans hope to enjoy plenty of runners -- and runs -- on a big sports Monday in town.

For runners in this year's Boston Marathon, it all starts before race day and 26.2 miles away from Main Street in Hopkinton.

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The Tampa Bay Rays have won more games than any other team in the American League over the past two seasons, going about their business with a quiet confidence that has the full attention of the Boston Red Sox.

Drew Rasmussen and three relievers combined for a three-hitter, Brandon Lowe and Ji-Man Choi both homered and the Tampa Bay Rays coasted past the Houston Astros 7-0, giving them the No. 1 seed in the American League playoffs.

The Houston Astros walked off to end a wild ninth-inning rally against the Tampa Bay Rays, moving closer to securing a postseason berth. The party will have to wait one more day at least, with the Seattle Mariners stubbornly sticking around. Rays reliever JT Chargois walked two Houston batters with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, propelling the Astros to a 4-3 win that snapped a four-game skid.

The Tampa Bay Rays clinched their second straight AL East title, with Mike Zunino hitting a go-ahead homer and Brandon Lowe later adding a pair of RBI doubles to beat the Miami Marlins 7-3.

Kevin Kiermaier was hit by a pitch after scooping up a Toronto scouting report two days earlier, and the Tampa Bay Rays clinched a postseason berth with a 7-1 victory over the Blue Jays.

Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier says he is shocked by reaction to his scooping up a scouting a card that fell out of Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk’s wristband.

Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash apologized to Blue Jays management a day after Rays veteran Kevin Kiermaier scooped up a scouting data card that fell out of Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk’s wristband and refused to give it back.

Miguel Cabrera got his ninth straight hit before the string ended, Jonathan Schoop launched a grand slam and the Detroit Tigers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-4 Friday night. Rays rookie shortstop Wander Franco extended his on-base streak to 39 games, then left in the first inning with tightness in his right hamstring. “We'll know more, but hopefully we caught it early enough,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

Tampa Bay Rays rookie Wander Franco extended his on-base streak to 39 games, then exited in the first inning against Detroit because of tightness in his right hamstring.

Austin Meadows hit a tying, inside-the-park homer in the ninth inning, Nelson Cruz had a go-ahead single in the 10th and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied from a six-run deficit to beat the Boston Red Sox 11-10.

Blake Snell threw seven hitless innings before being pulled for a reliever, and San Diego lost its bid for a combined no-hitter in the eighth inning when Arizona’s David Peralta dropped a bloop single into shallow left field in the Padres' 3-0 win.

Wander Franco extended his on-base streak 30 games with a two-run single, fellow rookie Luis Patiño pitched neatly into the sixth inning and the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays won their eighth in a row, beating the Boston Red Sox 6-1.

One day after firing pitching coach Larry Rothschild, the slumping San Diego Padres begin a three-game series Tuesday night against the NL West rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bobby Dalbec drove in a career-high five runs, Xander Bogaerts and Hunter Renfroe each had four RBIs and the Boston Red Sox routed the Tampa Bay Rays 20-8.

Tampa Bay’s Francisco Mejía singled with the bases loaded in the ninth, Boston’s Hunter Renfroe made a costly error on the play, and it helped the Rays rally past the Red Sox 8-4 on Tuesday night.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts might be making a return to the injured list after he was scratched from the lineup on Tuesday night on Philadelphia with a sore right hip.

As five dozen players sat outside Coors Field ahead of the All-Star Game, they looked forward to the Greatest Sho on Earth.

Shohei Ohtani will be the American League’s starting pitcher in Tuesday’s night’s All-Star Game and will bat leadoff, too, as the designated hitter.

Shohei Ohtani plans to pitch and hit in his first All-Star Game next week.

Four Houston Astros were among those selected to Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game showcasing the season’s best in the sport.

Shohei Ohtani achieved a first in the near century history of baseball’s All-Star Game: selection as both a hitter and a pitcher.

Getty ImagesHouston - If Wednesday's two National League Division Series Game 5 matchups are any indication, Thursday's American League Division Series Game 5 at Minute Maid Park between the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays could be a classic. ColeHe went just over seven innings in Game 2 on Saturday and didn't give up a run while striking out 15 Rays hitters. It was his 10th straight game with 10 or more strikeouts, which is a Major League Baseball record. The guy has been lights out since late May and when he's on the bump the Astros simply win games. We have seen several great plays from both the Astros and Rays throughout the first four games.

Getty ImagesJustin Verlander will start on three days of rest as the Astros try to put away the Rays in Game 4 of their AL Division Series at Tampa Bay. It will be Verlander's second career start on short rest - the other came after a one-inning, rain-shortened appearance in the 2011 ALDS. Never know what can happen," Verlander said after the Astros' 10-3 loss in Game 3 on Monday. "You can't put all your eggs in one basket and say if we lose tomorrow, we've got Justin and Gerrit (Cole) for Game 5. OTHER PLAYOFF NEWS The Cardinals and Braves are off before Wednesday's decisive Game 5 in Atlanta.

Getty ImagesHOUSTON - Justin Verlander looked every bit the October ace, Jose Altuve polished his postseason resume and the Houston Astros kept rolling, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 Friday to open their AL Division Series. Tampa Bay got its only hit off Verlander when Brandon Lowe singled to start the fifth. He struck out George Springer, but Altuve then tagged him for a two-run homer, lining a fastball into the left field seats. The Astros added two more runs in the seventh after Bregman walked and stole second base. Tampa Bay hit four home runs in its wild-card win Wednesday at Oakland, but did nothing until Verlander left.

Houston will start Justin Verlander in Game 1 of the AL Division Series against Tampa Bay on Friday, followed by Gerrit Cole on Saturday night in Game 2 and Zack Greinke in Mondays Game 3. Despite their penchant for openers, the Rays will go with three true starters in the first three games of this series. Tyler Glasnow will start Game 1, 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell gets Game 2 and Charlie Morton, who got the win in their wild-card game against Oakland Wednesday night, will start Game 3. Some things to know about the ALDS between the Rays and Astros:Correa read to goHouston shortstop Carlos Correa is healthy and will start Game 1. And in the meeting with the team, Cash was amused by the introduction Hinch gave him.

It all begins in the ALDS and a date with the Tampa Bay Rays starting Friday. This season the Rays won 4 of the 7 head to head meetings with the Astros with three of those wins coming in the season opening series . It's unique but it have proven to get results and that's why the Rays are in the ALDS and a dangerous opponent for the Astros. KEYS FOR THE ASTROS TO ADVANCE PAST THE RAYSARMS RACELet's face it, the Astros are deep and everyone knows it. They will throw out Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke in the first three games of the ALDS.. Verlander and Cole each made two starts against the Rays this season while Greinke made one while with the Astros.

It all begins in the ALDS and a date with the Tampa Bay Rays starting Friday. This season the Rays won 4 of the 7 head to head meetings with the Astros with three of those wins coming in the season opening series . It's unique but it have proven to get results and that's why the Rays are in the ALDS and a dangerous opponent for the Astros. KEYS FOR THE ASTROS TO ADVANCE PAST THE RAYSARMS RACELet's face it, the Astros are deep and everyone knows it. They will throw out Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke in the first three games of the ALDS.. Verlander and Cole each made two starts against the Rays this season while Greinke made one while with the Astros.

HOUSTON - Ji-Man Choi put Tampa Bay ahead with a two-run double in the seventh, Travis d'Arnaud homered and drove in four, and the Rays beat the Houston Astros 9-8 Thursday to avoid a three-game sweep. Tommy Pham had an RBI single off Chris Devenski (2-3), and Choi brought in two more with a drive to center. Houston ended a seven-game winning streak, and the Rays snapped a season-high four-game road skid. D'Arnaud put Tampa Bay up 4-2 with a two-run homer in the fourth and added an RBI single in the sixth to tie it at 5. Houston again pulled within one run when Josh Reddick made it 8-7 with an RBI single in the seventh.