Tonight at 8:07 p.m. the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays will face off in a one-game playoff to determine which club gets the right to be in another one-game playoff. 162 games wasn't enough to decide which of these teams will be the American League's second wildcard team, so David Price (9-8, 3.39 ERA) and Martin Perez (10-5, 3.55 ERA) will face off for the chance to take on the Cleveland Indians in the wildcard round. Live stream the game here; Rays fans can hear the game on WDAE 620, while Rangers fans can do the same by tuning in to 103.3 ESPN.
In a move that is sure to raise the ire of fans all over the country, the Rangers have activated steroid-tainted outfielder Nelson Cruz, whose 50-game suspension has been served, for tonight's game.
In a similar situation last year, San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera was left off the postseason roster following a performance-enhancing drug ban. Texas, however, has no such moral qualms.
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels acknowledged the similarity of the situation, and said Cruz's case differs from Cabrera's.
"It's a completely different situation from the Giants mainly because Nellie's been here with the team and part of the organization since 2006," Daniels said. "Whereas Melky spent just that first half of the season."
When asked about the difficulty of watching the Rangers collapse in September from a distance, Cruz said, "I got more gray hairs. It was tough."
He is appreciative now, though, of Texas' willingness to forgive and forget his transgressions. "They believe in me," Cruz said. "I've been working every day to make sure that I'm ready. As a team we're together and we're a family. That means a lot to me."
The Rays have bad history in Arlington, after losing in the 2010 and 2011 ALDS to the Rangers. "We have something to prove in Texas," third baseman Evan Longoria said. "We've left that place too many times with our heads down and disappointed. I feel like now is the time to be able to turn that page."
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