TORONTO -- Including Saturday's game, the Rays have entered a stretch that will see them play 34 games over the next 35 days. Such a schedule can be a grind to the everyday player, and it can wear out a bullpen, too.
"It makes it a little more difficult, but it doesn't really change a lot," pitching coach Jim Hickey said. "When you do have the day off coming up, you can do something like we did the other day with [closer Alex] Colome, where you pitch him two innings in a tie ballgame, which you wouldn't do in normal circumstances.