Evan Longoria

All-star third baseman Evan Longoria agreed to a $136.6 million, 10-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday that adds six guaranteed seasons and $100 million to his current deal. The agreement with the 27-year-old slugger includes a team option for 2023 that could make the deal worth $144.6 million over 11 years. Series shares. A full postseason share for the World Series champion San Francisco Giants was worth $377,003, breaking the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals' record.

When: Tonight, 8:30 Where: St. Louis TV/Radio: Fox/ESPN (950) First Pitch: President Obama (to St. Louis' Albert Pujols) All-Time Series: NL leads, 40-37-2. 2008: AL 4, NL 3 (15 Inn.) Series Streak: AL unbeaten in the last 12 Site: Busch Stadium (opened 2006) Capacity: 55,070. Surface: Natural Grass Dimensions: Leftfield, 336. Left Center, 375. Centerfield, 400. Right Center, 375. Rightfield, 335. Umpires: Home Plate - Dana DeMuth First Base - Brian Gorman Second Base - Jeff Kellogg Third Base - Angel Hernandez Leftfield - Tim Timmons Rightfield - Paul Nauert   Starting lineups   AMERICAN LEAGUE Manager: Joe Maddon, Rays 1. Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle, rf 2. Derek Jeter, New York, ss 3. Joe Mauer, Minnesota, c 4. Mark Teixeira, New York, 1b 5. Jason Bay, Boston, lf 6. Josh Hamilton, Texas, cf 7. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay, 3b 8. Aaron Hill, Toronto, 2b 9. Roy Halladay, Toronto, p NATIONAL LEAGUE Manager: Charlie Manuel, Phillies 1. Hanley Ramirez, Florida, ss 2. Chase Utley, Phillies, 2b 3. Albert Pujols, St. Louis, 1b 4. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee, rf 5. Raul Ibanez, Phillies, lf 6. David Wright, New York, 3b 7. Shane Victorino, Phillies, cf 8. Yadier Molina, St. Louis, c 9. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco, p   Rosters   AMERICAN LEAGUE Starters,...

Both benches cleared during the second inning of a spring-training game between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays yesterday, leading to the ejections of two players and two coaches. The teams, meeting in St. Petersburg, Fla., 4 days after Yankees manager Joe Girardi complained about Tampa Bay's aggressive play after a home-plate collision that injured catcher Francisco Cervellio, had been warned before the game that the umpires would have little tolerance for any further problems.

How's this for clutch pitching? The Phils were clinging to a one-run lead in the sixth inning. The Tampa Bay Rays put the potential tying run on base when first baseman Ryan Howard - would his defense be an issue before the Series was over? - made an error on a grounder by Carlos Pena. The temperature was rising at Tropicana Field, but Cole Hamels stayed cool. As he prepared to face cleanup man Evan Longoria, Pena broke for second. Hamels saw Pena go and threw to first.

IT WAS a one-two punch. First, the Boston Red Sox lost, then Evan Longoria, seemingly knowing what was on the line, lifted the Tampa Bay Rays into the playoffs. The Rays clinched the AL wild card with a stunning rally last night, overcoming a late seven-run deficit, then beating the visiting New York Yankees, 8-7, on Longoria's home run in the 12th inning. The Rays' win came 4 minutes after Boston blew a one-run lead in the ninth at Baltimore and lost, 4-3. The Red Sox, who held a nine-game lead over the Rays in early September, and Tampa Bay began the final day of the regular season tied for the wild card.

PLACIDO POLANCO made a bit of history last night, becoming the first infielder to ever to win Gold Gloves at two different positions. Polanco received the National League award at third base, where he led all players with a .977 fielding percentage. Polanco led all NL third basemen with a .977 fielding percentage, committing eight errors in 345 chances, in 118 games. He is the first Phillies third baseman to win since Scott Rolen won his third one in 2001. Polanco earned a $50,000 performance bonus for winning the Gold Glove.

No more than 11 players from this year's free-agent class were asked to speak with George Mitchell as part of his investigation into performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, a union official told agents this week. Michael Weiner, the union's general counsel, made the statement Wednesday to agents attending a meeting in New York, the Boston Globe reported yesterday on its Web site. Mitchell is expected to issue his report by the end of the year. Collusion fears. The baseball players' union issued a statement raising fears that commissioner Bud Selig is trying to hold down the price of Alex Rodriguez's next contract and that teams might be sharing information about their free-agent plans.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Dioner Navarro singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning last night to lift the Tampa Bay Rays to a 2-1 win over the Boston Red Sox. Carlos Pena hit his 29th homer in the seventh to forge a 1-1 tie for the Rays (89-60), who moved one game ahead of the Red Sox (89-62) in the East standings. Justin Masterson (6-5) started the ninth for Boston and allowed a leadoff single by Jason Bartlett and walked Pena before striking out rookie Evan Longoria.

Matt Garza had to settle for his second career shutout after making a bid for the first no-hitter in Tampa Bay history. Garza didn't allow a hit against the Rangers until a debatable call with two outs in the sixth inning last night, then finished with a two-hitter as the Rays beat host Texas, 7-0. Meanwhile, a Tampa Bay lineup missing injured stars Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford hit four home runs in 4 2/3 innings off Kevin Millwood (6-7)....

It would have been so much easier for Brett Myers if the Rays had taken that first-inning lead on a home run. One bad pitch, the ball clears the wall, the runners round the bases, and it's over. Instead, the Rays used a small-ball version of drip torture to scratch out the runs that provided them a lead they would never relinquish. A walk. A single. An error. A ground ball to short. Another ground ball to short. For Myers, it must have been like being tied to a chair and made to watch Masterpiece Theatre.

PEDRO FLORIMON had a solo homer and a two-run double in Minnesota's season-high, seven-run second inning that carried the visiting Twins to a 15-8 rout over the Boston Red Sox last night. Boston slugger David Ortiz went 0-for-5, with two strikeouts and three groundouts to snap his 27-game hitting streak, dating back to last season. Ryan Doumit had a two-run homer, Oswald Arcia went 4-for-5 with three singles and a double, and Trevor Flouffe drove in three of the Twins' season-high runs.

FORMER major league outfielder Otis Nixon has been arrested on drug charges following a weekend traffic stop in suburban Atlanta. Nixon was pulled over just after midnight Saturday after another driver called police to report a Dodge Ram truck weaving all over the road, according to an incident report from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. The 54-year-old remained in jail yesterday afternoon on $11,880 bond. Officers found a pipe for smoking crack cocaine in Nixon's pants pocket and found a suspected crack rock in the driver's seat, the report says.

All-star third baseman Evan Longoria agreed to a $136.6 million, 10-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday that adds six guaranteed seasons and $100 million to his current deal. The agreement with the 27-year-old slugger includes a team option for 2023 that could make the deal worth $144.6 million over 11 years. Series shares. A full postseason share for the World Series champion San Francisco Giants was worth $377,003, breaking the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals' record.

EVAN LONGORIA wants to be with the Tampa Bay Rays for his entire big-league career. The slugging third baseman got his wish Monday when the Rays agreed to a $136.6 million, 10-year contract that adds six guaranteed seasons and $100 million. "I always wanted to be kind of a benchmark player . . . the guy that you could think about or associate with the organization," he said. "My goal from Day 1 was to be the first player that played their whole career here, to be the first guy that came into the organization and went out in the organization, and played all the years in between.

ROBINSON CANO and Curtis Granderson each hit a pair of homers, powering the New York Yankees past the Boston Red Sox, 14-2, on a raucous Wednesday night in the Bronx for their 13th AL East title in 17 years. In front of fans poised to party from the first pitch, the Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the last-place Red Sox to win their second consecutive division crown. The championship was locked up by the seventh inning, when Baltimore's 4-1 loss at Tampa Bay went final. Cano tied a career high with six RBI as New York secured homefield advantage throughout the AL playoffs.

Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson each hit a pair of homers, powering the New York Yankees past the Boston Red Sox, 14-2, on a raucous Wednesday night in New York, giving the Bombers their 13th AL East title in 17 years. In front of fans poised to party from the first pitch, the Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the last-place Red Sox to win their second consecutive division crown. The championship was locked up by the seventh inning, when Baltimore's 4-1 loss at Tampa Bay was completed.

IT WAS JUST over a month ago when the Baltimore Orioles summoned 20-year-old Manny Machado from the minor leagues and thrust him into the middle of a pennant race. The kid hasn't felt the pressure yet. To the contrary, Machado is hitting in the clutch, playing third base as if he's done it all his life and making heady decisions that leave opponents shaking their heads. Machado made a brilliant defensive play in the top of the ninth and scored the winning run in the bottom half, and the Orioles beat the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, 3-2, Wednesday night to retain a share of first place in the AL East.

EVAN LONGORIA homered twice, Tampa Bay roughed up Matt Harrison and the visiting Rays beat the Texas Rangers, 8-4, Wednesday night to snap a four-game losing streak. After dropping the last two against the AL-West leading Rangers by one run, the Rays avoided the three-game sweep. Harrison (15-8) allowed seven runs and 12 hits in 5 1/3 innings. Longoria hit a two-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the ninth. B.J. Upton had a three-run home run and Elliot Johnson added a solo blast.

ALEX COBB pitched a four-hitter for his first major league shutout and the surging Tampa Bay Rays beat the Oakland Athletics, 5-0, on Thursday night to pull within 2 1/2 games of the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East. Matt Joyce hit a two-run double in a five-run fifth inning against Tyson Ross, hastily called up from the minors to pitch in place of suspended Oakland starter Bartolo Colon. Cobb (8-8) struck out eight and walked two in his second career complete game, both this season.

Oh, to be Mike Trout. The Los Angeles Angels' rookie sensation, from Millville, turned 21 on Tuesday and is having a season for the ages - one that could make him the first player to be named both rookie of the year and most valuable player in the same season since Boston's Fred Lynn in 1975. On Monday night against Oakland, Trout went 2 for 3 and stole three bases. Going into Tuesday night's game, he was hitting .348 with a 1.009 OPS. He has 19 homers and 59 RBIs, and has stolen 36 bases while being caught only three times (keep in mind he started the season in the minors)