Sports: Kids eager to tackle roughest stretch

The youngest team in the majors, which is .500 since July 21, opens a stretch of 22 games against a quartet steamrolling toward postseason play with Seattle today at Tropicana Field.

"It's going to be a good test for us," second baseman Brent Abernathy said. "I don't think it's any secret that we've been playing better ball here lately. It'll be a good test for us to go into next season with, to know where we are.

"We know we're young and we know we're inexperienced, but we also feel that we can play with anybody out there, and we have."

The Rays play the Mariners, Oakland and Boston six times each and the Yankees three times during the stretch. Seattle has the best record in baseball. The Yankees lead the American League East. The A's lead the wild-card race.

"They're coming in here to win ballgames," reliever Doug Creek said. "These games are very important to them. But we're playing well. Winning every ballgame we can is very important to us.

"Our aspirations for the season are a little bit different just by our record, but we're going out there to beat somebody's tail."

Tampa Bay is 5-27 and has been outscored 230-107 against those four this season. They've been swept by Boston three times, New York twice and Seattle once.

"I don't think that I'll use it as a measuring stick, but we want to compete," manager Hal McRae said. "I don't think clubs are able to sit back and relax and just beat us. I think that's the first step for us, is to make them beat us and make them respect us, and the way to do that is to get after them when you can."

RELOCATED BORDERS: The Rays sold the contract of catcher Pat Borders to the Mariners on Monday, and that could turn out to be a good thing for the 38-year-old veteran.

Borders will be assigned to Triple-A Tacoma but could be in line for a September callup. He provides the Mariners with a reliable postseason alternative should Dan Wilson or Tom Lampkin be injured.

Borders, 38, was hitting .236 in 87 games for Triple-A Durham in his second season in the Tampa Bay organization.

ALWAYS READY: Utility infielder Russ Johnson has performed so well in spot starts, including a 3-for-3 performance against Chicago on Sunday, that some might wonder why he isn't playing more.

Johnson, who has seven starts in the past 32 games, seems to have settled nicely into the backup role and is hitting .563 with three doubles and three RBI in his past four starts at third base.

"As long as a backup player is in that role, that's what he'll do," McRae said. "Once he becomes the front-line guy, then the roles are reversed and now that guy plays and the other guy doesn't.

"I don't want a player to feel, "If I go 0 for two days, then he's back in.' "

ODDS AND ENDS: Tampa Bay has 33 steals in its past 34 games and a team-record 27 in August. ... The Rays were batting .299 with runners in scoring position before going 1-for-12 against Chicago on Sunday. ... Outfielder Greg Vaughn is hitting .375 with three doubles and six RBI in his past 24 at-bats. ... Shortstop Chris Gomez's season-high hitting streak is at nine games. ... Reliever Victor Zambrano has allowed four hits and two runs in his past eight innings.

Tonight: Rays vs. Mariners, 7:15

WHERE: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg.

TV/RADIO: Fox Sports Net; WFLA-AM 970, WLCC-AM 760 (Spanish).

TODAY'S PROMOTION: Upper general admission tickets can be purchased for $3 with a coupon from the Tampa Tribune.

TICKETS: Available at stadium box office; through Ticketmaster phone and retail outlets; and at team stores in WestShore Plaza, Brandon TownCenter and BayWalk.

INFORMATION: 1-888-FAN-RAYS.

The pitchers

PAUL WILSON: Wilson won three of four starts after a two-month exile to the bullpen but has struggled in his past two, allowing 14 hits and 11 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings. Overall, he is 3-1 with a 3.82 ERA since rejoining the rotation. This is his first appearance against Seattle.

JOEL PINEIRO: The 22-year-old right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.86 ERA since a July 4 promotion. In seven starts, he has given up more than one run once, against the Yankees in New York. Pineiro has allowed an .081 average (6-for-74) to right-handers.

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