appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

The first person David Price looked for after pitching the Tampa Bay Rays into the play-offs was third baseman Evan Longoria.
Price yelled after the two locked eyes, and they embraced to start the celebration.
"He just told me that he had a dream about it," Longoria said. "It was awesome to feel that emotion from him. That's what an ace does, that's what a leader of a staff does. It was awesome to watch."
Price, Longoria and the Tampa Bay Rays are going to play-offs again, getting there with a victory in their final regular-season game for the second time in three years. They needed an extra game this time.
Price pitched his fourth complete game this year, Longoria hit a two-run homer and the Rays beat the Texas Rangers 5-2 in the AL wild-card tiebreaker game, the 163rd game for both teams.
When Price woke up, all he could think about was throwing a complete game, then getting that last out and turning straight to Longoria.
"You're probably supposed to go to your catcher first, but for what he's done for us and what he's done for me personally," Price said. "I think about that type of stuff before I pitch all the time, but for it to happen today. I didn't want to text him when I thought about it. I didn't want to jinx it."
The Rays face another must-win situation at Cleveland in the AL wild-card game, Tampa's third game in three cities in four days. The winners face Boston in the division series.
Price (10-8), the reigning AL Cy Young winner, had a 10.26 ERA in four previous starts at Rangers Ballpark. He was superb in this one, striking out four and walking one. He picked off two runners while allowing seven hits and throwing 81 of 118 pitches for strikes.
Longoria had three hits, continuing his stellar play in the last game of regular seasons. He is hitting .579 (11-for-19) in those finales with seven homers and 10 RBIs.
"I wish I could explain it," he said. "I wish I could bottle it up and take it through 161 games and not have it be on the last day."
Even with the return of All-Star slugger Nelson Cruz from his 50-game drug suspension, the Rangers missed a chance to get to the play-offs for the fourth year in a row.
"I'm disappointed. We didn't get it done," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "I've got no excuse for that."


Evan Longoria delivers once again for Tampa Bay Rays as they reach MLB play-offs

Tampa's Sam Fuld steals third in the ninth inning. Photo: AFP

Sport

Other Sport

The first person David Price looked for after pitching the Tampa Bay Rays into the play-offs was third baseman Evan Longoria. Price yelled after the two locked eyes, and they embraced to start the celebration.
