2011 Tampa Bay Rays season

2011 Tampa Bay Rays
American League Wild Card Winner
League	American League
Division	East
Ballpark	Tropicana Field
City	St. Petersburg, Florida
Record	91–71 (.562)
Divisional place	2nd
Owners	Stuart Sternberg
General managers	Andrew Friedman (de facto)
Managers	Joe Maddon
Television	Sun Sports (Dewayne Staats, Brian Anderson)
Radio	Tampa Bay Rays Radio Network, Andy Freed, Dave Wills (English) Genesis 680 (Spanish)
Seasons

The Tampa Bay Rays 2011 season was the team's 14th season in Major League Baseball. Despite starting the season 0–6 and trailing the Boston Red Sox by 9 games as late in the season as September 3, the Rays captured the AL Wild Card and made consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in franchise history. However, they lost to the Texas Rangers in four games in the Division Series, the second year in a row they lost to Texas in the first round of the playoffs.

Offseason

The Rays declined the options of reliever Dan Wheeler and infielder Willy Aybar, and added Elliot Johnson to the 40-man roster on November 3, 2010. Becoming a free agent, Wheeler stated that he was open to re-sign with the Rays, saying the two sides talked about "keeping the lines of communication open." Aybar is eligible for arbitration, and therefore remains under the team's control.

Seven of the Rays' nine free agents were offered arbitration on November 23, 2010. Those players were left fielder Carl Crawford, utility player Brad Hawpe, and relievers Grant Balfour, Rafael Soriano, Randy Choate, Chad Qualls, and Joaquín Benoit. All seven players declined arbitration. First baseman Carlos Peña and reliever Dan Wheeler were the two players not offered arbitration.

On December 3, 2010, the Rays tendered first baseman Dan Johnson, while infielder Willy Aybar, catcher Dioner Navarro, and relievers Lance Cormier and J. P. Howell were nontendered. Howell, who missed the entire 2010 season with a shoulder injury and will reportedly miss the beginning of April in 2011, was expected to re-sign with the team, and did so on December 14.

The Rays lost first baseman Carlos Peña when he signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs on December 8, 2010.

Left Fielder Carl Crawford, who had played in the Rays organization his entire career since being drafted in 1999, signed with the Boston Red Sox on December 9, 2010. Crawford had been considered one of the top free agents during the offseason, and agreed to a 7-year $142 million deal with Boston, making him the second-highest paid outfielder and the 10th-highest paid player overall in baseball history.

Relief pitcher Randy Choate signed a two-year contract with the Florida Marlins on December 15, 2010. A day later, the Rays signed former Washington Nationals reliever Joel Peralta to a one-year, $600,000 deal.

Shortstop Jason Bartlett was reported to have been traded to the San Diego Padres for two minor league relievers on December 8, 2010, but the trade was not actually completed until December 17. When the transaction was finally made, it was learned that the Rays would give up Bartlett and a player to be named later in exchange for three relievers and one infielder.

Relief pitcher Dan Wheeler departed when he signed a one-year contract with the Boston Red sox.

On January 8, 2011, the Rays completed a trade with the Chicago Cubs, sending starting pitcher Matt Garza, outfielder Fernando Perez, and minor league pitcher Zach Rosscup in exchange for five minor league prospects including Chris Archer and Sam Fuld.

Closer Rafael Soriano, who led the American League with 45 saves in 2010 with the Rays, signed a 3-year $35 million deal with the New York Yankees on January 14.

The Rays added to their bullpen on January 15, with the signing of Kyle Farnsworth. The contract was worth $3.25 million for one year, with a club option for 2012.

On January 21, it was reported that the Rays had agreed to terms with veteran outfielders/designated hitters Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez. Both contracts were for one year, with Damon signing for $5.25 million, while Ramirez's deal was worth only $2 million.

Summary

April

Third baseman Evan Longoria was placed on the 15-day disabled list on April 3 for a strained left oblique. Manager Joe Maddon said he expected him to be out for three weeks. Felipe López was called up to replace him on the roster. RHP Mike Ekstrom was designated for assignment to make room for López on the 40-man roster.

Prior to their game on April 8, it was announced that Manny Ramirez was retiring. Ramirez, who appeared in five games with the Rays, had one hit in 17 at-bats. His decision to go into retirement was related to a positive test for a banned substance. Had he not retired, he would have faced a 100-game suspension.

The Rays started the season 0–6, their worst start in franchise history, but finished the month of April with a record of 15–12, 1½ games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Rays became the first team in league history to start the season 0–6 and finish April with a winning record.

May

When Evan Longoria was activated from the disabled list on May 3, the Rays designated infielder Felipe López for assignment. López cleared waivers, accepting an assignment to Triple-A Durham.

For his actions during a May 4 game, center fielder B. J. Upton was suspended for two games and fined $1,500. Upton was ejected during that game for arguing with home plate umpire Chad Fairchild over a called strikeout. After being tossed from the game, Upton began yelling at the umpire, throwing his batting helmet and batting gloves to the ground, and had to be restrained by bench coach Dave Martinez and third base coach Tom Foley. Upton appealed the suspension when it was announced on May 7. He would end up serving the two-game suspension, which began on May 12.

Starting pitcher Jeff Niemann was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 6. Outfielder Brandon Guyer was called up to take the open roster spot. In his first major-league at-bat, Guyer hit a home run, becoming the second player in Rays history to hit a home run in his first career at-bat. Guyer was optioned back to Durham on May 8 when the Rays recalled relief pitcher Rob Delaney.

First baseman Dan Johnson was designated for assignment by the Rays on May 20, and relief pitcher Rob Delaney was optioned to Triple-A Durham. Johnson had a .115 batting average with one home run and three RBIs in 25 games. He cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Durham on May 24. Taking one of the open spots on the roster was relief pitcher J. P. Howell, who returned to the team more than a full year after undergoing shoulder surgery. Outfielder Justin Ruggiano was also called up.

Starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson was named the American League Rookie of the Month as well as Pitcher of the Month. Hellickson compiled a 4–1 record with a 1.36 ERA. He surrendered only five earned runs in 33 innings pitched, and struck out 23 batters. He limited opponents to a .168 batting average.

The Rays went 14–13 in May, improving to 29–25 overall, 1½ games behind first place in the division.

June

Starting pitcher James Shields surpassed the franchise record for complete games in a season on June 20 after throwing his sixth complete game.

At the end of the month, the Rays were 45–36, having gone 16–11 in June. They were third in the division, four games behind the lead.

July

Starting pitchers David Price and James Shields, as well as outfielder Matt Joyce, were all named to the American League All-Star team on July 3. Infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist was one of the five players in the running for the Final Vote, but did not win. Joyce would be the only player to participate in the All-Star Game, as Price was suffering from turf toe, and Shields was ineligible to pitch after starting two days before the All-Star Game.

Catcher John Jaso was placed on the disabled list on July 15 with a right oblique strain. José Lobatón was called up from the minors.

Starting pitcher Wade Davis was placed on the disabled list on July 7. Relief pitcher Brandon Gomes was recalled from the minors to take his spot on the roster.

On July 17, in a nationally televised game, the Rays hosted the Boston Red Sox in a 16-inning game that lasted 5 hours and 42 minutes, ending at 1:35 a.m. EDT. It was the longest game in the history of the franchise in terms of time played, and matched the longest game by number of innings. It was also the latest a game ended in franchise history. The Rays became the first team since 1919 to have only three base hits in a game lasting 16 or more innings. The Rays lost 1–0. Following the game, catcher José Lobatón was placed on the disabled list. Robinson Chirinos took his spot on the roster. Manager Joe Maddon was ejected in the 11th inning for arguing an earlier check swing call during a pitching change and bench coach Dave Martinez was tossed later in the inning for unsportsmanlike conduct.

On July 18, relief pitcher Adam Russell was designated for assignment, while relief pitcher Juan Cruz was placed on the disabled list with a groin injury. Relievers Alex Cobb and Alex Torres were recalled from the minors.

The Rays ended July with an 11–15 record, falling to 56–51 overall. They were still third place in the division, but dropped to 10½ games behind the lead.

August

On August 10, it was announced that starting pitcher Alex Cobb would have to undergo surgery to remove a blockage in his ribs, which would cause him to miss the remainder of the season.

The Rays went 18–10 in August, going into the final month of the season in third place in the division and nine games behind for the lead.

September and Game 162

See also: 2011 Major League Baseball wild card chase

The Rays trailed the Boston Red Sox in the American League Wild Card by nine games as late as September 3. Historically, no team had qualified for the postseason after facing a deficit that large in the month of September. The Rays defeated the Red Sox in six out of seven games the teams played against each other in September, pulling into a tie for the Wild Card on September 26, with only two games remaining in the regular season. On September 28, the Rays won the final game against the Yankees in spectacular fashion. Trailing 5–0 after just two innings and 7–0 going into the 8th inning; the Rays loaded the bases with no outs. Pinch hitter Sam Fuld then drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in the Rays first run of the game. Sean Rodriguez was then hit by a pitch to score the second run. After a one-out sacrifice fly by B.J. Upton, making the score 7–3, Evan Longoria came to the plate and hit the first pitch he saw over the left field wall, a three-run home run that cut the deficit to 7–6. Then in the bottom of the ninth inning, after the first two Rays batters struck out, pinch hitter Dan Johnson, never known for his hitting abilities and having just a .108 average for the season, hit a home run on a 2–2 count to tie the game at 7–7. The game then played for three more innings before the Rays capped their comeback in the bottom of the 12th, clinching their third ever franchise postseason berth, winning the Wild Card when Evan Longoria again stepped to the plate, and hit a walk-off home run down the left field line which barely cleared the lowest wall in the park, giving the Rays an 8–7 victory.

Game 162 is commemorated in two ways in Tropicana Field. There is 162 Landing, a designation in the left field corner where Longoria's playoff-clinching home run landed. The area is located off Left Field Street where Evan Longoria's 12th-inning walk-off homer landed September 28 to beat the Yankees and propel Tampa Bay to the postseason. The entrance to 162 Landing is open to the public and includes a recap of the events there and at Camden Yards from that night, video highlights and interviews, photos and displays. There also is a white seat in the right field corner commemorating where Dan Johnson's two-out, two-strike game-tying homer landed in the bottom of the ninth, in Section 140, Seat 10, Row T.

Insights from pitcher James Shields and sports writer Bill Chastain in their book, September Nights, are a baseball classic in Tampa Bay.

Season standings

American League East

AL East

Team	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
New York Yankees	97	65	.599	—	52‍–‍29	45‍–‍36
Tampa Bay Rays	91	71	.562	6	47‍–‍34	44‍–‍37
Boston Red Sox	90	72	.556	7	45‍–‍36	45‍–‍36
Toronto Blue Jays	81	81	.500	16	42‍–‍39	39‍–‍42
Baltimore Orioles	69	93	.426	28	39‍–‍42	30‍–‍51

American League Wild Card

Division Winners

Team	W	L	Pct.
New York Yankees	97	65	.599
Texas Rangers	96	66	.593
Detroit Tigers	95	67	.586

Wild Card team
(Top team qualifies for postseason)

Team	W	L	Pct.	GB
Tampa Bay Rays	91	71	.562	—
Boston Red Sox	90	72	.556	1
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim	86	76	.531	5
Toronto Blue Jays	81	81	.500	10
Cleveland Indians	80	82	.494	11
Chicago White Sox	79	83	.488	12
Oakland Athletics	74	88	.457	17
Kansas City Royals	71	91	.438	20
Baltimore Orioles	69	93	.426	22
Seattle Mariners	67	95	.414	24
Minnesota Twins	63	99	.389	28

Record vs. opponents

Team	BAL	BOS	CWS	CLE	DET	KC	LAA	MIN	NYY	OAK	SEA	TB	TEX	TOR	NL
Baltimore	–	8–10	4–4	2–5	5–5	5–4	3–6	6–2	5–13	4–5	4–2	9–9	1–5	6–12	7–11
Boston	10–8	–	2–4	4–6	5–1	5–3	6–2	5–2	12–6	6–2	5–4	6–12	4–6	10–8	10–8
Chicago	4–4	4–2	–	11–7	5–13	7–11	2–6	9–9	2–6	6–4	7–2	4–4	4–4	3–4	11–7
Cleveland	5–2	6–4	7–11	–	6–12	12–6	3–6	11–7	3–4	5–2	5–4	2–4	1–9	3–4	11–7
Detroit	5–5	1–5	13–5	12–6	–	11–7	3–4	14–4	4–3	5–5	4–6	6–1	6–3	4–2	7–11
Kansas City	4–5	3–5	11–7	6–12	7–11	–	7–3	8–10	3–3	4–5	5–3	2–5	2–6	4–3	5–13
Los Angeles	6–3	2–6	6–2	6–3	4–3	3–7	–	6–3	4–5	8–11	12–7	4–4	7–12	5–5	13–5
Minnesota	2–6	2–5	9–9	7–11	4–14	10–8	3–6	–	2–6	4–4	3–5	3–7	5–3	1–5	8–10
New York	13–5	6–12	6–2	4–3	3–4	3–3	5–4	6–2	–	6–3	5–4	9–9	7–2	11–7	13–5
Oakland	5–4	2–6	4–6	2–5	5–5	5–4	11–8	4–4	3–6	–	9–10	5–2	6–13	5–5	8–10
Seattle	2–4	4–5	2–7	4–5	6–4	3–5	7–12	5–3	4–5	10–9	–	4–6	4–15	3–6	9–9
Tampa Bay	9–9	12–6	4–4	4–2	1–6	5–2	4–4	7–3	9–9	2–5	6–4	–	4–5	12–6	12–6
Texas	5–1	6–4	4–4	9–1	3–6	6–2	12–7	3–5	2–7	13–6	15–4	5–4	–	4–6	9–9
Toronto	12–6	8–10	4–3	4–3	2–4	3–4	5–5	5–1	7–11	5–5	6–3	6–12	6–4	–	8–10

• Source: MLB Standings Grid – 2011

Roster

2011 Tampa Bay Rays
Roster
Pitchers 51 Jay Buente 53 Alex Cobb 37 Juan Cruz 40 Wade Davis 49 Dane De La Rosa 55 Rob Delaney 54 Mike Ekstrom 43 Kyle Farnsworth 47 Brandon Gomes 58 Jeremy Hellickson 74 J. P. Howell 57 Jake McGee 55 Matt Moore 34 Jeff Niemann 62 Joel Peralta 14 David Price 55,27 Cesar Ramos 36 Adam Russell 33 James Shields 21 Andy Sonnanstine 56 Alexander Torres		Catchers 38 Robinson Chirinos 28 John Jaso 31 José Lobatón 10 Kelly Shoppach Infielders 15 Reid Brignac 29,24 Dan Johnson  9 Elliot Johnson 11 Casey Kotchman  3 Evan Longoria 45 Felipe López  1 Sean Rodriguez 18 Ben Zobrist		Outfielders 22 Johnny Damon  5 Sam Fuld 30 Brandon Guyer  8 Desmond Jennings 20 Matthew Joyce 16 Justin Ruggiano  2 B. J. Upton Other batters 45 Russ Canzler 24 Manny Ramirez		Manager 70 Joe Maddon Coaches 46 Stan Boroski 77 Scott Cursi (bullpen catcher)  6 Tom Foley (third base) 25 George Hendrick (first base) 48 Jim Hickey (pitching)  4 Dave Martinez (bench)  7 Bobby Ramos (bullpen) 17 Derek Shelton (hitting) 63 Don Zimmer (coach)

Game log

The Rays opened the 2011 season at home against the Baltimore Orioles for the second consecutive season.

Legend
	Rays win
	Rays loss
	Postponement
Bold	Rays team member

Regular season

2011 Game Log
April (15–12) # Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record 1 April 1 Orioles 1–4 Guthrie (1–0) Price (0–1) 34,708 0–1 2 April 2 Orioles 1–3 Accardo (1–0) Shields (0–1) 22,164 0–2 3 April 3 Orioles 1–5 Britton (1–0) Davis (0–1) 17,408 0–3 4 April 5 Angels 3–5 Weaver (2–0) Niemann (0–1) Walden (1) 13,173 0–4 5 April 6 Angels 1–5 Haren (1–0) Hellickson (0–1) 11,836 0–5 6 April 7 @ White Sox 1–5 Jackson (2–0) Price (0–2) 38,579 0–6 7 April 8 @ White Sox 9–7 Russell (1–0) Thornton (0–1) Farnsworth (1) 20,199 1–6 8 April 9 @ White Sox 2–4 Humber (1–0) Davis (0–2) Sale (1) 26,378 1–7 9 April 10 @ White Sox 1–6 Floyd (1–0) Niemann (0–2) 23,436 1–8 10 April 11 @ Red Sox 16–5 Hellickson (1–1) Matsuzaka (0–2) 37,568 2–8 11 April 12 @ Red Sox 3–2 Price (1–2) Lester (0–1) Farnsworth (2) 37,105 3–8 — April 13 @ Red Sox Postponed (rain); Makeup: August 16 12 April 14 Twins 4–3 (10) Farnsworth (1–0) Capps (1–1) 10,042 4–8 13 April 15 Twins 5–2 Davis (1–2) Blackburn (1–2) Farnsworth (3) 15,342 5–8 14 April 16 Twins 4–3 Cruz (1–0) Nathan (0–1) 16,428 6–8 15 April 17 Twins 2–4 Duensing (1–0) Hellickson (1–2) Capps (1) 22,246 6–9 16 April 18 White Sox 5–0 Price (2–2) Jackson (2–1) 12,016 7–9 17 April 19 White Sox 2–1 Shields (1–1) Danks (0–2) 13,731 8–9 18 April 20 White Sox 4–1 Davis (2–2) Humber (1–2) Farnsworth (4) 13,214 9–9 19 April 21 White Sox 2–9 Floyd (2–1) Niemann (0–3) 16,751 9–10 20 April 22 @ Blue Jays 4–6 (11) Rzepczynski (2–0) Russell (1–1) 23,192 9–11 21 April 23 @ Blue Jays 6–4 Price (3–2) Morrow (0–1) Farnsworth (5) 21,826 10–11 22 April 24 @ Blue Jays 2–0 Shields (2–1) Romero (1–3) 14,456 11–11 — April 26 @ Twins Postponed (rain); Makeup: April 28 23 April 27 @ Twins 8–2 Davis (3–2) Liriano (1–4) 36,714 12–11 24 April 28 @ Twins 15–3 Hellickson (2–2) Blackburn (1–4) 38,315 13–11 25 April 28 @ Twins 6–1 Niemann (1–3) Swarzak (0–1) 36,456 14–11 26 April 29 Angels 5–8 Santana (1–3) Price (3–3) Walden (4) 21,791 14–12 27 April 30 Angels 2–1 (10) Peralta (1–0) Rodney (0–1) 20,245 15–12
May (14–13) # Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record 28 May 1 Angels 5–6 Thompson (1–1) Peralta (1–1) Walden (5) 16,248 15–13 29 May 3 Blue Jays 3–2 Farnsworth (2–0) Rauch (1–2) 10,248 16–13 30 May 4 Blue Jays 2–3 Morrow (1–1) Niemann (1–4) Francisco (1) 10,099 16–14 31 May 5 Blue Jays 3–1 Price (4–3) Drabek (2–2) Farnsworth (6) 12,682 17–14 32 May 6 @ Orioles 6–2 Shields (3–1) Britton (5–2) 20,694 18–14 33 May 7 @ Orioles 8–2 Hellickson (3–2) Guthrie (1–5) 18,961 19–14 34 May 8 @ Orioles 5–3 Davis (4–2) Bergesen (0–4) Farnsworth (7) 16,359 20–14 35 May 10 @ Indians 4–5 Perez (2–1) Peralta (1–2) 13,551 20–15 36 May 11 @ Indians 8–2 Price (5–3) Carrasco (1–2) 17,741 21–15 37 May 12 @ Indians 7–4 Shields (4–1) Masterson (5–1) 18,107 22–15 38 May 13 Orioles 3–0 Hellickson (4–2) Guthrie (1–6) 20,476 23–15 39 May 14 Orioles 0–6 Bergesen (1–4) Davis (4–3) 28,451 23–16 40 May 15 Orioles 3–9 Arrieta (5–1) Sonnanstine (0–1) 21,505 23–17 41 May 16 Yankees 6–5 Cruz (2–0) Burnett (4–3) Farnsworth (8) 25,024 24–17 42 May 17 Yankees 2–6 Nova (4–3) Shields (4–2) 27,123 24–18 43 May 18 @ Blue Jays 6–5 Hellickson (5–2) Litsch (4–3) Farnsworth (9) 14,415 25–18 44 May 19 @ Blue Jays 2–3 Romero (4–4) Davis (4–4) Francisco (5) 12,590 25–19 45 May 20 @ Marlins 3–5 Dunn (4–2) Peralta (1–3) Núñez (16) 18,111 25–20 46 May 21 @ Marlins 3–5 Vázquez (3–4) Price (5–4) Núñez (17) 21,814 25–21 47 May 22 @ Marlins 4–0 Shields (5–2) Buente (0–1) 15,432 26–21 48 May 23 @ Tigers 3–6 Furbush (1–0) Hellickson (5–3) 21,550 26–22 49 May 24 @ Tigers 6–7 Alburquerque (1–1) Ramos (0–1) Benoit (1) 24,133 26–23 — May 25 @ Tigers Postponed (rain); Makeup: June 13 50 May 27 Indians 5–0 Price (6–4) Tomlin (6–2) 16,800 27–23 51 May 28 Indians 3–7 Carrasco (4–2) Shields (5–3) Perez (14) 24,717 27–24 52 May 29 Indians 7–0 Hellickson (6–3) Masterson (5–3) 23,898 28–24 53 May 30 Rangers 5–11 Holland (4–1) Davis (4–5) 14,203 28–25 54 May 31 Rangers 5–4 Peralta (2–3) Rhodes (3–3) Farnsworth (10) 12,783 29–25
June (16–11) # Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record 55 June 1 Rangers 0–3 Lewis (5–5) Price (6–5) Feliz (11) 13,725 29–26 56 June 2 @ Mariners 2–8 Hernández (6–4) Shields (5–4) 16,376 29–27 57 June 3 @ Mariners 0–7 Vargas (4–3) Sonnanstine (0–2) 24,492 29–28 58 June 4 @ Mariners 3–2 Hellickson (7–3) Fister (3–6) Farnsworth (11) 28,843 30–28 59 June 5 @ Mariners 6–9 Wright (2–2) Howell (0–1) League (16) 28,947 30–29 60 June 6 @ Angels 5–1 Price (7–5) Chatwood (3–3) 32,287 31–29 61 June 7 @ Angels 4–1 Cobb (1–0) Haren (5–4) Farnsworth (12) 38,833 32–29 62 June 8 @ Angels 4–3 (10) Cruz (3–0) Rodney (2–3) Farnsworth (13) 33,157 33–29 63 June 10 @ Orioles 0–7 Arrieta (8–3) Hellickson (7–4) 17,900 33–30 64 June 11 @ Orioles 7–5 (11) Cruz (4–0) Accardo (3–2) Farnsworth (14) 25,541 34–30 65 June 12 @ Orioles 9–6 Davis (5–5) Matusz (1–1) Howell (1) 22,032 35–30 66 June 13 @ Tigers 1–2 (10) Purcey (1–0) Farnsworth (2–1) 30,938 35–31 67 June 14 Red Sox 4–0 Shields (6–4) Wakefield (3–2) 20,972 36–31 68 June 15 Red Sox 0–3 Beckett (6–2) Hellickson (7–5) 19,388 36–32 69 June 16 Red Sox 2–4 Buchholz (6–3) Price (7–6) Papelbon (13) 23,495 36–33 70 June 17 Marlins 5–1 Davis (6–5) Hand (0–3) Farnsworth (15) 15,708 37–33 71 June 18 Marlins 7–4 Cobb (2–0) Nolasco (4–3) 20,495 38–33 72 June 19 Marlins 2–1 Shields (7–4) Webb (1–4) 26,761 39–33 73 June 20 @ Brewers 8–4 Niemann (2–4) Narveson (4–5) 35,495 40–33 74 June 21 @ Brewers 1–5 Greinke (7–2) Hellickson (7–6) 40,079 40–34 75 June 22 @ Brewers 6–3 Price (8–6) Estrada (1–5) 39,632 41–34 76 June 24 @ Astros 5–1 Shields (8–4) W. Rodríguez (5–4) 26,682 42–34 77 June 25 @ Astros 7–2 Davis (7–5) Norris (4–6) Farnsworth (16) 27,208 43–34 78 June 26 @ Astros 14–10 Howell (1–1) López (1–4) 23,965 44–34 79 June 27 Reds 0–5 Leake (7–4) Hellickson (7–7) 19,891 44–35 80 June 28 Reds 4–3 Farnsworth (3–1) Ondrusek (3–3) 20,894 45–35 81 June 29 Reds 3–4 Volquez (5–3) Shields (8–5) Cordero (16) 25,968 45–36
July (11–15) # Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record 82 July 1 Cardinals 3–5 Westbrook (7–4) Davis (7–6) Salas (14) 19,934 45–37 83 July 2 Cardinals 5–1 Niemann (3–4) McClellan (6–5) 23,897 46–37 84 July 3 Cardinals 8–3 Hellickson (8–7) Lohse (8–5) Farnsworth (17) 26,819 47–37 85 July 4 @ Twins 0–7 Duensing (6–7) Price (8–7) 39,528 47–38 86 July 5 @ Twins 2–3 Baker (7–5) Shields (8–6) Perkins (2) 38,613 47–39 87 July 6 @ Twins 12–5 Howell (2–1) Burnett (2–5) 39,841 48–39 88 July 7 @ Yankees 5–1 Niemann (4–4) Colón (6–4) 47,787 49–39 — July 8 @ Yankees Postponed (rain); Makeup: September 22 89 July 9 @ Yankees 4–5 Robertson (2–0) Peralta (2–4) Rivera (22) 48,103 49–40 90 July 10 @ Yankees 0–1 Sabathia (13–4) Shields (8–7) 47,350 49–41 All-Star Break 91 July 15 Red Sox 9–6 Price (9–7) Miller (3–1) Farnsworth (18) 25,729 50–41 92 July 16 Red Sox 5–9 Lackey (7–8) Shields (8–8) 32,487 50–42 93 July 17 Red Sox 0–1 (16) Aceves (5–1) Russell (1–2) Papelbon (21) 21,504 50–43 94 July 18 Yankees 4–5 Robertson (3–0) Torres (0–1) Rivera (24) 22,471 50–44 95 July 19 Yankees 3–2 Hellickson (9–7) Colón (6–6) Peralta (1) 22,780 51–44 96 July 20 Yankees 0–4 García (8–7) Price (9–8) 21,505 51–45 97 July 21 Yankees 2–1 Shields (9–8) Sabathia (14–5) Farnsworth (19) 29,279 52–45 98 July 22 @ Royals 4–10 Hochevar (6–8) Davis (7–7) 27,824 52–46 99 July 23 @ Royals 4–5 (10) Soria (5–3) Gomes (0–1) 27,643 52–47 100 July 24 @ Royals 5–0 Cobb (3–0) Paulino (1–4) 23,735 53–47 101 July 25 @ Athletics 5–7 Fuentes (2–8) Howell (2–2) Bailey (12) 11,053 53–48 102 July 26 @ Athletics 1–6 McCarthy (3–5) Price (9–9) 12,166 53–49 103 July 27 @ Athletics 4–13 Cahill (9–9) Shields (9–9) 18,640 53–50 104 July 28 @ Athletics 10–8 Davis (8–7) Ziegler (3–2) Farnsworth (20) 16,466 54–50 105 July 29 @ Mariners 8–0 Niemann (5–4) Bédard (4–7) 26,570 55–50 106 July 30 @ Mariners 2–3 Pineda (9–7) Cobb (3–1) League (24) 24,985 55–51 107 July 31 @ Mariners 8–1 Hellickson (10–7) Vargas (6–10) 20,382 56–51
August (18–10) # Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record 108 August 2 Blue Jays 1–3 Romero (9–9) Price (9–10) Rauch (10) 13,333 56–52 109 August 3 Blue Jays 9–1 Shields (10–9) Villanueva (6–3) 11,803 57–52 110 August 4 Blue Jays 7–6 (12) Gomes (1–1) Camp (1–2) 28,491 58–52 111 August 5 Athletics 8–4 Niemann (6–4) Moscoso (4–6) 15,168 59–52 112 August 6 Athletics 0–8 McCarthy (5–5) Cobb (3–2) 24,939 59–53 113 August 7 Athletics 4–5 (10) De Los Santos (1–0) McGee (0–1) Bailey (13) 21,425 59–54 114 August 8 Royals 2–1 Farnsworth (4–1) Wood (5–1) 10,742 60–54 115 August 9 Royals 4–0 Shields (11–9) Francis (4–12) 10,124 61–54 116 August 10 Royals 8–7 McGee (1–1) Soria (5–5) 11,706 62–54 117 August 11 Royals 4–1 Niemann (7–4) Duffy (3–6) Farnsworth (21) 13,942 63–54 118 August 12 @ Yankees 5–1 Price (10–10) Sabathia (16–7) 47,894 64–54 119 August 13 @ Yankees 2–9 Hughes (3–4) Hellickson (10–8) 47,804 64–55 — August 14 @ Yankees Postponed (rain); Makeup: September 21 120 August 16 @ Red Sox 1–3 Lester (12–6) Shields (11–10) Papelbon (28) 38,525 64–56 121 August 16 @ Red Sox 6–2 Niemann (8–4) Bédard (4–8) 38,278 65–56 122 August 17 @ Red Sox 4–0 Price (11–10) Lackey (11–9) 37,737 66–56 123 August 19 Mariners 3–2 Cruz (5–0) Hernández (11–11) Farnsworth (22) 14,884 67–56 124 August 20 Mariners 8–0 Hellickson (11–8) Furbush (3–5) 20,148 68–56 125 August 21 Mariners 8–7 Farnsworth (5–1) Cortes (0–2) 17,226 69–56 126 August 22 Tigers 2–5 Verlander (19–5) Niemann (8–5) 13,048 69–57 127 August 23 Tigers 1–2 Penny (9–9) Price (11–11) Coke (1) 11,475 69–58 128 August 24 Tigers 3–2 (10) Peralta (3–4) Below (0–2) 13,910 70–58 129 August 25 Tigers 0–2 Fister (6–13) Hellickson (11–9) Valverde (38) 14,069 70–59 130 August 26 @ Blue Jays 6–1 Shields (12–10) Álvarez (0–2) 20,491 71–59 131 August 27 @ Blue Jays 6–5 Niemann (9–5) Camp (1–3) Peralta (2) 24,052 72–59 132 August 28 @ Blue Jays 12–0 Price (12–11) Morrow (9–9) 21,618 73–59 133 August 29 @ Blue Jays 3–7 Romero (13–9) Davis (8–8) 19,725 73–60 134 August 30 @ Rangers 0–2 Feldman (1–0) Hellickson (11–10) Feliz (26) 23,069 73–61 135 August 31 @ Rangers 4–1 Shields (13–10) Ogando (12–7) 28,034 74–61
September (17–10) # Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record 136 September 1 @ Rangers 2–7 Wilson (14–6) Niemann (9–6) 26,220 74–62 137 September 2 Orioles 2–3 Britton (9–9) Price (12–12) Gregg (20) 11,955 74–63 138 September 3 Orioles 6–3 Davis (9–8) Simón (4–8) Farnsworth (23) 14,223 75–63 139 September 4 Orioles 8–1 Hellickson (12–10) Guthrie (6–17) 15,790 76–63 140 September 5 Rangers 5–1 Shields (14–10) Feldman (1–1) 13,130 77–63 141 September 6 Rangers 0–8 Wilson (14–6) Niemann (9–7) 11,611 77–64 142 September 7 Rangers 5–4 (10) McGee (2–1) Lowe (2–3) 11,190 78–64 143 September 9 Red Sox 7–2 Davis (10–8) Lackey (12–12) 18,482 79–64 144 September 10 Red Sox 6–5 (11) Gomes (2–1) Bard (2–7) 24,566 80–64 145 September 11 Red Sox 9–1 Shields (15–10) Lester (15–7) 25,220 81–64 146 September 12 @ Orioles 5–2 Niemann (10–7) Britton (9–10) Peralta (3) 11,924 82–64 147 September 13 @ Orioles 2–4 Patton (1–1) Howell (2–3) Johnson (5) 13,262 82–65 148 September 14 @ Orioles 2–6 Guthrie (8–17) Davis (10–9) Johnson (6) 14,669 82–66 149 September 15 @ Red Sox 9–2 Hellickson (13–10) Weiland (0–2) 38,071 83–66 150 September 16 @ Red Sox 3–4 Beckett (13–5) Shields (15–11) Papelbon (30) 38,019 83–67 151 September 17 @ Red Sox 4–3 Niemann (11–7) Lester (15–8) Peralta (4) 37,682 84–67 152 September 18 @ Red Sox 8–5 McGee (3–1) Wakefield (7–7) Peralta (5) 37,613 85–67 153 September 20 @ Yankees 0–5 Nova (16–4) Davis (10–10) 46,944 85–68 154 September 21 @ Yankees 2–4 Ayala (2–2) Shields (15–12) Rivera (44) 42,755 85–69 155 September 21 @ Yankees 2–4 Robertson (4–0) McGee (3–2) Soriano (2) 45,586 85–70 156 September 22 @ Yankees 15–8 Moore (1–0) Colón (8–10) 47,470 86–70 157 September 23 Blue Jays 1–5 Morrow (11–11) Price (12–13) 18,093 86–71 158 September 24 Blue Jays 6–2 Torres (1–1) Romero (15–11) 27,773 87–71 159 September 25 Blue Jays 5–2 Davis (11–10) Cecil (4–11) Peralta (6) 21,008 88–71 160 September 26 Yankees 5–2 Shields (16–12) Noesí (2–2) Farnsworth (24) 18,772 89–71 161 September 27 Yankees 5–3 McGee (4–2) Soriano (2–3) Farnsworth (25) 22,820 90–71 162 September 28 Yankees 8–7 (12) McGee (5–2) Proctor (0–3) 29,518 91–71

Postseason

2011 Postseason Game Log

American League Division Series Game Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Location/Attendance Series 1 September 30 @ Rangers 9–0 Moore (1–0) Wilson (0–1) Rangers Ballpark in Arlington 50,498 1–0 2 October 1 @ Rangers 6–8 Holland (1–0) Shields (0–1) Feliz (1) Rangers Ballpark in Arlington 51,351 1–1 3 October 3 Rangers 3–4 Lewis (1–0) Price (0–1) Feliz (2) Tropicana Field 32,828 1–2 4 October 4 Rangers 3–4 Harrison (1–0) Hellickson (0–1) Feliz (3) Tropicana Field 28,299 1–3

Statistics

Regular season

Batting

Note: Rk = Rank; Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases; BA = Batting average; OBP= On-Base percentage

Rk	Pos		Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BA	OBP
1	C	Kelly Shoppach	31	87	221	23	39	3	0	11	22	0	.176	.268
2	1B	Casey Kotchman*	28	146	500	44	153	24	2	10	48	2	.306	.378
3	2B	Ben Zobrist#	30	156	588	99	158	46	6	20	91	19	.269	.353
4	SS	Reid Brignac*	25	92	249	18	48	4	0	1	15	3	.193	.227
5	3B	Evan Longoria	25	133	483	78	118	26	1	31	99	3	.244	.355
6	LF	Sam Fuld*	29	105	308	41	74	18	5	3	27	20	.240	.313
7	CF	B.J. Upton	26	153	560	82	136	27	4	23	81	36	.243	.331
8	RF	Matt Joyce*	26	141	462	69	128	32	2	19	75	13	.277	.347
9	DH	Johnny Damon*	37	150	582	79	152	29	7	16	73	19	.261	.326
10	IF	Sean Rodriguez	26	131	373	45	83	20	3	8	36	11	.223	.323
11	LF	Desmond Jennings	24	63	247	44	64	9	4	10	25	20	.259	.356
12	C	John Jaso*	27	89	246	26	55	15	1	5	27	1	.224	.298
13	SS	Elliot Johnson#	27	70	160	20	31	7	2	4	17	6	.194	.257
14	LF	Justin Ruggiano	29	46	105	11	26	4	0	4	13	1	.248	.273
15	3B	Felipe López#	31	32	97	8	21	4	0	2	8	1	.216	.248
16	1B	Dan Johnson*	31	31	84	7	10	1	0	2	4	0	.119	.187
17	C	Robinson Chirinos	27	20	55	4	12	2	0	1	7	0	.218	.283
18	UT	Brandon Guyer	25	15	41	7	8	1	0	2	3	0	.195	.214
19	C	José Lobatón#	26	15	34	2	4	1	0	0	0	0	.118	.231
20	DH	Manny Ramirez	39	5	17	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	.059	.059
21	DH	Russ Canzler	25	3	3	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	.333	.400
		Pitcher Totals		162	21	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	.095	.136
		Team Totals		162	5436	707	1324	273	37	172	674	155	.244	.322

Source: Baseball-Reference.com

Pitching

Note: Rk = Rank; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; CG= Complete Games; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; SO = Strikeouts; K/BB= Strikeout to Walk Ratio

Rk		Age	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	SO/BB
1	James Shields	29	16	12	2.82	33	33	11	0	249.1	195	83	78	26	65	225	3.46
2	David Price*	25	12	13	3.49	34	34	0	0	224.1	192	93	87	22	63	218	3.46
3	Jeremy Hellickson	24	13	10	2.95	29	29	2	0	189.0	146	64	62	21	72	117	1.63
4	Wade Davis	25	11	10	4.45	29	29	1	0	184.0	190	96	91	23	63	105	1.67
5	Jeff Niemann	28	11	7	4.06	23	23	1	0	135.1	131	65	61	18	37	105	2.84
6	Kyle Farnsworth	35	5	1	2.18	63	0	0	25	57.2	45	15	14	5	12	51	4.25
7	Joel Peralta	35	3	4	2.93	71	0	0	6	67.2	44	23	22	7	18	61	3.39
8	Juan Cruz	32	5	0	3.88	56	0	0	0	48.2	36	21	21	5	28	46	1.64
9	Cesar Ramos*	27	0	1	3.92	59	0	0	0	43.2	36	22	19	4	25	31	1.24
10	J.P. Howell*	28	2	3	6.16	46	0	0	1	30.2	30	24	21	5	18	26	1.44
11	Alex Cobb	23	3	2	3.42	9	9	0	0	52.2	49	21	20	3	21	37	1.76
12	Brandon Gomes	26	2	1	2.92	40	0	0	0	37.0	34	15	12	3	16	32	2.00
13	Andy Sonnanstine	28	0	2	5.55	15	4	0	0	35.2	40	22	22	10	12	12	1.00
14	Adam Russell	28	1	2	3.03	36	0	0	0	32.2	31	13	11	2	20	13	0.65
15	Jake McGee*	24	5	2	4.50	37	0	0	0	28.0	30	14	14	5	12	27	2.25
16	Matt Moore*	22	1	0	2.89	3	1	0	0	9.1	9	3	3	1	3	15	5.00
17	Alexander Torres*	23	1	1	3.38	4	0	0	0	8.0	8	4	3	0	7	9	1.29
18	Dane De La Rosa	28	0	0	9.82	7	0	0	0	7.1	10	8	8	1	3	8	2.67
19	Rob Delaney	26	0	0	10.80	4	0	0	0	5.0	4	6	6	0	7	3	0.43
20	Jay Buente	27	0	0	9.00	1	0	0	0	2.0	2	2	2	0	2	1	0.50
21	Mike Ekstrom	27	0	0	0.00	1	0	0	0	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	1	----
	Team Totals		91	71	3.58	162	162	15	32	1449.0	1263	614	577	161	504	1143	2.27

Source: Baseball-Reference.com

American League Division Series vs. Texas

Main article: 2011 American League Division Series

Game 1, September 30

5:07 p.m. (EDT) at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Tampa Bay	0	3	3	0	2	0	0	0	1	9	11	0
Texas	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1
Starting pitchers: TB: Matt Moore (0–0) TEX: C. J. Wilson (0–0) WP: Matt Moore (1–0)   LP: C. J. Wilson (0–1) Home runs: TB: Johnny Damon (1), Kelly Shoppach 2 (2) TEX: None

Game 2, October 1

7:07 p.m. (EDT) at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Tampa Bay	1	0	0	2	0	0	3	0	0	6	9	0
Texas	0	0	0	5	0	2	0	1	X	8	10	1
Starting pitchers: TB: James Shields (0–0) TEX: Derek Holland (0–0) WP: Derek Holland (1–0)   LP: James Shields (0–1)   Sv: Neftalí Feliz (1) Home runs: TB: Matt Joyce (1), Evan Longoria (1) TEX: Mitch Moreland (1)

Game 3, October 3

5:07 p.m. (EDT) at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Texas	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	4	9	0
Tampa Bay	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	1	0	3	6	0
Starting pitchers: TEX: Colby Lewis (0–0) TB: David Price (0–0) WP: Colby Lewis (1–0)   LP: David Price (0–1)   Sv: Neftalí Feliz (2) Home runs: TEX: Mike Napoli (1) TB: Desmond Jennings 2 (2)

Game 4, October 4

2:07 p.m. (EDT) at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Texas	1	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	4	6	0
Tampa Bay	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	3	7	0
WP: Matt Harrison (1-0)   LP: Jeremy Hellickson (0-1)   Sv: Neftalí Feliz (3) Home runs: TEX: Ian Kinsler (1), Adrián Beltré 3 (3) TB: None

Farm system

See also: Minor League Baseball

Level	Team	League	Manager
AAA	Durham Bulls	International League	Charlie Montoyo
AA	Montgomery Biscuits	Southern League	Billy Gardner Jr.
A	Charlotte Stone Crabs	Florida State League	Jim Morrison
A	Bowling Green Hot Rods	Midwest League	Brady Williams
A-Short Season	Hudson Valley Renegades	New York–Penn League	Jared Sandberg
Rookie	Princeton Rays	Appalachian League	Mike Johns
Rookie	GCL Rays	Gulf Coast League	Joe Alvarez

External links

• 2011 Tampa Bay Rays season Official Site Archived September 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
• 2011 Tampa Bay Rays season at ESPN
• 2011 Tampa Bay Rays season at Baseball Reference