ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays are doing very little well lately.Thanks to a torrid stretch in which they have dropped 18 of 21 games, the last-place Rays (34-50) are now 15 games behind the first-place Baltimore Orioles in the American League East. They are also seven games behind the team directly ahead of them, the fourth-place New York Yankees.However, the Rays are consistently hitting the ball well against lefties. They are batting .283 against left-handers as opposed to .229 against right-handers, and they are 11-9 against lefties, 23-41 against righties.Thus, if there is any optimism for Tampa Bay headed into the series finale against the Angels on Thursday, wrapping up a homestand that currently stands at 3-7, it is that the Rays get to face Los Angeles left-hander Hector Santiago.Santiago (5-4, 4.93 ERA) owns a career 8.38 ERA against Tampa Bay, including a 9.00 ERA in one previous start this season.The Rays counter with a young lefty of their own, rookie Blake Snell, who is 1/3 with a 3.86 ERA. He is making just his sixth career start, his first against the Angels.Los Angeles (35-50) were in a 2-12 tailspin after dropping the series opener at Tropicana Field on Monday. The Angels responded a 13-5 win Tuesday and a 7-2 victory Wednesday for their first two-game winning streak in 17 days.Wednesday was another game in which so much went wrong for the Rays early that it mattered little that the bullpen stepped up with five scoreless innings, including three innings of one-hit ball from Matt Andriese, who has pitched well since transitioning from the rotation.By the fifth inning, however, the Rays trailed 7-0, done in by three errors, matching their season high, and another ineffective outing by right-hander Drew Smyly, who is 0-6 in his last nine starts.Were not playing well. Were not pitching well, said Smyly, who said he cant wait for the All-Star break and a chance to reset things from his current slump. Hopefully the second half will go better for us.The Angels are swinging hot bats right now. They are averaging 8.7 runs per game on their current road trip while hitting .336, including a .383 average with runners in scoring position. Wednesday brought a rare bright spot from their pitching to match that, holding an opponent to two runs or fewer for just the second time in 16 games.If youre a team that wants to reach your goal, you need quality innings, said Angels manager Mike Scioscia, pleased with Jered Weaver, who held the Rays to one run on four hits over seven innings. You need a pitcher to go out and throw 200 quality innings, which is something a pitcher strives for. Thats what important. You can give a guy the ball, let him go out and get beat up and give you 200 innings, and thats going to have a minimum positive effect on the outcome of your season.Both teams have one more series before the All-Star break. The Rays go to Boston, hoping to find some positive momentum to take into the break, while the Angels go to Baltimore, aiming to close out their road trip with more hitting and more wins.NHL Jerseys China . 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Cheap NHL Jerseys From China . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams.PHILADELPHIA -- Jay Bruce and Robert Gsellman made scoreboard-watching irrelevant for the New York Mets.Bruce homered for the third straight game and drove in three runs, Gsellman threw six sharp innings and the Mets moved closer to securing a wild-card berth with a 5-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night.The defending NL champions reduced their magic number to one with two games remaining. The Mets began the night atop the wild-card race, with San Francisco one game back and St. Louis two behind.Manager Terry Collins and players in the clubhouse didnt pay any attention to televisions airing the Pirates-Cardinals game. Collins said the team had no plans to celebrate regardless of the outcome in St. Louis.We had to take care of our own business and weve done that and we have to keep doing that, Collins said.Gsellman (4-2) scattered seven hits and struck out seven in another strong performance. The rookie right-hander has allowed only three earned runs in his last four starts.I think Ive done a good job blocking it out, Gsellman said of pitching in a playoff race. Im focusing on having fun and doing what I do.More Mets fans were inside a half-empty ballpark on a wet, chilly night when Ryan Howard began his final series in front of the home crowd. The blue-and-orange faithful screamed Lets Go Mets and their Bruuuuuce chants drowned out boos from Phillies fans.Stuck in a slump for nearly two months since being acquired from Cincinnati, Bruce extended his hitting streak to six games. He finished 3 for 4.I have confidence in myself and I have confidence in my team, Bruce said. I want to contribute and help the team get to the World Series. Its come at the right time.Philadelphia starter Alec Asher (2-1) retired the first 11 batters before he ran into trouble with two outs in the fourth when Yoenis Cespedes and Curtis Granderson hit consecutive singles.Bruce and T.J. Rivera followed with back-to-back RBI singles for a 2-1 lead.Ive pitched like I know I should, Ashher said.dddddddddddd I just want to carry on next year.Bruce connected in the seventh, sending his 33rd homer the opposite-way to left field. The Mets added two runs, including another RBI single by Bruce.He changes our whole lineup, Collins said. Its nice to have him swinging the bat well. Hopefully he stays hot.Earlier in the inning, Howard let Cespedes infield pop fall untouched near the first-base bag, allowing a runner to score from third.Howard hit a double to deep center his first time up and was 1 for 4. Cameron Rupps sacrifice fly followed Howards double and put the Phillies ahead 1-0.Howard, the 2006 NL MVP, is the last player remaining from the 2008 World Series championship team. The Phillies plan to pay him a $10 million buyout rather than exercise a $25 million option for 2017.STATSBruce is 10 for 20 with four homers and eight RBIS in his last six games. ... Mets are 15-2 after an off day. ... Mets tied a franchise record with 106 homers on the road. They already have a franchise-best 217 homers.TOSSEDPhillies manager Pete Mackanin was ejected for the first time this season in the eighth inning by first baseman umpire Will Little. Mackanin perhaps thought Cespedes swung at an inside pitch from Michael Mariot and was tossed once he walked onto the field.TRAINERS ROOMPhillies: SS Freddy Galvis left the game because of tightness in his right hamstring.LOOKING AHEADMackanin emerged from a long meeting with coaches and front-office executives hopeful the team will add a veteran hitter in the offseason. I would like to get a good solid proven hitter somewhere on the field, he said. Where that is right now will be determined by who is available and what kind of a deal, if any, they could make.UP NEXTRHP Bartolo Colon (14-8, 3.42 ERA) starts for the Mets against RHP Phil Klein (0-1, 8.22) for the Phillies. Colon is 10-5 vs. Philadelphia. ' ' '