Last Wednesday October 2nd, the Tampa Bay Rays played the Cleveland Indians in a one game single elimination playoff for the American League Wild Card.  Winning the wild card would ensure either team a spot in the ALDS, the American League Division Series.  Each team was out for blood, each team coming off massive hot streaks.

  The game was hosted by the Cleveland Indians, nearly every seat in the house was sold, a crowd of over 43,000 people.  The pitching matchup was the Rays Alex Cobb against the Indians’ rookie fireball starter Danny Salazar.  Prior to Wednesday’s game Salazar only had ten big league starts going 2-3.  Salazar’s manager Terry Francona stated that he had all the  confidence in the world in Salazar.  Right off the bat the matchup did not look too promising, a rookie with minimal big league experience against Alex Cobb who had gone 11-3 with an earned run average, (.ERA) of under three.  The Tampa offense throughout the entire season was dynamite, however Cleveland had gone 21-6 in the month of September to make a run for the Wild Card.

  Salazar was very successful in the early innings against the Rays striking out the side in the second, but the game unraveled in the fourth when Desmond Jennings of the Rays hit a two-run double.  Salazar was yanked after the fourth inning after giving up three runs, Cobb was charged with zero runs and threw six and two-thirds shut-out innings.

  Tampa pitchers Peralta and McGee held the Indians to no runs and their closer Fernando Rodney pitched a perfect ninth inning to put Cleveland away.  Tampa won the wildcard are currently in a series against Boston down two games to none.  To avoid the sweep the Rays need to win their next game, the ALDS is a best of five.  If the Rays want to move on to the best of seven ALCS they must win their remaining three games against the red hot Boston Red Sox.