Rays midseason report: the best and worst

The Tampa Bay Rays are in the hunt, and they'll take it.

They have the second-best record in baseball and are two games behind the defending World Series champion Yankees.

They are healthy. They lead the American League in ERA. They have two pitchers with double-digit wins: David Price with 12, Matt Garza with 10. They have an airtight bullpen and Gold Gloves sprinkled around the defense.

Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria are two of the most exciting players in baseball.

The owner said they could be buyers as the trade deadline nears, but that remains to be seen.

Much was expected of this team, and the Rays have delivered.

They're unbelievably hot start - they were 32-12 on May 23 - enabled them to withstand a sluggish June. They have won 12 of their past 14 to get back to 20 games above .500, and they headed into the All-Star break as a team very much looking forward to the second half of the season.

"We're in the hunt," Ben Zobrist said. "That's all we can ask for."

Here's a look back at the first half of the season.

MVP

Left fielder Carl Crawford is having his best season, providing punch near the top of the order and making Gold Glove plays nearly every game.

Then there is closer Rafael Soriano, who is 23-for-23 in ninth-inning save opportunities. Soriano provides the hammer in the back of the bullpen that was missing in 2009. His presence allows the rest of the relievers to pitch in familiar roles as they build a bridge to the closer. The bullpen has played a role in all but four of the Rays' 52 victories. (Rays starters have four complete games.)

Call Soriano MVP 1. Call Crawford MVP 1A.

Most pleasant surprise

John Jaso was close to being an afterthought during spring training, but with some strongly worded advice from Manager Joe Maddon, he reinvented himself as a catcher.

He got a break when Kelly Shoppach went on the disabled list the second week of the season, and he has turned into one of the Rays' more consistent hitters.

You might want to include Sean Rodriguez, who has pushed his way into becoming the everyday second baseman and can also help the Rays in the outfield.

Biggest disappointment

Pick one from the following: Carlos Pena (.203, 18 HR, 54 RBIs), B.J. Upton (.230, 7, 30) and Jason Bartlett (.231, 2, 32). All three bring Gold Glove defense on a nightly basis, but their offense has been woefully lacking.

Pena has been struggling to hit .200 but leads the team in home runs.

Bartlett is batting 100 points lower than he did at this point last year, when he was an All-Star.

Upton is finally healthy, which makes his production at the plate maddening. He also leads the club in dugout altercations provoked.

This one goes to Upton by a nose.

Best offseason move

The Internet didn't exactly buzz with the news that the Rays signed Joaquin Benoit just before the start of spring training. That Benoit missed all of last year while he rehabilitated after shoulder surgery placed a big question mark on the right-hander's back.

But where would the Rays be without Benoit? His ability to get out right-handers (.122 batting average) and left-handers (.083) made him the perfect fit for the void created when J.P. Howell went down in spring training with a shoulder injury that eventually ended his season. With 13.32 strikeouts per nine innings, Benoit has been a nearly flawless setup man to Soriano.

Worst offseason move

Same as last year: Pat Burrell.

This time, the Rays' inability to trade the underachieving DH meant his bat was in the lineup again as the season started. Actually, not trading Burrell for Milton Bradley turned out to be a great move, but the Rays were still saddled with Burrell until they released him in May. Hank Blalock was an upgrade, but they Rays just couldn't find the at-bats for Blalock. Now he's gone, too.

All told, Rays DHs are batting .237 with seven home runs and 47 RBIs. That's far too little production for an important part of the lineup.

High point

Jason Bartlett's single in the 10th inning Sunday scored Carl Crawford with the winning run in the victory that allowed the Rays to finish the first half with a 6-1 homestand and enabled them to climb to 20 games above .500 for the second time this season.

The Rays think their June swoon is behind them and they took some needed momentum into the second half of the season, which begins Friday against the Yankees in New York.

Confidence is so important when trying to hunt down the Yankees in the AL East, and the confidence has returned to the Rays.

Low point

As bad as it was to be on the wrong end of Dallas Braden's perfect game, being no-hit by Edwin Jackson was worse. Braden had a magical afternoon, shared by only 20 pitchers in major-league history. Jackson's no-hitter was far from a gem.

Jackson walked eight batters, hit another, threw 149 pitches and still managed to hold the Rays hitless. Jackson's night underscored just how punchless the Rays' offense can become, a major concern as the team heads into the second half of the season.

It also was the third time in less than a year that the Rays were held hitless - two perfect games and a no-hitter.

Injury report

The Rays have been fortunate. Season-ending shoulder surgery on left-handed reliever J.P. Howell was the biggest injury to hit this team. Kelly Shoppach missed nearly eight weeks after knee surgery.

Carl Crawford is playing through a sore left shoulder. Pitcher Jeff Niemann left Sunday's start after five innings because of back soreness. Neither is believed to be an issue heading into the second half.

Second-half outlook

The Rays need more production at the plate from Carlos Pena, B.J. Upton and Jason Bartlett. James Shields and Wade Davis have to find a way to win more than they lose.

They have to keep the pressure on the Yankees and be ready to pounce should the Yankees hit a rough patch. They also have to hold off the Red Sox. A daunting task, but the Rays believe they have the pieces to finish the job.

Of course, it wouldn't hurt to add another bat to the offense.

Expect the race to go down to the final days of the season. Expect more survivors than winners.