Major League Baseball

RAYS 6, RANGERS 3 Misplaced slider is timely gift for Jaso

Published Oct. 11, 2010 10:09 p.m. ET

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ARLINGTON - The irony of the moment was not lost on John Jaso. He became a central figure in Tampa Bay's comeback win against the Rangers in their American League Division Series game Saturday by hitting the absolute last pitch he expected to see in the situation.

"If I was sitting on a slider," Jaso said. "I would have been burned by a fastball."

Instead, Jaso received the gift of an 0-2 slider from Rangers closer Neftali Feliz. Jaso lined the mistake pitch for a run-scoring single to complete an eighth-inning comeback in a 6-3 victory over the Rangers.

Jaso's hit highlighted the late-arriving Tampa Bay offense.

Through the fifth inning of this game, the Rays had 14 consecutive hitless at-bats with runners in scoring position dating to the first inning of the series opener. They had scored one run in 23 innings.

The rapid change started in the sixth inning, with B.J. Upton's double that tied the score at 1. Starting with Upton's double, the Rays were 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position and scored six runs in the final four innings.

"We finally were able to push that rock in the other direction," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "I'd like to think we'll come out with the same kind of offensive attitude [today]."

The game and possibly the series changed when the Rays began handling fastballs.

Upton lined a 2-1 fastball from rookie reliever Alexi Ogando. That lifted the pressure that had been building within the Rays' dugout.

Upton was an unlikely slump-buster. He was 0-for-10 with four strikeouts for the series leading into the at-bat.

"If that situation comes up, you want that opportunity," said Upton, hitless in 10 at-bats for the series before the hit. "I happened to be in that situation and was able to do something with it."

Carlos Pena hit a 1-2 fastball from Darren Oliver for a single that tied the score at 2 in the eighth. That was the warmup act for Feliz-Jaso.

Feliz started Jaso with three consecutive fastballs, in the 96- to 98-mph range. Jaso, not known as an aggressive hitter, had good swings to foul off the last two pitches. That sent catcher Bengie Molina to the mound for an extended meeting with Feliz.

At the same time, Jaso talked to himself. Forget about a staying-alive, two-strikes swing, he thought. Look for the fastball and do something with it.

The slider was a gift.

"It was just flat," Jaso said. "I had to take advantage of it right there. "

That the Rays erupted late fit into their season-long profile. Tampa Bay had 11 wins when trailing after seven innings, tying the Rays with Detroit for the most victories in that category.

"You can't expect it, but we know we can do it," Upton said.

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