ST. PETERSBURG Steve Cishek Jersey , Fla. (AP) — Thanks to an infusion of young talent, the Tampa Bay Rays overcame a slow start to win 90 games and spawn lofty expectations for next season.What was supposed to a rebuilding year for the Rays, who trimmed payroll in the winter and purged the roster again, might have been even more special if not for the success of AL East rivals Boston and New York.The Red Sox repeated as division champion with 108 victories and the Yankees won 100 to earn AL’s top wild-card berth.The Rays finished 18 games behind Boston and 10 behind New York, but weren’t eliminated from post-season contention until Sept. 24.“I hope we don’t have two 100-win teams in our division next year,” manager Kevin Cash said. “But if we do, we’re one of them.”First-time All-Star Blake Snell led the major leagues with 21 wins and an AL-leading 1.89 ERA, rookie Joey Wendle played solid defense while hitting .300 in 139 games, and C.J. Cron had 30 homers and 74 RBIs after being acquired during a trade in spring training.“As an organization there was some amount of satisfaction that came with the work that we’ve been doing the last several years to prepare a young group coming through our minor leagues … and to see that finally hit our major league team,” general manager Erik Neander said.“When we look back at this year, hopefully it will be seen as the year that started off a run of many competitive, playoff achieving seasons,” Neander added, “and hopefully Drew Smyly Jersey , a championship in there at some point.”The Rays lost 12 of 15 to begin the season, digging themselves into a hole few people felt they were capable of escaping after a winter that saw them trade Evan Longoria, Steven Souza Jr., Corey Dickerson and Jake Odorizzi and lose starting pitcher Alex Cobb to free agency.They trimmed salary again in July, unloading pitchers Chris Archer, Nathan Eovaldi and Alex Colome, as well as All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos and Denard Span to make way for the youth movement that keyed a second-half surge.The Rays went 41-25 after the All-Star break, including 19-9 in September. They were 9-1-2 over their last 12 series.“Coming out of spring training we didn’t know what kind of club we were going to have on the field as far as wins and losses,” Cash said, “but we knew we had a good group of guys, a good core group of guys and a lot to look forward to … with some of younger players getting opportunities.”One of the keys to overcoming the slow start was creative use of the bullpen that included the introduction of “openers” — relievers who started games and generally faced from three to nine batters.A “bullpen day” starter, by comparison, usually pitched deeper into games though normally no more than twice through an opposing team’s lineup.Prior to the debut of the “opener” on May 19, the Rays ranked 22nd in the majors in ERA. From that day forward http://www.redsfanproshop.com/authentic-drew-storen-jersey , they were third-best behind the Dodgers and Astros.“I think any time you’re trying something a little bit different, you don’t know how it’s going to be perceived and how it will work out,” senior vice president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said. “You know you’re going to learn along the way, and we did learn. Overall, we were very pleased with how it went.”Some things to know about the Rays:DOMINANT SNELLSnell had 27 starts in which he allowed two or fewer runs, most by an AL pitcher since Wilbur Wood had 27 for the White Sox in 1972. The last two AL pitchers to win at least 21 games and a sub-2.00 ERA were Roger Clemens for the Red Sox in 1990 and Ron Guidry for the Yankees in 1978.RARE COMPANYThe Rays, who made the playoffs four times in six seasons from 2008-2013, have won at least 90 games six times over the last 11 seasons. The Red Sox (seven) and Dodgers (seven) and Yankees (six) are the only teams with as many or more during that stretch.NOT SATISFIEDCash called finishing with a winning record an “accomplishment,” but noted the standard for the organization is much higher.“We’re not going to settle for just the feel good story … but you’ve got to be proud of what’s taken place to this point, and we are,” the manager said. NEW YORK (AP) — Manuel Guzman had never seen his son play major league ball in person because he’s never been fan of planes.He might want to rethink it going forward.Ronald Guzman became the first rookie to hit three home runs in a game against the Yankees, powering the Texas Rangers past New York 12-7 on Friday night.“In BP I was going at it. I (told him) don’t worry for today, if it’s a pitch over the plate, I am going to try to hammer it Scott Feldman Jersey ,” Guzman said.Eight days after Boston’s Steve Pearce connected three times off the Yankees, the 23-year-old first baseman from the Dominican Republic duplicated the feat.Guzman grounded out his first time up, then hit solo home runs in three straight at-bats. He batted again in the eighth with a chance to tie the big league record for homers in a game — no rookie has ever hit four — but struck out swinging against Chad Green.Guzman had a total of 10 guests in the stands, including his mother, sister, two brothers and his Little League coach.“That might be one of the coolest things ever, for a major league player (to have) his dad see him play for the first time,” Texas manager Jeff Banister said. “A number of people that really had an opportunity to impact his life.”“A night he was able to give back to them, give them some excitement, something they’ll all share together tonight and from now on. It will be one of those nights he will never forget,” he said.Guzman’s two homers off Masahiro Tanaka and one off A.J. Cole made him the first Texas player to hit three home runs in a game since teammate Adrian Beltre in 2012. Guzman became the first Rangers rookie to accomplish the feat.For someone who idolized Manny Ramirez and rooted against the Yankees as a kid, it meant a bit more.“I never liked the Yankees growing up. I mean it’s just the fact that every Dominican Yankees fan is so loud that they talk so much,” Guzman said.“Now I know they hate me right now, but I am happy about it Eugenio Suarez Jersey ,” he said.Guzman is the youngest player to hit three homers in a game in the Bronx since Mickey Mantle, who was a younger 23, did it in 1955 against Detroit.Overall, Guzman has 12 home runs this season, six against the Yankees.Beltre also joined in the fun with his seventh homer of the season, tying recent Hall of Fame inductee Chipper Jones for the 33rd spot on baseball’s all-time list with 469.Mike Minor (9-6) won his third straight start, allowing six hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings. The lefty had not won three consecutive starts since September 2014 while pitching for the Atlanta Braves. He missed the 2015 and 2016 seasons because of a torn labrum.Tanaka (9-3) had been 7-0 in his previous 14 starts, but again couldn’t figure out the Rangers. He entered the night with having gone 1-2 with a 6.52 ERA in his first five starts against Texas.Tanaka had not been charged with a loss since his second start of the season, April 5 against Baltimore.“I thought about it after I came off the mound and I’m not here to explain everything,” he said through a translator. “But I have an idea of what’s wrong so I’ll make an adjustment my next start.”Guzman pulled homers to right field in the fourth, pointing to his family after reaching home plate, and in the sixth that made it 6-1 and chased Tanaka. Guzman went the opposite way for a drive to left in the seventh off Cole.Guzman was the first visiting player with three homers at Yankee Stadium since Lorenzo Cain in 2016 with Kansas City.Austin Romine, who drove in three runs, and Brett Gardner homered for the Yankees. Luke Voit added a two-run single.TRAINER’S ROOMRangers: OF Delino DeShields should return for Sunday’s series finale. DeShields http://www.redsfanproshop.com/authentic-jose-peraza-jersey , who banged his head trying to make a catch on July 11 at Boston, was placed last Saturday on the 7-day concussion disabled list after experiencing headaches. “Everything is good. They said it could have been triggered by different things,” he said. “But they don’t think it was related to a concussion.”Yankees: C Gary Sanchez (groin) has been on the disabled list since July 24. “I would say Monday will really ramp up as far as the hitting, start to do catching things,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “And then the normal conditioning as well. But he’s progressing well, feeling good.” … Boone is confident OF Aaron Judge (broken right wrist) can swing a bat next week. He’s been on the disabled list since July 27. “Still just better and better every day. The range of motion is all there, just still barely feeling it and that was even today, barely feeling it at the end range and we just want to get that pain completely out of there,” Boone said. “Optimistic that in the next couple of days that potentially could happen and we get a bat in his hand and hopefully it starts to progress really quickly from there.”UP NEXTRangers: RHP Drew Hutchinson (1-2, 6.29 ERA) starts Saturday.Yankees: RHP Lance Lynn (8-8, 4.58) makes his first start in pinstripes at Yankee Stadium. Acquired from the Twins on July 30, Lynn gave up just two hits over 7 1/3 innings in his first start with New York on Monday vs. the White Sox.