Rays look to eliminate Chicago's other team

Game 4 of the Tampa Bay Rays/Chicago White Sox is underway, and B.J. Upton has already put the Rays on top in the first inning. A Rays victory will put them in the ALCS.

I have already declared the Rays my team this October, so obviously I am very proud of them. I have a rooting interest in Evan Longoria, and they are generally a likable team (sans Jonny Gomes).

Oh, by the way, let's go Angels. The last thing I want to see this season is a Red Sox/Dodgers World Series. My brain would explode.

Is it that hard to hit a sac fly?

This is getting ridiculous. The Yankees left another runner at third with less than two outs, as Johnny Damon popped out with the bases loaded.

On Opening Night, Damon led off and inning with a triple and was unable to score.

Leaving runners on base in these situations will likely come back to haunt the Yankees.

Meanwhile, the Rays have taken the lead on a sac fly (what a concept). Shelley Duncan threw the ball away which led to the Rays' first run. B.J. Upton grounded into an RBI fielder's choice, as Carlos Pena was thrown out a second (replays showed he was out at second). Jonny Gomes hit the go-ahead sac fly to give the Rays the 2-1 lead.

If Melky Cabrera was in center field (his suspension was reduced to two games and began serving it last night), the play at home would have been more interesting.

Thoughts on the suspensions

If you missed the updates on the earlier post, Shelley Duncan and Melky Cabrera were suspended for three games, and Jonny Gomes was suspended for two. All three players were also fined undisclosed amounts.

In the press release announcing the suspensions, Duncan's actions were called "violent and reckless" and they "incited the bench-clearing incident."

In comparison, they said Gomes' actions escalated the brawl.

There wouldn't have been a brawl if Gomes didn't run in from right field to plow into Duncan. The Rays would have been upset that Duncan spiked Akinori Iwamura, but the benches weren't ready to empty until after Duncan was run into.

How Gomes only received two games is ridiculous.

Cabrera received the same amount of games as Duncan for throwing a punch at Evan Longoria. Cabrera wasn't even ejected from the game, but the Rays had evidence of the punch. Even if he did throw a punch at Longoria, he shouldn't have gotten more games than Gomes did.

Manager Joe Girardi will only be fined. Since managers cannot appeal suspensions, he would have had to miss his first game as Yankee manager. Coaches Kevin Long and Bobby Meacham also received fines.

Because of Gomes' actions, the Yankees will be without their starting center fielder and will have to use Hideki Matsui in left for at least the first couple of games of the season.

Yes, Duncan's play was dirty. But Gomes caused the brawl.

Duncan and Gomes to be suspended

Shelley Duncan and Jonny Gomes will be suspended two or three games for their actions in Wednesday's brawl.

Joe Girardi will only be fined, and coaches Bobby Meachan and Kevin Long are also expected to be fine.

The suspensions will be served during the regular season, so it would've been strange for Girardi to be suspended for his first game as Yankee manager.

Update - 1:00 p.m.: According to Peter Abraham, Melky Cabrera will likely be suspended as well. The Rays claimed he threw a punch and MLB found evidence.

Update - 1:30 p.m.: MLB released a press release. Duncan and Cabrera got three games each and Gomes got two games.

Brawl in pictures

I can't condone Shelley Duncan going in spikes high. Duncan claimed he was playing hard and that there was no malicious intent. However, he supposedly was out by at least five feet and still went in hard. He wasn't trying to break up a double play here. Everyone knows there was intent to make a statement.

Duncan was trying to stand up for his fallen teammate, but he went about it the wrong way. While I like that the team is showing heart, you don't try to intentionally injure someone.

Akinori Iwamura has a cut on his thigh from Duncan's spikes. Jonny Gomes returned the favor by running in from right field to tackle Duncan.

Quotes from Bryan Hoch:

Jorge Posada:"If [Phillips] wanted to hit [Longoria], he would have hit him. You don't throw at somebody with runners on first and third."

Gomes: "I just think [Duncan] tried to inflict pain on Aki. That just comes second nature. I was taught all the way from T-ball to have a teammate's back. It's a baseball field. There's fans and kids watching. I had to let [Duncan] know that's not going to fly."

Duncan: "I made a hard slide into [Iwamura's] glove. When I'm out there playing, I like to play hard. In my head, I wasn't thinking about a message. They see me playing hard every day."

I don't think we've heard the last from this. The Yankees play the Rays twice more in the spring, and 18 times during the regular season.

Gomes' explanation is a little shady too. It's a baseball field and there are kids watching, so you tackle him?

(AP Photos/Gene J. Puskar)