Tampa Bay Rays Send Theron Geith To Houston Astros

The Tampa Bay Rays acquired outfielder Ben Francisco on Aug. 31 for a player that was to be named later. That player is left-handed pitcher Theron Geith, it was reported Thursday night.

Astros, Rays complete Ben Francisco trade. Astros get LHP Theron Geith, 23yo high A reliever. 11 BB, 49 K in 54.1 IP.

— Zachary Levine (@zacharylevine) September 21, 2012

Geith was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 49th round of the 2009 June Amateur Draft and later by the Rays in 2011 in the 39th round. Geith has pitched 54⅓ innings in 31 games for the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

The Astros are the league's worst team this season and have been trading away players for much of the summer.

For more on the Rays, please be sure to check out our blog DRaysBay and SB Nation Tampa Bay for all the latest news and updates. Baseball Nation has you covered for news for all 30 MLB teams.

Rays Vs. Red Sox: B.J. Upton's Walk-Off Homer Sends Rays To Win, 7-4

Down 4-1 in the ninth inning and facing Boston Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey, the Tampa Bay Rays rallied for six runs in the frame to beat the Red Sox in exhilarating fashion, 7-4, on B.J. Upton's walkoff three-run home run.

Bailey, who suffered the loss after the blown save, was touched up early and often in his one-third of an inning pitched, giving up five earned runs and four hits to his five batters faced.

Bailey was relieved by Vicente Padilla with the game tied, 4-4, and men on second and third. Upton, battling for five pitches, took Padilla deep on the sixth pitch, giving the Rays the win.

Clay Buchholz had proved too much for the Rays' offense early on in the night, pitching seven shutout innings before being pulled.

Despite a strong start from David Price, the Rays were unable to muster much offense early against the Red Sox staff, while Price surrendered three earned in 7⅓ innings.

Locked in a 0-0 battle through five frames, the Red Sox broke through against Price in the sixth, as Cody Ross and Ryan Lavarnway recorded key RBIs. Red Sox third baseman Mauro Gomez's eighth-inning triple added what seemed like an insurance run.

The Rays finally broke through in the eighth for their first run against Red Sox reliever Junichi Tazawa, as Ben Zobrist's sacrifice fly scored Desmond Jennings from third. That run was quickly negated, as Red Sox shortstop Jose Iglesias blasted a solo shot in the ninth against J.P. Howell to again seemingly put the game out of reach.

But against Bailey, the Rays rallied in the ninth to salvage a split in the series with the Red Sox.

The Rays open a weekend series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday as James Shields heads to the mound at 7:10 p.m.

For more Rays coverage, check out DRaysBay.

Red Sox Vs. Rays: David Price Tries To Earn Tampa Bay Series Split

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price takes the mound Thursday as the sliding Rays try to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Rays face the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.

Tampa Bay has lost seven of its last nine games, and it had lost seven of eight before last night's 13-3 win. The slump has taken Tampa Bay from in control of a Wild Card spot and still in contention for the American League East title all the way down to a 5½-game deficit in the Wild Card standings with time running out.

In such a pinch it's good to have a stabilizing figure such as Price. Price is among the handful of AL Cy Young hopefuls, and he may lead the class. He leads all starters in the majors with a 2.54 ERA, and he's struck out 8.7 batters per nine innings pitched.

Here are the lineups:

For the Rays:

1. LF Desmond Jennings

2. CJ B.J. Upton

3. SS Ben Zobrist

4. 3B Evan Longoria

5. RF Matt Joyce

6. 2B Jeff Keppinger

7. DH Luke Scott

8. 1B Carlos Pena

9. C Jose Molina

LHP David Price

For the Red Sox:

1. CF Pedro Ciriaco

2. 2B Dustin Pedroia

3. DH Cody Ross

4. C Ryan Lavarnway

5. 1B Mauro Gomez

6. 3B Mike Aviles

7. RF Daniel Nava

8. LF Scott Podsednik

9. SS Jose Iglesias

RHP Clay Buchholz

First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field. The game is televised on Sun Sports.

For more on the Rays, please be sure to check out our blog DRaysBay and SB Nation Tampa Bay for all the latest news and updates. Baseball Nation has you covered for news for all 30 MLB teams.

Rays Vs. Red Sox Final Score: Tampa Bay Bounces Back With 13-3 Win

The Tampa Bay Rays clobbered the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night, 13-3, keeping their hopes alive in the race for one of the two AL Wild Card spots. Tampa Bay is currently 6½ games back.

The Rays knocked Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka out of the game in just three innings, taking him for five runs on nine hits. They weren't much nicer to the Boston bullpen, getting four runs on three hits from Alfredo Aceves; three runs on one hit when Desmond Jennings hit a triple off Daniel Bard and scored on an error by Pedro Ciriaco; and capping it off with one more in the eighth off Chris Carpenter.

Jeff Keppinger and Matt Joyce were the leaders at the plate. Keppinger was 3-for-4 and Joyce was 2-for-3, with both men collecting two RBIs.

Chris Archer picked up the win for the Rays, the first of his major-league career. He pitched five innings, giving up three runs on five hits while striking out six and walking four. Jake McGee, Brandon Gomes and Dane De La Rosa combined to hold the Red Sox without a hit for the rest of the game.

The Rays are 1-2 in their four-game series against Boston. Game 4 is scheduled for Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET.

Stick with this StoryStream for more from the Rays vs. Red Sox series. For more insight and analysis, check out Rays blog DRays Bay.

Rays Name Chris Archer Top Minor League Pitcher, OF Todd Glaesmann Top Player

The Tampa Bay Rays have given out their end of the year awards for their minor league farm system, including the MVPs for each of their minor league affiliates. Additionally, they named their top minor leaguers from their entire farm system.

Pitcher Chris Archer was named the Rays top pitcher, and tonight Archer is making a start for the Rays against the Boston Red Sox. Archer won the award after posting a 3.66 ERA in 25 starts for Triple-A Durham. Their top overall player is outfielder Todd Glaesmann, who hit 21 home runs in 127 games.

There were many awards handed down, which also included naming outfielder Kevin Kiermaier as their best defensive player, shortstop Hak-Ju Lee as their best baserunner and Chris Rearick was named their top relief pitcher.

For more on the Rays, please be sure to check out our blog DRaysBay and SB Nation Tampa Bay for all the latest news and updates. Baseball Nation has you covered for news for all 30 MLB teams.

Rays Vs. Red Sox Lineups: Chris Archer Making 2nd Start In September

The Tampa Bay Rays are looking to end their two-game losing streak to the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night. They are sending Chris Archer, who is only making his second start for September, and third appearance overall. He has pitched 10.2 innings this month and has only allowed three earned runs and has 14 strikeouts, so he could be what the Rays needed to get back in the win column.

As for Wednesday's batting and fielding lineup, Evan Longoria is back at third base after being the designated hitter on Tuesday, and Luke Scott taking over the DH role and is batting fifth. The bottom three of the batting order are new additions with Matt Joyce taking right field, Carlos Pena at first base and Jose Molina behind the plate. All three had the night off in Game 2 of the series, outside of Pena and Joyce entering Tuesday's game as pinch hitters.

Rays
1. Desmond Jennings LF
2. B.J. Upton CF
3. Ben Zobrist SS
4. Evan Longoria 3B
5. Luke Scott DH
6. Jeff Keppinger 2B
7. Matt Joyce RF
8. Carlos Pena 1B
9. Jose Molina C
Chris Archer P

Red Sox
1. Pedro Ciriaco 3B
2. Jacoby Ellsbury CF
3. Dustin Pedroia 2B
4. Cody Ross RF
5. James Loney 1B
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia DH
7. Ryan Lavarnway C
8. Daniel Nava LF
9. Jose Iglesias SS
Daisuke Matsuzaka P

For more on the Rays, please be sure to check out our blog DRaysBay and SB Nation Tampa Bay for all the latest news and updates. Visit Over the Monster and SB Nation Boston for news on the Red Sox, plus Baseball Nation has you covered for news for all 30 MLB teams.

AL East Standings: Rays 6 Games Back Of Division Lead, Wild Card

The Tampa Bay Rays have a steep hill to climb, but may not have enough time to make up the ground in the AL East. The Rays trail both the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles -- both tied for the division lead and the second wild card spot -- by six games entering Wednesday's game against the Boston Red Sox.

The Orioles, fresh off an 18-inning win over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, close out their series in Seattle on Wednesday. The Blue Jays currently trail the New York Yankees in the first game of a doubleheader, the make-up game from Tuesday's rain out, 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning. Game two is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday night.

A.L East Standings

1. New York Yankees, 83-63

2. Baltimore Orioles, 84-64, Tied With Yankees for both division lead and the second wild card.

3. Tampa Bay Rays, 78-70, 6 games back in both division and wild card chases.

4. Boston Red Sox, 68-81, 16.5 games back

5. Toronto Blue Jays, 66-79. 16.5 games back

The Rays play the Red Sox Wednesday night at 7:10 p.m. The game will be televised on Sunshine Sports Network.

For more on the Rays, please be sure to check out our blog DRaysBay and SB Nation Tampa Bay for all the latest news and updates.

Rays Vs. Red Sox: Tampa Bay Desperate For Win On Wednesday

After losing four straight games, the Tampa Bay Rays need a win on Wednesday to stay relevant in the Wild Card race. The team currently trails the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles by six games.

The Rays will hope rookie starter Chris Archer (0-3, 3.22 ERA) can get the team headed in the right direction. Despite Archer pitching well in four appearances for Tampa Bay, the Rays have yet to win any of his starts. Boston has never faced the 23-year-old.

Opposing Archer will be Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-5, 7.14 ERA). With a road ERA of 10.14 this season and a career ERA against the Rays of 5.83, Matsuzaka appears to be exactly what the Rays need to get going. Ben Zobrist is 5-for-14 against Matsuzaka in his career with a home run and four RBI.

TV: Sun Sports

Time: 7:10 p.m. ET

For more on the Rays, please be sure to check out our blog DRaysBay and SB Nation Tampa Bay for all the latest news and updates.

Rays Vs. Red Sox: Tampa Bay Continues Losing Streak Against Boston

The Tampa Bay Rays dropped their second game in a row Tuesday night against the Boston Red Sox, by a score of 7-5. It's the Rays' fourth consecutive loss dating back to their weekend series against the New York Yankees, and Tampa is the loser of seven of its last eight games.

There were two scoreless innings before the Rays struck first with three runs in the third. Ben Zobrist, who went 2-for-4 on the night and brought in four of the team's eight runs, hit a two-run single to shallow center field. Evan Longoria's sacrifice fly brought in B.J. Upton for another run.

Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway all plated runs for the Red Sox, which also scored an unearned run on a throwing error in the the sixth inning.

Both teams used six pitchers or more in Tuesday's game. Reliever Kyle Farnsworth was charged with the loss for the Rays after giving up an unearned run in the sixth.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Tampa Bay for more updates on the Rays' series against Boston. For more on the Rays, visit DRaysBay. For more on the Red Sox, visit Over The Monster. And for all your baseball news, visit Baseball Nation.

Rays Vs. Red Sox Lineups: Evan Longoria Starting At DH

The Tampa Bay Rays need to start winning if they're going to stick around in the American League wild card race -- and that winning needs to start tonight, as the Rays play host to the Boston Red Sox.

Last night, Jacoby Ellsbury hit his fourth home run of the season, leading the Red Sox past the Rays, 5-2. Tampa Bay is now five full games back of Baltimore as play opens on Wednesday.

Evan Longoria, who was not in the starting lineup on Monday, is starting at designated hitter and batting cleanup for the Rays. Longoria simply was given the day off to rest his legs on Monday.

Both Joe Maddon and Bobby Valentine have announced Tuesday's starting lineups, and they are as follows:

Boston Red Sox

3B Pedro Ciriaco
CF Jacoby Ellsbury
2B Dustin Pedroia
RF Cody Ross
1B James Loney
C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
DH Ryan Lavarnway
LF Scott Podsednik
SS Jose Iglesias

SP Felix Doubront

Tampa Bay Rays

LF Desmond Jennings
CF B.J. Upton
SS Ben Zobrist
DH Evan Longoria
1B Jeff Keppinger
RF Ben Francisco
2B Ryan Roberts
C Chris Gimenez
3B Sean Rodriguez

SP Jeremy Hellickson

For more on the Rays, check out DRays Bay.

Red Sox Vs. Rays: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Tampa Bay Rays will take on the Boston Red Sox in the second contest of their three-game set on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field.

The Rays are desperate for wins, trailing both the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels for the second and final AL wild-card spot.

Joe Maddon will turn to Jeremy Hellickson in hopes of starting a winning streak. The youngster has been excellent this season to the tune of a 3.22 ERA. In his last three starts, Hellickson has been almost untouchable, allowing just three runs over 17 innings. Amazingly, his record is 0-1 during that stretch.

Felix Doubront will be on the hill for the Red Sox. Doubront has had a rough second season with a respectable mark of 10-9 but a bloated 5.11 ERA. However, the 24-year-old did pitch well the last time he toed the rubber, giving up just two runs in 6⅓ innings against the New York Yankees.

TV: Sun Sports

Time: 7:10 p.m. ET

For more on the Rays, please be sure to check out our blog DRaysBay and SB Nation Tampa Bay for all the latest news and updates.

Rays Vs. Red Sox Final Score: Tampa Drops Further In Wild Card Chase With 5-2 Loss

Jacoby Ellsbury broke up Alex Cobb's no-hitter with a two-run home run to right with two outs in the sixth, pushing Boston in front for good and sending Tampa to a 5-2 loss, its sixth in seven games.

Tampa took a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Ryan Roberts sent a sacrifice bunt to first baseman James Loney. Luke Scott dashed home from third and slid in safely when Red Sox catcher Ryan Lavarnway couldn't corral Loney's throw. Ellsbury answered with his two-run shot to right-center.

Rays manager Joe Maddon sent Cobb back out for the seventh inning, but the young righty allowed the first two batters to reach (single, walk) before being pulled for reliever Burke Badenhop. Lavarnway, the only batter Badenhop faced, reached on a fielding error by Rays shortstop Ben Zobrist. JP Howell entered and promptly allowed a two-run single to pinch hitter Mauro Gomez, which provided all the cushion Boston would need.

The Rays added a run in the ninth on an RBI groundout from Zobrist, but Red Sox reliever Mark Melancon shut the door and dropped Tampa to 4½ games back of Baltimore in AL Wild Card hunt.

Cobb dropped to 9-9 with the loss for Tampa, while Boston's Aaron Cook improved to 4-10 with six innings of one-run baseball.

For more on the Tampa Bay Rays, head over to DRays Bay, and be sure to check out Baseball Nation, SBNation's dedicated MLB hub.

Red Sox Vs. Rays Lineups: B.J. Upton Batting 2nd For Tampa Bay

The Rays have to make up four games in the Wild Card standings and they have fewer than 20 games in which to do it, so they really need to get back on the winning track on Monday night. The lineups for Tampa Bay's first game against the Boston Red Sox are listed below.

Tampa Bay:

1. Desmond Jennings (R) LF
2. B.J. Upton (R) CF
3. Ben Zobrist (S) SS
4. Matt Joyce (L) RF
5. Luke Scott (L) DH
6. Jeff Keppinger (R) 3B
7. Carlos Pena (L) 1B
8. Ryan Roberts (R) 2B
9. Jose Molina (R) C

Boston:

1. Pedro Ciriaco (R) 3B
2. Jacoby Ellsbury (L) CF
3. Dustin Pedroia (R) 2B
4. Cody Ross (R) RF
5. James Loney (L) 1B
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia (S) DH
7. Ryan Lavarnway (R) C
8. Scott Podsednik (L) LF
9. Jose Iglesias (R) SS

Stay tuned to SB Nation Tampa Bay for more updates on the Rays' series against Boston. For more on the Rays, visit DRaysBay. For more on the Red Sox, visit Over The Monster. And for all your baseball news, visit Baseball Nation.

Rays Vs. Red Sox Game Preview: Boston In Town As Rays 4 Back In Wild Card

The Rays have won seven of Alex Cobb's last eight starts.