Rays Clinch Playoff Berth

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

The Rays just became:

•The second team all-time to reach the postseason one year after having baseball's worst record (joining the 1991 Braves).

•The third team to reach the postseason immediately following a streak of 10-plus consecutive losing seasons.

•The fifth team (and first American League team) to reach the postseason one year after losing 95-plus games.

WHO'S YOUR MVP?

•Carlos Pena: In August, with the troops thinned, he had nine homers and 29 RBIs. In September, he hit the biggest homers of his Tampa Bay career in two critical victories against the Red Sox. His defense and leadership are outstanding.

•Evan Longoria: Hands down the American League Rookie of the Year. But he also carried the Rays with his bat and third-base glove before missing 30 games to injury.

•Jason Bartlett: Shortstop was big on the little things, and he solidified Tampa Bay's excellent infield defense.

•Dioner Navarro: From .227 hitter to All-Star. And he had plenty of nice defensive moments behind the plate.

•The bullpen: Hard to believe Tampa Bay relievers actually had a 6.16 ERA last season (worst since the 1950s). What a turnaround to third-best in the American League. Closer Troy Percival had nice early season moments. Grant Balfour and J.P. Howell were major contributors. Dan Wheeler represented late-inning stability. Left-handed batters never wanted to see Trever Miller.

EXPANSION BAROMETER

It took the Rays 11 seasons to reach the playoffs, the seventh-fastest ascension among the 14 expansion teams in baseball since 1961.

TeamDebutPlayoffsYearsMethodDiamondbacks199819992NL WestRockies199319953Wild cardMarlins199319975Wild card*Mets196219698NL East*Royals196919768AL WestBlue Jays197719859AL EastRays1998200811TBDExpos1969198113NL EastBrewers1969198113AL EastPadres1969198416NL West**Angels1961197919AL WestAstros1962198019NL WestMariners1977199519AL WestRangers1961199636AL West *-Won World Series

**-reached World Series

LAST PLACE TO POSTSEASON

The Rays became the 11th team to go from last place to a postseason berth since major league baseball went to divisional play in 1969:

SeasonTeamThe RouteRec.FinishPrevious Season1991TwinsAL West95-67Won World Series74-88 (1990)1991BravesNL West94-68Lost World Series65-97 (1990)1993PhilliesNL East97-65Lost World Series70-92 (1992)1997GiantsNL West90-72Lost NLDS68-94 (1996)1998CubsWild card90-73Lost NLDS68-94 (1997)1998PadresNL West98-64Lost World Series76-86 (1997)1999DiamondbacksNL West100-62Lost NLDS65-97 (1998)2007CubsNL Central85-77Lost NLDS66-96 (2006)2007DiamondbacksNL West90-72Lost NLCS76-86 (2006)2007RockiesWild card90-73Lost World Series76-86 (2006)2008RaysTBD92-61*TBD66-96 (2007) *-with nine games remaining in the regular season

FIVE IMPORTANT HOME RUNS

•WALK-OFF: Gabe Gross, right, led off the 10th inning with a homer off White Sox left-hander Matt Thornton, completing a sweep of Chicago, 4-3, on June 1. Gross, who earlier hit a two-run triple, had been 6-for-64 against lefties.

•CRAWFORD'S SLAM: Carl Crawford's seventh-inning grand slam keyed a seven-run inning June 19. The Rays finished a sweep of the Cubs, 8-3, who had baseball's best record.

•STOP THE BLEEDING: The Rays had a seven-game losing streak following the All-Star break. Then Ben Zobrist's two-out, two-run homer off Toronto's A.J. Burnett provided a 2-1 victory against the Blue Jays on July 18.

•DAN THE MAN: Dan Johnson, called up from Triple-A Durham that morning and unable to reach Fenway Park by game time due to flight delays, smashed a game-tying homer off Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon to lead off the ninth inning and the Rays rallied past Boston, 5-4, on Sept. 9.

•BOSTON MARATHON: Carlos Pena's two-out, three-run homer in the 14th inning over Fenway Park's Green Monster was the winning blow in Tampa Bay's 4-2 win against the Red Sox on Sept. 10.

FIVE KEY DECISIONS

•NEW LOOK: Devil Rays became Rays. Green became blue. Losers became winners. Coincidence? We think not. And have you ever seen more Tampa Bay caps around town?

•TRADE WINDS: In December, the Rays traded malcontent OF Delmon Young, once the overall No. 1 draft pick, and SS Brendan Harris to Minnesota. They acquired SS Jason Bartlett, who solidified the defense, and RHP Matt Garza, who could be an ace for years to come.

•MIXING, MATCHING: Sprinkling in the right veterans - such as OF Eric Hinske, DH Cliff Floyd and RHP Troy Percival - paid major dividends.

•PATIENCE: Last season, most fans wanted catcher Dioner Navarro run out of town. This season, Navarro became an All-Star.

•LOCKING HIM UP: Rookie 3B Evan Longoria, after appearing in only six big-league games, agreed to a contract that could be worth $44.5 million over nine seasons. Given Longoria's offensive and defensive production, it might be a bargain.

FIVE UNCONVENTIONAL VICTORIES

•LATE-INNING DRAMA: Coming off consecutive walk-off losses at St. Louis, the Rays get a two-run homer from Evan Longoria in the 13th inning to beat Oakland, 7-6, on May 19.

•BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK: For the first time in franchise history, the Rays hit three consecutive homers (Longoria, Willy Aybar, Dioner Navarro), jump-starting a 13-4 win against the Angels on June 9.

•WALK THIS WAY: Troy Percival got the save in a 6-4 win against the Marlins on June 24, despite surrendering four walks in the ninth inning. It was just the third time in baseball history for someone to register a save with four or more walks in an inning or less.

•HIT SHOW: Tampa Bay's bizarre 10th-inning rally included three walks, two hit batters and an RBI single. Carlos Pena's bases-loaded walk forced in the winning run as the Rays beat the Tigers, 6-5, on Aug. 3.

•SIX-RUN RALLY: The Rays scored six ninth-inning runs - all with none out - in a 10-7 victory against the Indians on Aug. 6. Trailing 7-4, the Rays got an RBI double by Eric Hinske, a two-run homer from Gabe Gross and a three-run walk-off shot from Pena.

SWEEP SUCCESS

The Rays registered nine three-game series sweeps.

•Blue Jays (April 22-24)

•Red Sox (April 25-27)

•Angels (May 9-11)

•Orioles (May 23-25)

•At Marlins (June 13-15)

•Cubs (June 17-19)

•Red Sox (June 30-July 2)

•Tigers (Aug. 1-3)

•Orioles (Aug. 29-31)

SHUTOUTS

The Rays have tossed 12 shutouts this season (through Sept. 16).

GameDateHighlightsRays 7, Mariners 0April 10Edwin Jackson, Trever Miller combine on three-hitterRays 5, White Sox 0April 19Andy Sonnanstine delivers complete-game three-hitterRays 3, Red Sox 0April 27James Shields allows two hits in his first career shutoutRays 2, Angels 0May 9Shields allows only third-inning single, retires his last 17 battersRays 2, Angels 0May 10Scott Kazmir goes six strong innings, three relievers close itRays 2, Orioles 0May 23Matt Garza allows four hits in 71/3, Troy Percival gets saveRays 2, White Sox 0May 31Kazmir goes seven, leaving it for bullpen by committeeRays 3, Royals 0July 5Sonnanstine goes seven, with help from Howell and BalfourRays 4, Athletics 0July 21Kazmir brilliant with nine strikeouts in seven inningsRays 3, Blue Jays 0July 29Garza goes distance on five-hitter, outduels Roy HalladayRays 7, Rangers 0Aug. 15Garza (no-hitter into sixth) has two-hitter and nine strikeoutsRays 1, Blue Jays 0Aug. 27Garza in control again (with relief help) on a six-hitter WHAT DOES IT MEAN?