Daily Playoff Pitch: Giants the big winners; Tampa Bay has an advantage

Here is more news about our #1 baseball team - the Tampa Bay Rays:

 

Tampa Bay positioned itself for a big finish. Look who has the best record in baseball (hint: They don't play in the AL East). If it's Friday -- actually, just about any day -- there must be a change atop the NL West.

  Thursday's heroes

  Another shutout for the Giants, their second in three nights at Chicago, but Juan Uribe made that a minor factor in the 13-0 victory that helped San Francisco jump over San Diego into the NL West lead, the fifth time those two teams have swapped spots in the past seven days. Uribe hit two homers, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs in a nine-run second inning. San Francisco's 19-hit outburst began against Ryan Dempster, who had a 14-inning shutout streak entering the game. The seven hits off Dempster in 15 batters were as many as he had allowed in the 14-inning streak. In their past nine games, the Giants have scored two or fewer runs six times. They have 10, nine and 13 in the other three games.

Carl Crawford's two-run single, his second hit of the inning, capped a seven-run sixth against CC Sabathia and Joba Chamberlain as the Rays beat the Yankees 8-3 to split the four-game series in New York. Tampa Bay is back within a half-game of the Yankees, who won the first two games of the series. B.J. Upton's two-run double greeted Chamberlain after Sabathia left trailing 4-3 and the bases loaded. The victory also gives the Rays the season series against New York, 10-8, which would decide the AL East if the two teams tie.

 

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