ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays had one eye on the Lightning while they were preparing for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Manager Kevin Cash welcomed the distraction of a Bolts championship as they get ready to make their own postseason run.
"Watching the game last night, it gave us a second to get away from the Blue Jays and just watching the excitement," Cash said Tuesday afternoon. "Really, really impressive run. Happy for them, and happy for the Bay Area."
To help them make their run, the Rays added rookie pitcher Shane McClanahan to the 28-man roster. The Cape Coral native and former USF standout have never appeared in a Major League game, so getting the chance to make your debut is a big deal. The 23-year-old left-hander wanted to tell his parents the good news immediately, but they weren't exactly reachable.
"I tried to call my mom and dad, but they didn't answer for like two hours," McClanahan said. "My mom finally calls me, and she's like 'What's wrong?' Then I told her and she was pretty happy."
McClanahan said his mom was visiting a neighbor and his dad was watching TV. He did say they were going to try and make it to a game since a limited number of family members will be able to attend.
