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Scary-good Rays finally have something going

The Associated Press

B.J. Upton, with manager Joe Maddon, says the Rays play without fear when they play well.

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 29, 2009

ST. PETERSBURG - He had just pitched into the seventh inning, allowing just two hits and a single run.

Give that young man a win.

And give his team a five-game winning streak.

David Price says he feels his fastball, change and slider are getting there.

"When I get all the things going at the same time, it's going to be fun," he said.

The same can be said of his team.

And the Tampa Bay Rays got a little closer Sunday, too.

They swept the Florida Marlins with a 5-2 win.

For the first time this season, the Rays passed the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East standings. They're seven games over .500 as they head into Toronto tonight.

Granted, Roy Halladay awaits, and that's never easy.

But things are coming together, especially at the Trop.

For the third homestand running, the Rays went 5-1.

That's 10 of their last 11 and 16 of their last 19 at home. Since May 15, they have the best home record in baseball. That part, at least, feels like last season. They just finished up interleague play with a 13-5 record.

They've hit 100 homers and stolen 118 bases in 77 games, the fastest time to hit and steal 100 in baseball history.

They've got those kind of numbers going right now.

They've got something going - period.

That's the thing about these guys:

When they look good, as they do right now, no one looks better.

They're scary good when they're good.

"We're a club without a lot of fear when we play well," said center fielder B.J. Upton, who has shaken off a dreadful start. He hit a home run in Sunday's win. He's hitting .319 over his last 35 games after hitting .177 in his first 34 games.

It has been like that lately for a lot of guys on this team.

It doesn't mean anything for sure, but, well …

"All the components are working again," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

The starting pitching, the hitting, the bullpen, the defense.

Yes, it could all go away, but it didn't last week.

"We're kind of playing the baseball we expect from ourselves," Maddon said.

Finally.

It's the baseball we've been expecting, too.

As to whether we expect it to last, well, right now, they're close. You watched Price look close on Sunday. His team seemed right behind him.

It would be fun, wouldn't it?

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