Congratulations to the Rays on their first winning season, playoff berth, and division championship: You’ve come a long way, baby.

The Yankees are 7-5 against the Rays this year, which is a solid showing against a team that leads them by 12 games in the standings. Sadly, it’s done them little good. The Yankees could sweep their remaining six games against Tampa Bay, match their record against third-part opponents, and still finish six games out in the AL East.

We’re in an odd stage of the Yankees’ season. Best I can tell, just about all of the fanbase and most of the media have come to grips with the reality that the Yankees will miss the postseason for the first time since 1993, but because they’re still “just” seven games out of the Wild Card with 26 left to play, the team itself, as well at its broadcasters, need to at least pretend they’re still in it. It’s true that it ain’t over ’til it’s over, but the Yankees have to gain one game on the Red Sox over the course of each remaining series to arrive in Boston on September 26 in position to pass Boston with a series win, and even that doesn’t account for the second-place team in the AL Central, whom the Yankees also trail in the Wild Card race. It’s just not going to happen.

What’s left now is saying farewell to Yankee Stadium, preparing for next year–be it by giving Alfredo Aceves a start or two in place of Pavano or Ponson, letting Brett Gardner start in center field, or hoping Hideki Matsui gets on a hot streak to increase his trade value–and Mike Mussina’s pursuit of 20 wins, which continues tonight in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Mussina enters tonight’s game with 16 wins and will have five starts left afterwards (against the Mariners, Rays, White Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays, and Red Sox). The Yankees have won Mussina’s last six starts, but Moose earned the win in just three of them due to late-breaking run support. Still, Mussina’s been excellent over that stretch, posting 2.93 ERA and averaging 6 2/3 innings. In fact, over his last 17 starts, Mussina has a 2.92 ERA and has averaged nearly 6 2/3 innings per start. Only once over that stretch has he failed to complete six innings and only once has he allowed more than four runs (both coming in the same game against the Orioles). Still, he has just 9 wins in those 17 starts, due in part to losing scores such as 4-2 (twice), 3-2, and 2-1. That makes four wins in six starts a tall order, and four wins in five starts should he lose tonight extremely unlikely.

Moose’s mount opponent tonight is Matt Garza, who has displayed a Verlander-like inconsistency. Over his last nine starts, Garza has held the opposition scoreless four times, including two shutouts. In the other five games, he has allowed 24 runs in 27 1/3 innings. The trend: three of those four scoreless outings came against Toronto. The exception: one of the shutouts was a two-hit, nine-K performance against the Rangers in Arlington. Garza has faced the Yankees once this year, shutting them out over seven innings back on May 12. In his next start, he gave up seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. Such is Garza.

No Excuses

Both Garza and ace Scott Kazmir (who faces Darrell Rasner on Thursday) spent time on the DL early in the season. Carl Crawford and rookie sensation Evan Longoria are on the DL now, with Crawford likely out for the year. Rocco Baldelli missed most of the season, though he’s recently returned as Cliff Floyd’s platoon partner at DH. Floyd also spent time on the DL earlier in the season, as did Longoria’s predecessor/replacement Willy Aybar, All-Star catcher Dioner Navarro, infielder Ben Zobrist (who is currently platooning with Eric Hinske in left field), last year’s breakout star Carlos Peña, shortstop Jason Bartlett, and a handful of relievers, among them closer Troy Percival, who is due to return from his third DL stint tonight, and last year’s closer Al Reyes, who pitched himself off the team after returning from his DL stint. Beyond that, Crawford was below average when healthy, Bartlett’s been a huge disappointment on both sides of the ball, and B.J. Upton is slugging a mere .397 with just 8 homers after slugging .508 with 24 jacks in fewer plate appearances last year.

Tampa Bay Rays

2008 Record: 84-51 (.622)
2008 Pythagorean Record: 79-56 (.583)

Manager: Joe Maddon
General Manager: Andrew Friedman

Home Ballpark (multi-year Park Factors): Tropicana Field (98/100)

Who’s Replaced Whom:

Willy Abyar has replaced Evan Longoria (DL) at third base
Justin Ruggiano (minors) has replaced Longoria on the roster
Gabe Gross has replaced Carl Crawford (DL) in the outfield
Rocco Baldelli (DL) has replaced Crawford on the roster
Jason Bartlett (DL) has replaced Reid Brignac (minors)
Fernando Perez (minors) has replaced Jonny Gomes (minors)
Chad Bradford has replaced Gary Glover

25-man Roster:

1B – Carlos Peña (L)
2B – Akinori Iwamura (L)
SS – Jason Bartlett (R)
3B – Willy Aybar (S)
C – Dioner Navarro (S)
RF – Gabe Gross (L)
CF – B.J. Upton (R)
LF – Eric Hinske (L)
DH – Cliff Floyd (L)

Bench:

R – Rocco Baldelli (DH/OF)
S – Ben Zobrist (LF/IF)
R – Shawn Riggans (C)
R – Justin Ruggiano (OF)
R – Fernando Perez (OF)
L – John Jaso (C)*

Rotation:

L – Scott Kazmir
R – Andy Sonnanstine
R – James Shields
R – Matt Garza
R – Edwin Jackson

Bullpen:

R – Troy Percival
R – Dan Wheeler
R – Grant Balfour
L – J. P. Howell
R – Chad Bradford
L – Trever Miller
R – Jason Hammel
R – Juan Salas*

15-day DL: R – Evan Longoria (3B), L – Carl Crawford (LF), R – Jae Kuk Ryu
60-day DL: R – Chad Orvella

*September call-ups

Typical Lineup:

L – Akinori Iwamura (2B)
R – B.J. Upton (CF)
L – Carlos Peña (1B)
L – Cliff Floyd (DH)
S – Willy Aybar (3B)
L – Erik Hinske (LF)
S – Dioner Navarro (C)
L – Gabe Gross (RF)
R – Jason Bartlett (SS)