ARLINGTON, Texas – Joe Maddon and the Tampa Bay Rays have been in playoff mode for about three weeks.
Now comes the real postseason after finally taking over and winning the AL wild card in their last at-bat of their last game of the regular season.
“That is so unthinkable to do what we did,” said Maddon, whose team had to come back from a nine-game deficit in the final month and then trailed by seven runs in the final game. “We’ve been doing this to his mental level since Sept. 9 (at Boston).”
A tired Tampa Bay team plays the opener Friday in a division series rematch against the defending AL champion Texas Rangers.
Texas won its last six games and 14 of 16 to set a franchise record with 96 victories, just enough to earn the same home-field advantage that meant absolutely nothing when the two teams played last October.
The visitor won
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