Taking a Look at the Rays in Week Two and Looking Forward to Week Three

The Tampa Rays have been able to pick up the pace and stay in contention with this past weeks play.  Starting 0-6 and a surprise retirement by Ramirez, they have stayed the course and gained valuable ground by playing with consistency.  Winning four in a row has the Rays just 2.5 games out of first and have pulled ahead of the Boston Red Sox who are in last.

Run production and slugging percentage jumped from 32^nd to 22^nd while team batting average and on base percentage remained relatively the same.  The difference from week one to week 2 has certainly been pitching.  Only the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles have allowed less runs in the division than the Tampa Rays.

Wade Davis pitched an impressive 7 innings against the Twins on Friday night and earning his first win of the season.  Kyle Farnsworth has three saves on the season to date and has factored in on last weeks success.

Johnny Damon has a total of three homeruns this past week and one was a walk off.  BJ Upton continues to be consistent and Sam Fuld was called up from AAA and will make a run at filling the role of the recently vacated DH/LF spot in the lineup.  Manager Joe Maddon will now have to reconsider his original plans now that the lineup has changed.

Winning consistently was exactly what had to be done over the past week, and that is what the Rays accomplished.  More run production should increase with the present lineup and will keep the Rays chances alive.  Over the next week, the Twins, White Sox, and Blue Jays will take the field against the Rays.  If the pitching performances have the same success and offense increases, then things will change fast in the AL East.  Baltimore is starting to fade to reality status and the Yankees are looking to pull ahead to first place.