"You've got to root for the Rays," said Ted Sellars, a grocery manager from the Boston area. "You can't root for the Yankees. Ever! Ever! Ever!"
Chop, chop, chopper
Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones was ready to turn a high chopper by the Florida Marlins' Emilio Bonifacio into a game-ending out in the ninth inning, only to lose the ball in the lights at Sun Life Stadium. Bonifacio reached on the infield single.
The next batter, former Braves infielder Omar Infante, tomahawked a Craig Kimbrel fastball into the left-field seats and sent Atlanta to a sudden 6-5 loss Monday.
"Pretty helpless feeling when the game should be over. I had no clue where the ball was until it bounced," Jones told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. "It's a funny game. Just when you think you've got it figured out, it'll kick you in the gut."
Rivera gets the call
Mariano Rivera said he received a phone call from President Ricardo Martinelli of Panama congratulating him on his record-setting save. He notched No. 602 on Monday against the Minnesota Twins.
Winter league for Manny
A Dominican baseball official said former World Series MVP Manny Ramirez intends to play for a team in his Caribbean homeland.
Winston Llenas is president of the Cibao Eagles, a winter league team in the northern Dominican Republic. Ramirez is expected to start training with the Eagles next week.
- Staff and wire reports
