Devil Rays Still Have Some Life Left in Them

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays did not play like the worst team in the majors.

Andy Sheets’ game-winning RBI single with two out in the bottom of the 10th inning led the Devil Rays to a 3-2 win over New York at St. Petersburg, Fla., Thursday night, keeping the Yankees’ magic number for clinching the AL East at two.

The Devil Rays became the first team since the 1964 New York Mets to take a series from a first-place team after eclipsing 100 losses. Tampa Bay is 2-18-3 in its last 23 series.

After losing two of three at Tampa Bay, the Yankees head to Detroit to begin a three-game series tonight as they try to clinch their fifth straight division title. Any combination of two New York wins or Boston losses will clinch it.

“I thought we played well,” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said. “We just didn’t score.”

Aubrey Huff hit a one-out single off Sterling Hitchcock (1-2) in the 10th and went to third on Ben Grieve’s double. After Toby Hall was intentionally walk, Hitchcock fell behind 3-and-0 before striking out Jared Sandberg. After falling behind 0-and-2, Sheets took two pitches before singling to left.

“I hung a split,” Hitchcock said. “I’ve always been pretty good at wiggling out of jams. It’s frustrating.”

“I had faced him in a rehab start, and with two strikes he threw that split,” Sheets said. “So I was waiting for it.”

Tampa Bay tied it at 2-2 when Randy Winn hit a solo homer off Steve Karsay in the eighth-- New York’s second blown eighth-inning lead in the series. The Yankees had converted 12 straight saves since closer Mariano Rivera went out with an injury before this series.

The Yankees fell one game behind Oakland for the race for best record in the AL.

“They’re playing for something,” Tampa Bay Manager Hal McRae said. “They really needed to win. We played with a heck of a club. We got it done.”

Esteban Yan (7-8) worked a scoreless inning for the win.

Alfonso Soriano went two for five, including an RBI single that put the Yankees up 2-1 in the fifth. He had nine hits in 15 at-bats during the series.

Soriano remains one homer short of becoming the fourth player to have 40 homers and 40 steals in the same season. Soriano hit his 39th homer Tuesday.

Jose Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996) and Alex Rodriguez (1998) are members of the 40-40 club. Soriano would become the only one with 40 doubles during the same season.

Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams was out of the lineup for the second straight game because of mild inflammation behind his left knee. He flew out to the warning track as a pinch-hitter in the 10th.

Toronto 9, Baltimore 3--Shannon Stewart had a career-high five hits, and rookie Mark Hendrickson pitched eight innings of four-hit ball at Baltimore.

Mike Bordick of the Orioles played his 101st consecutive errorless game at shortstop, tying the major league record set by Rey Ordonez in 1999-2000. Bordick also hit a two-run homer.

Minnesota at Detroit--The game between the Twins and Tigers was canceled due to rain with the Twins leading 9-0 in the second inning.

The game will not be made up. The Twins have clinched the AL Central and the Tigers have been eliminated.