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CLEVELAND -- Sporting sunglasses, a teal shirt and a backpack hanging from his shoulder, Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon looked like a tourist as he arrived late for his news conference. Maddon didnt have time to slip into his uniform and had a valid excuse. The Rays have been on the road. In the past week, theyve gone from Tampa to New York to Toronto to Texas to Cleveland, a journey covering 3,627 miles. On Wednesday night, the Rays hope to book a trip to Boston. Getting a complete game from starter David Price, Tampa Bay beat Texas 5-2 in a tiebreaker on Monday night, earning the Rays a wild-card spot for the third time in four years and a chance to face the Indians, making their first appearance in October since 2007. Forced to win almost every day down the stretch as they went neck-and-neck-and-neck with the Indians and Rangers in a thrilling wild-card scramble in the final weeks of September, the Rays won in Toronto on Sunday before travelling deep in the heart of Texas and surviving a win-or-go-home scenario. "Ill tell you what," said Maddon, whose team went 14-5 after Sept. 12. "Weve already played this wild-card game a couple times. We did it in Toronto a couple days ago. We did it yesterday in Texas, and were going to come here tomorrow and do it again. I dont know if theres a battle-tested component to that, if you get immune to whatever that pressure is and you go play." Wednesdays winner will meet the Red Sox in Game 1 of the division series on Friday. The Rays always believed theyd be in position to make a run at a first World Series title. And although theyve racked up some frequent-flyer miles and lived out of their suitcases to keep their season alive, theyre confident their season isnt about to end. "When you get into this momentum kind of a thing on a daily basis and youre playing great competition and youre going from city to city to city and its an adverse territory, all of this stuff is what you train for and you really dig and you love it," Maddon said. "You dont have time to get nervous or overthink, youve just got to get ready and go play -- and for our guys, they kind of like that moment right now." Like the Rays, the Indians had to scrap their way into the post-season. Cleveland ended a topsy-turvy regular season under manager Terry Francona by ripping off 10 wins in a row, playing error-free ball during the stretch. Now, when every mistake is magnified and theres no room for lapses, the Indians want to keep rolling and will start rookie Danny Salazar in their biggest game in six seasons. "This team wasnt expected to do anything," said right fielder Nick Swisher, one of the teams high-profile free-agent signings. "Just to be where we are right now is awesome, man." Tampa won four of the six games against Cleveland this season, but the teams havent met since early June. Rays starter Alex Cobb (11-3) was asked what he learned about the Indians in his one start against them on April 6. "That was so long ago, I dont know if that really applies anymore," he said. "Plus," Maddon said, interrupting his young right-hander. "That was before you got hit in the head." Fortunately, the Rays can now make light of the scary situation involving Cobb, who was struck in the head by a line drive hit by Kansas Citys Eric Hosmer on June 15. Cobb missed 50 games with a concussion, but hes been a different pitcher since the injury, going 5-1 with a 2.41 ERA in nine starts. Cobb said two months of rest may have helped, but he was also driven to pitch in the post-season after missing out in 2011 when he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot in his ribs. "Watching the post-season and just the feeling of being left out is indescribable," he said. "Its a terrible feeling that you dont want to have again, so I think it was extra motivation to get back and it definitely fueled the fire even more to get back to the post-season and know that we have a special group that can go far." The Indians feel just as strongly about making this an unforgettable season, perhaps even ending Clevelands 65-year drought between World Series titles. Francona has no hesitation in handing the ball to Salazar (2-3), an unflappable 23-year-old who began the season at Double-A Akron but zoomed to the majors and carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning of his debut. The Rays have never faced him. "Believe me, we wouldnt pitch him if we werent confident in him giving us the best chance to win," Francona said. "Danny has done nothing to make us think he cant handle this. Hes so poised. If I had stuff like him, Id be poised, too. But theres a difference between throwing 100 mph and being able to get major league hitters out. Danny can do that." NOTES: Indians CF and leadoff hitter Michael Bourn did some agility drills and ran the bases before working out with his teammates. He pulled up with a leg injury on Sunday in Minnesota, and his status for Wednesday is not yet known. ... The teams have to have their 25-man rosters set by 10 a.m. Wednesday. .... Francona followed up on his joke about the Indians avoiding chicken and beer during his September surge, a jab at his final days in Boston. "I lied about that," he said. "We have had some chicken." Andrew Ladd Jersey . The Big Man finished 3-1 in Week 19, and sits at 53-24 on the season. Now Schultz is ready for more action. Jordan Eberle Jersey .com) - The St. http://www.cheapislandersjerseys.com/?ta...ly-smith-jersey. Duhamel, from Lively, Ont., and Radford, from Balmertown, Ont., were second with 77.01 points, just behind Olympic bronze medallists Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany. The four-time world champs lead at 79. Cheap Islanders Jerseys Authentic . An unconventional night for Texas-El Paso nearly led to the Miners getting a huge upset. Down by 14 with 2:21 left, the Miners went on a frantic closing spurt that fell just short, and UTEP was beaten by No. Alan Quine Jersey . JOHNS, N.OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson handled questions about the "chatter" swirling around his future with his usual bold and boisterous banter Sunday night, raising his eyebrows and smiling after every answer. Jackson still knows his critics -- and the decision-makers in the organization -- will not be satisfied just because he can spin a sentence that projects confidence. He understands a secure future with the Warriors will depend on how his players perform in the playoffs. "My job will be determined on winning," Jackson said. "Im fine with that." Even in the midst of the franchises best season in 20 years, Jacksons job security and his relationship with ownership have been at the forefront of discussion. Much of that has been fueled by the curious moves involving two of his assistant coaches the past two weeks. The Warriors management fired Darren Erman on Saturday for "a violation of company policy" but declined to reveal the policy he violated. Jackson also reassigned Brian Scalabrine to the teams NBA Development League affiliate in Santa Cruz on March 25 because of what Jackson called a "difference in philosophies." Support still remains high for Jackson in the locker room. Everybody from All-Star point guard Stephen Curry to veteran centre Jermaine ONeal has gone out of their way to applaud the job Jackson has done. General manager Bob Myers also said the team believes in Jacksons abilities. But co-owner Joe Lacob has yet to publicly support Jacksons future beyond this season. And the teams decision to pick up Jacksons contract option for the 2014-15 season last summer instead of negotiating a long-term deal has led to speculation that the Warriors need to at least match last seasons second-round playoff appearance or Jacksons job could be in jeopardy. Jackson, for his part, said he has a great relationship with the front office and Lacob. He added that the two spoke for about 15 minutes in San Antonio during Golden States recent road ttrip.dddddddddddd. "Theres no friction at all," Jackson said. "I humbly submit to you, if youve got a problem with me as a person, then its your problem. Im low maintenance. What you see is what you get, and Im going to be a fun-loving enjoyable guy thats easy to talk to. I have no issues with anybody in this organization and its been that way from day one." Jackson has repeatedly praised his players and the job Myers and his staff have done to reconstruct a roster that went 23-43 just two years ago during the labour-lockout shortened season. He also has tried to put the focus back on the floor, where the Bay Areas beloved basketball team is beginning to blossom again this spring. The Warriors (48-29) eclipsed last seasons win total in Sunday nights rout of Utah, moving 19 games over .500 for the first time in 20 years. Golden State is 1 1/2 games behind fifth-place Portland and 1 1/2 games ahead of seventh-place Dallas in the crammed conference standings. Barring an epic collapse in the final five games, the Warriors will make the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons. And theyve done that while coping with injuries that have sidelined starters Andrew Bogut, David Lee and Andre Iguodala for prolonged stretches. "The numbers speak for themselves," Jackson said. Winning in the regular season, though, doesnt always mean much. All Jackson has to do is look back at what happened after beating Denver in the first round last season, when the Nuggets fired George Karl after he led them to a franchise-record 57 wins and earned NBA Coach of the Year honours. Jackson noted that the depth of the Western Conference this season means that plenty of good teams with good coaches wont make it past the first round. And, like most years, that could mean some dont return next season -- though hes not planning to be among either group. "Believe it or not," Jackson said, "I am absolutely convinced that my future is just fine." ' ' '