The Tampa Bay Rays are still the story of the 2008 Major League Baseball season, but their young, raw hitters are having a devil of a time in the week before the All-Star break. During their current losing streak, which reached seven after Sunday’s 5-2 loss in Cleveland and caused them to fall out of first place, the Rays have managed only 13 runs. This comes after a streak in which they won 11 of 12 games, swept the Marlins and Red Sox and scored 82 runs. 

Lengthy droughts are often enigmatic to young, supremely talented hitters like Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton, but probably not to Joe Maddon. The 54-year-old manager of the Rays has not only watched his team win a total of 127 games in the previous two seasons, but also opposing pitchers develop more precise and effective game plans when they started winning. Read more »

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Takashi Saito is set to have an MRI on his ailing elbow Monday, and the first impression of his injury is not good. The Los Angeles Times mentioned the possibility of Saito’s career being over, which may be a kneejerk first reaction, but Saito himself didn’t sound optimistic.

The 38-year old described it as “a sudden tightness” in the elbow, and he was forced to exit in the ninth inning of Saturday night’s loss to the Marlins with a 2-2 count on Wes Helms. Read more »