Phew...
The Rays were 6 outs away from an ALDS exit but finally got to Yankee closer Jake Cross for 2 runs in the 8th to take a 5-4 win over the pesky New Yorkers and advance to the ALCS to take on Seattle. Cross looked like business as usual when he whiffed Doug Johns to lead off the 8th with New York up 4-3 - at that point he had gone 6 1/3 hitless against the Rays in this series with 11 Ks. But Dan Gregory singled off him and stole second, and Tomas Laboy singled to left to bring home Gregory with the tying run. Cross retired Dave Frick, but Jose Mendez pinch-hit for Tony Cordova and drilled a triple into the LCF gap to score Laboy and give the Rays the lead. The job still wasn't done of course and although Chris Martin gave up two singles in the 9th, he erased the first one with a double play and got a called third strike to start the celebration, one more of relief than elation. Josh Alexander had a 2-run homer to erase an early 2-0 Yankee lead and was named MVP of the series, but was almost a goat when he tried stretching a double into a triple in the 7th with the Rays trailing 4-3 but was thrown out.
Next up: Game 1 of the ALCS at Publix Park against the Mariners, with Jim Brophy on the bump.