Pena flattered by All-Star support

The Rays' campaign for Carlos Pena to become Tampa Bay's fifth player at the All-Star Game fell short, but he appreciated the effort.

Pena, the American League's homer leader, finished fourth out of five in fan voting for the final roster spot, which concluded Thursday afternoon. Tigers 3B Brandon Inge held off Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler for the last opening on AL manager Joe Maddon's bench.

The results hadn't been announced when Pena spoke to reporters following Thursday's game, but since he had been running fourth the entire time he seemed to have an idea his quest would come up short. Still, he said the outpouring of support - highlighted by his teammates and stadium personnel sporting "Vote Los" T-shirts the previous three days - was all he needed.

"Just to know that they consider me an All-Star and they consider me their All-Star is so flattering to me," Pena said. "So whatever happens today, it really doesn't matter. The reward was actually to see how many people moved to vote for me and to show me what they think of me and they appreciate my effort every single day out there. To know that I'm valued in such a way, to me, that is extremely humbling, extremely flattering."

That said, Pena would love to add "All-Star" to a big-league resume that has had its ups and downs during the better part of the last decade, and he hopes to get a crack at it in the future.

"It would be awesome," he said. "I'm 31 years old. I've been in the major leagues since I was 23, and I've never had the opportunity to go to an All-Star Game. It would be unbelievable."

Bullpen rallies

A day after a rare show of shakiness by the Rays' relievers helped a lead disappear, the bullpen got back on track Thursday.

Grant Balfour, whose 11-appearance scoreless string was snapped Wednesday, got the call with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh and retired Kevin Millar and Vernon Wells to maintain the Rays' one-run lead.

Dan Wheeler later worked a seven-pitch ninth to record his first save this season - making him the eighth different Ray to do so.

"I've said it so many times that a lot of them can get the last out of the game, and today it was Danny," Maddon said. "But Grant set it up, got us out of a pretty tough jam right there and permitted us to get that win. That was some great pitching."

Aki sighting

2B Akinori Iwamura was at Tropicana Field on Thursday, and he briefly played catch in the outfield before the game with his interpreter, Tateki Uchibori. Iwamura was sporting a brace on his left knee but was moving better than he has since he was injured May 24.

Iwamura is making significant enough progress from knee surgery that he might join the Rays on part of their road trip after the All-Star break. Maddon said he and head trainer Ron Porterfield had discussed the possibility of Iwamura traveling to Kansas City so he could work on some agility drills with the training staff.

"He's doing very well," said Maddon.

Mood lighting

Play was halted for 20 minutes just after the seventh-inning stretch when a bank of lights went out. The Blue Jays were just taking the field for the bottom of the seventh when the lights dimmed, and they and the umpires walked off to wait out the delay. Progress Energy reported the outage was caused by a lightning strike at a nearby substation.

Farm facts

Baseball America released its midseason Top 25 Prospects list Thursday, and the Rays had three: RHP Wade Davis (16th), OF Desmond Jennings (18th) and SS Tim Beckham (20th). The "Next 25" included RHP Jeremy Hellickson and LHP Matt Moore. ... Durham RHP Dale Thayer was named to the International League squad for the Triple-A All-Star Game. SS Reid Brignac also will represent the Bulls.

Marc Lancaster,

Tony Fabrizio