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Worth noting

• The Rays are expected to activate reliever Jesse Crain (strained right shoulder) from the 60-day disabled list on Monday, and Maddon said Crain would be available to pitch in the series finale against the Orioles. Acquired from the White Sox prior to the July 31 nonwaiver Trade Deadline, Crain hasn't pitched since June 29.

"It's a great relief," Maddon said, crediting the work of Crain and head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield.

Tampa Bay will have to clear a spot on its 40-man roster for Crain, most likely removing a pitcher.

• Loney could get a day off on Monday against Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen. Maddon has been looking for opportunities during the stretch run to sit such regulars as Loney, Longoria, Zobrist and Yunel Escobar, and this would appear to be the best time to rest Loney and start Sean Rodriguez.

• Enny Romero, who made his Major League debut on Sunday, is the Rays' 10th starter this season, their most since 2006, when they used 12. Since 2008, however, the Rays have used only 20 starters, three fewer than any other club. The Orioles and Padres have used the most starters during that span, with 44 each.

• Tampa Bay's pitching staff leads the AL with a .241 opponents' batting average. If the Rays hold their lead -- the A's are at .243 -- it will be the fourth straight season they've led the AL in that category. The last team to do so was the 1982-85 Tigers.

• Here's another way to put in perspective the Rays' 18-inning marathon on Friday night and the quick turnaround on Saturday: They played nearly 10 hours of baseball (nine hours, 45 minutes) and 27 innings in a span of less than 20 hours.

• Due to programming conflicts, Sunday's and Monday's radio broadcasts will be simulcast on 98 Rock (97.9 FM) and WHNZ 1250 AM. In other programming news, MLB Network has selected the Rays-Yankees game on Tuesday as its primary game, and ESPN has selected Wednesday's Rays-Yankees game.

Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. Sam Strong is an associate reporter for MLB.com.
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