Confidence at Rays’ core
The Rays have won more games than any other team in the American League over the last two seasons, going about their business with a quiet confidence that has the full attention of the Red Sox.
The AL East rivals meet in a best-of-five Division Series that begins Thursday night at Tropicana Field, with the defending league champion Rays looking to take the first step toward a return to the World Series, where they lost to the Dodgers last fall.
With one of baseball’s lowest payrolls and a roster devoid of big names, the Rays win with a youthful, selfless blend of defense, pitching and timely hitting that’s served the team well in reaching the playoffs three consecutive years.
After dropping four straight to the Red Sox early in the season, the Rays have won 11 of the final 15 meetings on the way to claiming their second straight AL East crown by eight games over the big-budget Red Sox and the even heavier spending Yankees.
The Red Sox beat the Yankees 6-2 at home in the AL wild-card game Tuesday night, advancing to face the Rays.
“We have some experience,” center fielder Kevin Kiermaier said Wednesday before turning his thoughts toward a talented collection of rookies who helped the Rays weather injuries to win a franchise-record 100 games.
Rookie shortstop Wander Franco has played up to his billing as the top prospect in baseball since hitting a homer in his major league debut against the Red Sox in June. Young pitchers Shane McClanahan and Shane Baz, who’s only been in the majors a few weeks, are slated to start the first two games of the ALDS.
“I feel like the majority of our roster are guys on league minimum. But, man, we breed them differently over here, I promise you that,” Kiermaier said. “... We got guys who can play.”
La Russa still nervous: A threetime World Series winner, White Sox manager Tony La Russa certainly couldn’t be nervous as his team prepares for the opener of a best-of-five ALDS against the Astros on Thursday.
Except he is — and it has nothing to do with the Hall of Famer being out of the dugout for almost a decade before the White Sox hired him prior to this season.
“I’ve been nervous my whole career,” La Russa said Wednesday. “Right now, I’m nervous because I care . ... If you’re not nervous, then do something else for a living.”
The 77-year-old La Russa returns to the postseason for the first time since winning the 2011 World Series with the Cardinals before retiring. He’ll send Lance Lynn to the mound in Game 1 to face Astros righthander Lance McCullers Jr.
Lynn had a splendid year in his first season with the White Sox, going 11-6 with a careerlow 2.69 ERA in 28 starts.
McCullers also had a career year, setting personal bests in wins (13), ERA (3.16) and strikeouts (185).
It’s the second time these teams have met in the postseason. The White Sox swept the Astros in the 2005 World Series when the Astrors were still a member of the National League.