Top News:
Bill Chastain / MLB.com:
Rays crowned AL East champions — Club clinches division after Red Sox lose to Yanks at Fenway — DETROIT — Anticlimactic, maybe, but take nothing away from the Rays — the 2008 American League East champions. — After taking a 6-4 loss to the Tigers on Friday night in front of a crowd …
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Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
AL playoff picture takes shape — Rays to start Thursday, while Angels face Red Sox Wednesday — ANAHEIM — From a rain-soaked Fenway Park to a champagne-soaked Rays clubhouse in Detroit to Angels manager Mike Scioscia's office in Anaheim, the American League playoff picture took shape on Friday night.
Bill Chastain / MLB.com:
Resilient Rays remember key moment — Recovery in Boston in early September vital for Tampa Bay — BALTIMORE — Flash back to Boston in early September if you want to remember how the Rays won the American League East. — The vultures were circling overhead, waiting to pick the carcass …
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Painful setback — Lowell aggravates hip as Sox lose game, and hope for division — Mike Lowell returned to the lineup but only for one at-bat, tweaking his injured hip while flying out to left in the first. (Barry Chin/Globe Staff) — By the time Mike Lowell exited last night's …
Discussion:
SOX & Dawgs
Jon Blau / MLB.com:
Manuel pulls out ace in the hole — New York (88-72) vs. Florida (83-76), Saturday, 1:10 p.m. ET — NEW YORK — Jerry Manuel agonized over the decision for days, refusing to reveal his Saturday pitcher until after Friday's loss to the Marlins. Little did anyone else know …
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Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Mets line up greats for Shea finale — Seaver, Piazza, Mays among players expected Sunday — NEW YORK — The names are leaking out, rivaling the stadium itself with their scope. Sunday's Shea Stadium farewell celebration will include appearances from Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Tom Seaver …
Mike Fitzpatrick / Associated Press:Marlins put Mets' playoff hopes in peril
Discussion:
The Musings and Prophecies …
TorontoStPats / Toronto Star:
Jays deliver pitch to A.J. Burnett — A.J. Burnett, in possibly his last game as a Jay, salutes the home crowd. “It was storybook,” Burnett said of the sendoff on Sept. 24, 2008. — Team makes bold move with proposal to add two years, $30 million to righty's existing deal
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Hart, Weeks send Crew atop Wild Card — Mets lose to Fish; Brewers can clinch playoff spot Saturday — MILWAUKEE — At some point on Saturday morning, a local liquor store will deliver 20 cases of champagne and 20 cases of beer to Miller Park's home clubhouse. — Now it's up to the Brewers to pop the cork.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
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Ken Mandel / MLB.com:
Phils trim NL East magic number to one — Howard's homer, Utley's double back Blanton's solid effort — PHILADELPHIA — The ball seared through the mist, rising quickly into the black sky as it went, illuminated only by stadium lights and thousands of white rally towels.
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New York Post:
JETER CALLS BOMBERS' SEASON ‘A WASTED YEAR’ — BOSTON - Derek Jeter sat at his locker as the rain came crashing down at Fenway last night and contemplated life without October baseball. — For the first time in his career, the man who always knows what to do on the baseball field does not know what to do with himself in October.
Jim Peltz / Los Angeles Times:
Jeff Kent, Rafael Furcal want to keep playing — Veteran infielders vying for spots on playoff roster after returning from injuries. — SAN FRANCISCO— Jeff Kent and Rafael Furcal are determined to make the Dodgers' postseason roster after rejoining the team this week and, as of Friday night, Manager Joe Torre concurred.
Discussion:
Associated Press
Kelly Thesier / MLB.com:
Liriano roughed up in blowout loss — Twins maintain half-game lead as White Sox fall as well — MINNEAPOLIS — After pulling off their biggest win of the season on Thursday night against the White Sox, the Twins' veteran players tried everything to assure that the club wouldn't suffer …
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
Latest “This is SportsCenter” Ad to Feature Stephen King — User Rating: / 1 — PoorBest — Is it because the Red Sox are headed to another postseason, or that Halloween is around the corner? — Starting Monday the 29th, the latest ESPN “This is SportsCenter” …
Bill Center / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Black reflects on tough season — With his fate the subject of conjecture, Bud Black reflected on his second season as Padres manager last night. — “It's frustrating the way this season went ... it doesn't feel good, any of it,” Black said. — “This has been a difficult season for all of us …
Discussion:
PBC Blog
Kobrien / On the Yankees beat:
Rivera considering surgery — Mariano Rivera is back with the team, as we await official word for them to cancel this game. Seriously, it's torrential rain out there. I don't know why they haven't called it yet. Even if it stopped right now, the field would be too wet to play.
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