Wir suchen Dich! » ss their numerical advantage.I dont thi

BALTIMORE -- Thrust into the unwanted position of playing out the final weeks of a losing season, the Tampa Bay Rays have found a way to make the situation more tolerable.Evan Longoria homered and drove in five runs, and the last-place Rays again played spoiler in a 7-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night.The loss dropped the Orioles two games behind AL East-leading Boston. They fell into a tie with Toronto for the two AL wild cards when the Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Angels later Thursday.That win by Toronto mathematically eliminated Tampa Bay from playoff contention, but the Rays have won three straight -- including the last two of a three-game series in Toronto. They also defeated the wild card-contending Yankees on Sunday.Its fun that we are playing competitive baseball, Longoria said. Its one thing to go out in a great environment against a team that is a playoff contender, but to be in the game and winning games is the best thing about it.The Rays arent embracing the role of spoiler. Theyre just trying to go out on a high note, and if it hurts their opponent, well so be it.Were playing well and this is great learning experience for all of us in these environments, manager Kevin Cash said.Longoria said: I dont think were coming to the ballpark every day thinking we want to spoil this team or that teams chances of getting to the playoffs.Alex Colome worked the ninth for his 33rd save. After the Orioles got runners at first and third with one out, the right-hander struck out major league home run leader Mark Trumbo and slugger Chris Davis.Baltimore went 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position.Although the temperature was a comfortable 72 degrees and the Orioles are in the midst of a playoff push, the game attracted an announced crowd of only 19,233.Longoria put the Rays up 3-0 before Yovani Gallardo (5-8) got an out. Baltimore answered in the bottom half with a two-run single by Matt Wieters and a two-run double by J.J. Hardy.Tampa Bay pulled even in the second, went ahead in the third and used Longorias two-run single to make it 7-4 in the fourth.When Orioles manager Buck Showalter emerged from the dugout to pull Gallardo in the fourth, many of the hometown fans cheered. They subsequently booed the right-hander as he walked toward the dugout.Gallardo gave up six runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. In 21 starts this season, hes surrendered 21 earned runs in the first inning.Baltimores Nolan Reimold hit into a double play with runners on the corners in the fourth. The Rays worked out of an even bigger jam in the fifth, retiring Manny Machado, Trumbo and Davis with runners at second and third.Brad Boxberger (4-1) got the last two outs in the fifth.Run-scoring groundouts by Hardy and Michael Bourn made it 7-6 in the eighth.TRAINERS ROOMRays: 1B Nick Franklin left in the fifth inning with a left hamstring strain. ... 1B Logan Morrison will get a second opinion on whether surgery is required for his season-ending left wrist injury. Morrison was injured while taking a swing Sunday and received an MRI this week.Orioles: OF Steve Pearce will be sidelined until the final week of the season, maybe longer, after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his throwing arm Wednesday. ... RHP Darren ODay (rotator cuff strain) will throw a simulated game Friday.UP NEXTRays: Chris Archer (8-18, 4.05 ERA) starts Friday night, seeking to pad his AL-leading strikeout total of 217. He also hopes to avoid setting the franchise record for losses in a season. The right-hander is currently tied with Tanyon Sturtze, who lost 18 in 2002.Orioles: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (7-11, 5.98) strives to win his fourth straight start. Hes got a 2.83 ERA in his last four outings. Custom Babe Ruth Jersey . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. Authentic Custom Braves Jersey .R. Smith realized how easily basketball can be taken from him, and he wasnt going to take his place in the NBA for granted anymore. http://www.custombravesjersey.com/ . Ferrer, trying to win his fourth title on Mexican soil, will next play South Africas Kevin Anderson, who eliminated American Sam Querrey,7-6 (2), 6-4. Also Wednesday, Gilles Simon (6) of France beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-3, Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatias Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2. Babe Ruth Jersey Large . Louis Cardinals. Victorino is batting sixth and playing right field after missing two games because of back tightness. Custom Braves T-shirts . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. SAO PAULO -- Matildas coach Alen Stajcic doesnt believe in omens.And he hopes the rest of the Australian Olympic team dont either after his womens footballers opened the nations Rio campaign with a horror show.Not only did the first Australians in action at the Rio Games lose 2-0 to Canada.They also copped the fastest goal in Olympic womens football - 20 seconds.And conceded another when their goalkeeper was sprawled near the halfway line.All against a Canadian outfit who played 75 minutes with 10 players after a send off.Oh, and the result also means their next match against superpowers Germany becomes that much more important.Its not the start you want, is it, to an Olympic campaign, a grim-faced Stajcic said after Wednesdays demoralising defeat at Sao Paulos Arena Corinthians.The Matildas are removed from the rest of the Australian Olympic teams troubled preparation in Rio which has included a burning building. But they just may have burnt their Olympic bridge - in record time.In just 20 seconds, the Australians were a goal down.Laura Alleway sent a sluggish sideways pass towards her defensive counterpart Alanna Kennedy, who didnt sense snooping Canadian captain Christine Sinclair until too late.Sinclair intercepted, charged at goal, and arrowed a poised pass tto teammate Janine Beckie who tapped in the gift from barely one metre out.ddddddddddddThe Australians then dominated - 11 shots to two by halftime - but couldnt score.Stajcic was more perplexed at Australias lacklustre second half when they failed to press their numerical advantage.I dont think the goal in the first minute was the decisive factor, Stajcic said.I think our second half performance for 45 minutes was the decisive factor in the result.We just lacked the creativity to be able to get in behind them ... we just werent good enough.We werent clever enough on the ball and lacked the creativity needed to break a defence like that down. I cant remember one chance in the second half, to be honest.Next up, an encounter against the dual World Cup-winning Germans in Sao Paulo on Saturday from 1800 (0700 AEST Sunday), before a last group game against Zimbabwe three days later.You have got to pick yourself up ... we havent spent one month (training) in Brazil to have a sulk now, Stajcic said.The top two teams from each of the three, four-team groups qualify for the knockout stages along with the two best-placed sides that finish third. ' ' '