Curse you Devil Rays!!!!

What a terrible night for the Cleveland Indians. After beating just about everybody they've faced for the past month and a half the Tribe get themselves in the thick of it not only for the wildcard spot but for the lead in the Central Division.

They come into their final six games of the year and everything looks to be going their way. Before their season-ending showdown with the division-leading White Sox the Tribe was "blessed" with a three-gamer against the lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

So far after two games against the Rays the Tribe is 0-2. They've now fallen a full game behind the Yankees for the Wild Card and 3 games back of the White Sox in the Central. Obviously they need a win tonight and losses from the Red & White Sox and the Yankees.

How do you lose 1-0 to the D-Rays when they have a guy on the mound with an ERA over 7 and you have the most balanced lineup in the league? Only in baseball and only at this time of year.

I'm sure Red Sox fans are wondering the same thing as their Sox were pretty much stymied by Ted Lilly last night as the Jays get set to take 3 of 4 from Boston and make the upcoming season finale between Boston & New York that much more compelling. From what I've seen from Boston over the past couple nights this team should not make the playoffs.

However, they seem to come to life whenever they play the Yanks. The Blue Jays have rediscovered some of that magic they had back in mid-July. The pressure is off them now, they're just simply trying to finish the year out strong. I think that's a good sign from a young ball club. If they can add AJ Burnett in the offseason and perhaps package Alex Rios and Eric Hinske (probably the only way you'll get rid of Hinske is to add him with Rios) for a slugging outfielder (Adam Dunn perhaps?) then this team could make some noise next year.

They'll need to decide what to do with their middle infielders too. Aaron Hill, Russ Adams and Orlando Hudson all deserve an everyday spot. I really like Adams but he looks to be the weakest link defensively of the 3. Perhaps you convert Adams into an outfielder, play Hill at short, the O-dog at second, with Koskie at third and Hillenbrand at first. Who knows what Gonzo . . . I mean, Ricciardi, will come up with.

Anyways, here's to hoping that the Indians pull a Pedro Cerrano and sacrifice a bucket of KFC's finest in order to wake their bats up. They need to run the table and win their last four games.

I have a good friend who loves the White Sox and it would bring me extreme happiness to call him up on Monday and congratulate him for his teams monumental fall from grace.

Go Tribe!