• Price was 10-2, 2.51 in 16 starts against AL East teams, representing four of the league’s top eight offensive teams by on-base plus slugging percentage, or OPS.
• Price was 13-3, 2.27 in 19 games (and 62 percent of his innings) against teams that finished .500 or better, matching Weaver for the most such wins. (Verlander was 8-4, 2.63.)
• In 23 of Price’s 31 starts (74.2 percent), he went seven or more innings, most in the majors. (Verlander did so in only 21 of 33, 64 percent; Weaver 16 of 30, 53 percent.)
• In 23 starts, Price allowed two earned runs or fewer, most in the AL. (Weaver and Verlander each had 22.)
• He started 15 games against teams that made the playoffs, and was 9-3 in them. He was 10-2 in the AL East.
• In his final 18 starts, as the Rays were scrambling toward the payoffs, Price finished 12-1.
• Measured by opponents’ OPS, Price faced the fifth-toughest slate of hitters of any AL starter this year (according to Baseball Prospectus). The aggregate OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of the hitters who faced Price was .763, more than four percent better than the overall AL average of 731. Verlander ran the 15th-toughest gauntlet among qualifying starters, Jered Weaver 29th of the 36 pitchers who tossed 162 innings in the Junior Circuit.

A main argument for Verlander is that not only did he throw more innings and have more strikeouts than Price, leading the league in both categories, but he also led the league in ERA+, ERA compared to the league average adjusted to ballpark, 160 to 149, meaning that Verlander was 11% better than the league average in ERA than Price was. Considering Verlander was better than Price was better in ERA adjusted to ballpark, strikeouts, and innings pitched, how could he not win the Cy Young? Here are two simple but interesting stats that give Price a clear edge over Verlander.

• Although Verlander edges Price in FIP (3.o2 to 3.12), Price was better in xFIP (3.12 to 3.31) and SIERA (3.16 to 3.26). Verlander actually needed more help from luck and his defense to put up his numbers than Price did- Price actually gets a boost from the Rays’ inconsistent defense in 2012 in this regard.
• Tropicana Field is more of a pitcher’s ballpark that Comerica Park in Detroit, but the difference between home and road splits for Verlander were much more significant than Price. Verlander went 9-2 with a 1.65 ERA at home compared to just an 8-6 record and a 3.57 ERA on the  road while Price went 7-2 with a 1.81 ERA at home compared to a 13-3 record and a 3.16 ERA on the road. In terms of OPS+ against, Verlander held hitters to just a 53 sOPS+ at home compared to 77 on the road, while Price was even better at home, coming in at a 46 sOPS+, although he was at an 82 OPS+ on the road. Averaging the ERAs and OPS against, Price beats Verlander 2.49 to 2.61, and he edges him in OPS+ 64 to 65. Verlander’s edge in ERA+ is misleading- he actually got more of a boost from his home ballpark than Price.

How does Price feel about being in the running for the Cy Young? Leach had the details.

“I’m definitely excited about the possibility of winning it,” Price said. “My teammates played well behind me all year and put me in the position I’m in right now, and I’m very appreciative of their efforts. … We played very well on my day, I feel like [considering] the competition and the schedule we had, that I threw the ball extremely well.”

But what about Fernando Rodney? Rodney is coming off arguably the greatest season ever by a relief pitcher, saving 48 games while posting an unbelievable 0.60 ERA, the best in history for a reliever minimum 50 innings. Why isn’t he getting more Cy Young support? Paul Hagen of the Rays’ official site talked to Braves special advisor Jim Fegrosi and Rays Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman, and both of them thought they he wasn’t getting his fair share of respect.

“He had the greatest year that any relief pitcher could ever possibly have,” Braves special assistant Jim Fregosi said bluntly.

“I’m not one generally to think that a reliever should be considered for the Cy Young,” admitted Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. “But when you set the record for the lowest ERA in the history of baseball, I don’t know how you’re not in the top three.

Rodney could very well finish fourth in the Cy Young voting, but it’s disappointing that he wasn’t even a finalist for the award.  Friedman, predictably, thought Rodney should have been right behind Price.

“I’m biased, but I feel like our guys should be 1-2. Both David and Fernando were tremendous.”

The minor leagues worked a lot of overtime on Saturday, with a double header and three extra inning games. Here is today’s look around the action last night:

Toledo Mud Hens 7, Durham Bulls 2 (Game One)

In the resumption of last night’s suspended game, the Toledo Mud Hens were ready. Tied 1-1 with two out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, new pitcher Brandon Gomes walked the first batter he faced before escaping the damage. Toledo poured on the offense in the fifth inning, scoring five times, highlighted by Justin Henry‘s two run double and Jerad Head‘s two run home run. The Bulls got a run in the top of the ninth, as Cole Figueroa drove in Reid Brignac with an RBI single, but it was not enough as Durham fell 7-2. Gomes allowed 5 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks over 1.1 innings. Tim Beckham was 2-5 with a run scored in the loss.

Toledo Mud Hens 4, Durham Bulls 2 (Game Two, seven innings)

Durham jumped out to a quick lead in the top of the second, as Will Rhymes hit a two run home run with two outs. Immediately after the home run, Toledo starter Drew Smyly hit Nevin Ashely with a pitch, leading to Smyly and Toledo manager Phil Nevin to be ejected from the game. The Mud Hens came back in the bottom of the fourth, putting runners on first and second with two out. Danny Worth hit a ground rule double, plating a run and moving Danny Dorn to third. Dorn the scored on a wild pitch, tying the game at 2-2. Toledo took the lead in the bottom of the sixth, as Ben Guez hit a two run triple, putting the Mud Hens ahead 4-2. In the top of the seventh, Toledo had two more ejections, as Bruce Rondon and pitching coach A.J. Sager were tossed from the game. Adam Liberatore took the loss, giving up 2 earned runs on 3 hits in an inning of work.

Montgomery Biscuits 4, Jackson Generals 3

Scoreless into the bottom of the fourth inning, Montgomery put two runners on with consecutive two out walks. Mayo Acosta followed up with a two run double, putting the Biscuits ahead 2-0. The Biscuits put another run on the board with Ty Morrison‘s RBI groundout in the fifth, putting the lead to 3-0. The Generals came back in the top of the seventh, as Francisco Martinez hit a two run double, trimming the lead to 3-2. Jackson completed the comeback in the top of the eighth, as Leury Bonilla‘s sacrifice fly drove in Rich Poythress with the tying run. In the bottom of the ninth, Mikie Mahtook led off the inning with a single. Derek Dietrich walked, putting runners on first and second. After a force out, Jonathan Arias uncorked a wild pitch, moving the runners to second and third. Following an intentional walk, Brett Nommensen grounded into a force out at second, scoring Dietrich with the winning run. Chris Rearick picked up the win, giving up an unearned run on 1 hit with 1 strikeout over 2.2 innings of work.

Charlotte Stone Crabs 2, Jupiter Hammerheads 1 (13 innings)

The Hammerheads scored first, with Aaron Dudley‘s sacrifice fly driving in Mark Canha to give Jupiter an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second. The score remained 1-0 into the bottom of the sixth, when Todd Glaesmann hit a solo home run with one out to tie the game. Despite several scoring chances on both sides, the game remained tied 1-1 until the bottom of the 13th inning. Robbie Price led off the inning with a single, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Cody Rogers then had an infield hit to the mound, where pitcher Patrick Merkling had a throwing error, allowing Price to score from second. Victor Mateo had an excellent start for Charlotte, giving up 1 run on 5 hits and a walk, striking out 5 in 8 innings. Chris Andujar picked up the victory, allowing 1 hit in his inning of work. Price finished 3-5 with a run scored.

Bowling Green Hot Rods 2, West Michigan Whitecaps 1 (15 innings)

The Hot Rods scored in the top of the first inning, as Ryan Brett singled, and eventually scored on Jeff Malm‘s sacrifice fly. West Michigan tied the game in the bottom of the third, as Joshua Sale‘s throwing error following a Eugenio Suarez base hit allowed Carlos De Los Santos to score. Bowling Green looked as though they were going to take the lead back in the top of the fourth, with runners on first and third with no outs. However, a ground ball to the mound cut down Cameron Seitzer as he attempted to score from third, and two groundouts ended the threat. Although there were scoring chances for both teams, the game remained tied at one until the top of the fifteenth inning. Jake Hager reached on an error, moved to second on a passed ball, and scored on a base hit by Taylor Motter, giving Bowling Green a 2-1 win. Justin Woodall picked up the victory, allowing 2 hits and 1 walk over 5 innings of relief, striking out 5 batters. Five Hot Rods players had two hits each in the marathon win.

Lowell Spinners 6, Hudson Valley Renegades 5 (13 innings)

The Spinners took advantage of three errors and a balk by the Renegades, eventually scoring a 6-5 victory in 13 innings. Lowell kicked off the scoring in the top of the first, as Mike Miller reached on an error, and came around to score on Dreily Guerrero‘s single. Lowell loaded the bases with no out in the top of the second, scoring a run on a double play. The Renegades got on the board in the bottom of the inning, as Ryan Dunn doubled on a popup to second, reached third on a throwing error, and came around to score on a groundout. Hudson Valley took the lead in the bottom of the third, as Luke Maile had an RBI single, and Dunn drove in a run with a groundout. The Renegades and the Spinners each traded runs in the sixth and seventh innings, before Lowell tied the game in the top of the eighth as Matthew Marquis scored on Miller’s RBI single. The game went into extra innings, where the Renegades loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the tenth, but Joey Rickard grounded into a double play to end the threat. Deven Marrero homered in the top of the thirteenth, giving Lowell the eventual 6-5 victory. Brandon Henderson picked up the tough loss, allowing the 1 run on 3 hits in 4 innings of relief, while striking out 5 batters. Leonardo Reginatto was 3-6 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored.

Greeneville Astros 6, Princeton Rays 5

Even though the Astros scored a run in the top of the third, the Rays came back to grab a 4-1 lead heading into the top of the seventh. Princeton scored twice in the bottom of the third, as James Harris tripled and scored on Brandon Martin‘s base hit. Martin came around to score, forced in on a bases loaded walk to Omar Navarez. The Rays put up two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Navarez hit a two run double. Greeneville came back in the top of the seventh, scoring four runs highlighted by a two run home run from Ricky Gringas, taking the lead 5-4. The Astros put another run on the board when Terrell Joyce and Jean Batista had back to back singles, with Joyce scoring on an error by James Harris. Princeton threatened to come back in the bottom of the ninth, with runners on second and third with no one out. However, Andrew Toles grounded into a double play, scoring a run, but effectively ending the threat as Princeton fell 6-5. Jacob Faira took the loss, giving up 4 runs on 5 hits while striking out 2 in 3.1 innings. Martin was 2-5 with 2 runs scored and an RBI in the loss.

GCL Rays 4, GCL Orioles 1 (6 innings)

The Rays jumped out to an early lead, and cruised to the 4-1 victory in a shortened game. With two out in the bottom of the second, Johnny Eierman and Leopoldo Correa executed a double steal, with Eierman scoring on an error by the Orioles’ third baseman. Correa came around to score on a single by Miguel Beltran. A double by Taylor Hawkins with two out in the bottom of the fifth drove in Douglas Duran and Beltran to give the Rays a 4-0 lead. The Orioles put runners on second and third with one out in the top of the sixth, scoring a run as Steel Russell hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Adrian Marin. Luis Cabrera picked up the victory in relief, giving up 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks over 3 innings, while striking out 3 batters. Beltran was 2-2 with a run scored and an RBI.

Two extra inning games highlighted the action Wednesday night, as the Rays minor league system engaged in multiple pitchers duels. Overall, the Rays were 3-4 on the night. Here is this morning’s look around the minor leagues:

Columbus Clippers 3, Durham Bulls 0

Jeanmar Gomez was dominant, holding the Durham Bulls scoreless over 8 innings in the Clippers’ shutout victory. Columbus scored in the top of the first, leading off the game with consecutive singles to put runners on first and third. Vinny Rottino grounded into a force play to drive in Tim Fedroff with the game’s first run. Matt LaPorta had an RBI single in the top of the sixth, and came around to score on an RBI single by Gregorio Petit. The Bulls best scoring opportunity came with two out in the sixth, as Will Rhymes tripled. However, Henry Wrigley struck out to end the threat. Gomez allowed only 5 hits while striking out 5 over 8 innings for the victory. Tim Beckham was 2-3 in the loss.

Montgomery Biscuits 2, Jackson Generals 1

After falling behind 1-0, the Biscuits rallied, scoring a walk-off 2-1 victory over the Jackson Generals. The Generals scored in the top of the first, as Joseph Dunigan‘s two out single drove in Francisco Martinez for a 1-0 lead. Montgomery tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, as Mikie Mahtook hit a solo home run with one out. The Biscuits had an opportunity to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth, with runners on second and third with one out, but Shawn O’Malley lined into a double play, ending the threat. The game remained 1-1 until the bottom of the ninth, when Brett Nommensen singled with two outs, driving in pinch runner Brad Coon for the winning run in the 2-1 victory. Kirby Yates picked up the victory in relief, giving up 1 hit while striking out 3 in 1.1 innings of work. Nommensen and Omar Luna each had two hits in the victory.

Bradenton Marauders 2, Charlotte Stone Crabs 1 (11 innings)

The Stone Crabs and the Marauders battled for 11 innings, with Bradenton pulling out the 2-1 victory. The Marauders scored first in the top of the first inning, Dan Grovatt singled with one out, and advanced to second on an error by Robby Price. After moving to third on a fly out, Alex Dickerson singled to drive Grovatt in to give Bradenton an early 1-0 lead. Charlotte came back in the bottom of the sixth, as Philip Wunderlich doubled with one out, scoring on Hector Guevara‘s RBI single, tying the game at 1-1. That score held up until the top of the eleventh, as Elevys Gonzalez homered with two out for the eventual game winning run. Jeff Neimann started the game, allowing 1 unearned run on 3 hits and 1 walk, striking out 3 in 2.2 innings pitched in his rehab assignment. Matt Nevares took the loss, allowing 1 run on 1 hit and 1 walk in 2 innings, striking out 3 batters. Riccio Torrez was 2-5 with 1 double and 1 triple.

South Bend Silver Hawks 6, Bowling Green Hot Rods 4

The Silver Hawks jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead, holding on for a 6-4 victory over the Hot Rods. South Bend scored five times in the top of the second inning, highlighted by home runs from Eric Groff, Ryan Court, and Chris Ellison. The Hot Rods cut the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the third, as Jeff Malm hit a two run, two out double. The Silver Hawks loaded the bases with one out in the top of the eighth, scoring another run as Niko Gallego reached on an error by Juniel Querecuto, plating Tom Belza for a 6-2 lead. The Hot Rods rallied in the bottom of the frame, as Malm had singled with one out, driving in two runs to cut the lead to 6-4. Seth Simmons then entered the game, and held the Hot Rods in check to preserve the victory for South Bend. Ryan Carpenter took the loss, allowing 5 runs on 8 hits, striking out 4 over 6 innings. Malm was 2-4 with 1 double and 4 RBIs. Drew Vettleson was 1-1 with 2 runs, 1 triple, and 3 walks.

Hudson Valley Renegades 2, Vermont Lake Monsters 0

Taylor Guerrieri pitched five shutout innings as the Renegades pulled out a 2-0 victory over the Lake Monsters. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when Richie Schaffer hit a two run home run to give Hudson Valley a 1-0 lead. Schaffer drove in another run in the sixth, as his RBI single gave the Renegades a 2-0 lead. Ian Kendall and Shay Crawford followed Guerrieri, preserving the 2-0 shutout. Guerrieri gave up 4 hits over his 5 innings, striking out 4 without allowing a walk. Schaffer was 2-4 with a home run, a run scored, and 2 RBI.

Princeton Rays 4, Bluefield Blue Jays 3 (13 innings)

The Blue Jays jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead, but the Rays chipped away, eventually coming away with a 4-3 victory in 13 innings. Bluefield scored a run and loaded the bases before the Rays recorded an out. Santiago Nessy‘s sacrifice fly made the score 2-0, followed by Nico Taylor‘s RBI single to give Bluefield a 3-0 lead. The Rays scored in the bottom of the inning, as Brandon Martin led off the frame with a home run, cutting the lead to 3-1. Oscar Hernandez hit a home run with one out in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the lead down to 3-2. With two out in the seventh, Martin doubled, and scored on an errant pickoff attempt by catcher Santiago Nessy, tying the game at 3-3. The score remained tied until the bottom of the 13th, when Martin led off the inning with a walk. Reid Redman reached on a throwing error by Matthew Dean, scoring Martin from first with the winning run. Pedro Silvestre picked up the victory in relief, pitching a perfect inning, striking out one. Martin, Hernandez, and John Alexander each had two hits in the win.

GCL Red Sox 3, GCL Rays 0

The Rays had their chances, but were unable to push any runs across in a 3-0 loss to the Red Sox. The Rays loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the first, only to have the Red Sox escape as Leopoldo Correa grounded out to end the inning. The Red Sox scored in the top of the second, as Nick Moore tripled to lead off the inning, scoring on a two out balk. The Rays put two on with one out in the bottom of the frame, only to hit into an inning ending double play. The Red Sox pushed another run across in the top of the fifth, as Tzu-Wei Lin doubled to lead off the inning, coming around to score on two wild pitches. Lin factored into the scoring again in the top of the seventh, as he hit a one out triple, and scored on Cleuluis Rondon‘s sacrifice fly, giving the Red Sox a 3-0 lead. The Rays again loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with one out, but were unable to push a run across. For the game, the Rays only had 3 hits, but drew 8 walks. Nolan Gannon took the loss, allwoing 1 run on 1 hit and 4 walks over 3 innings, striking out 3 batters.