ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays are 6-7 since the All-Star break and steady starting pitching has been a major part of the turnaround for a team that had lost 24 of 27 games at one point.Everything is going well for our starters -- just consistent outings back-to-back-to-back, said Fridays winner, Jake Odorizzi, who pitched six-plus innings of shutout baseball in the Rays 5-1 win over the New York Yankees.It really takes the stress off the bullpen. I think another thing is our defense is playing phenomenal. Theyre really backing us up and its a lot easier to pitch when you have great plays being made behind you.The Rays (40-61) have allowed more than four runs just once in 13 games since the All-Star break. At one point in June, they gave up at least five runs in 13 straight games, so theyre at the opposite end of the spectrum.Weve played that way since the break, Rays manager Kevin Cash said. I know we dont have the wins to support that, but were playing tighter ballgames, our pitching has been tremendous and the timely hits, hopefully they continue to come.As both teams move another day closer to the trade deadlines and teams around them continue to make moves, the Rays must decide if theyre dealing starters like Odorizzi and Matt Moore.Meanwhile, the Yankees -- having already dealt away closer Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs -- must decide how much talent they are willing to part with while they linger on the fringe of wild-card contention.Asked if the trade deadline -- and the thin line between seller and buyer -- changes his approach to these games, Yankees manager Joe Girardi was adamant his focus is unchanged on putting his team in position to win games.Zero, he said of how he allows the deadline to impact his decisions as a manager. You try to win every game, no matter what the situation is.On Saturday, the Yankees will send RHP Nathan Eovaldi (9-6, 4.80 ERA) against Rays LHP Drew Smyly (2-11, 5.42). The Yankees have lost back-to-back games after a stretch that saw them win eight of 10. They went into Friday night with a chance to match their season high of four games above .500.Just as the Tampa Bay pitching has stepped up, New York has struggled in its last two games, giving up a combined nine runs after holding opponents to 10 in the previous five games. Nova gave up two home runs Friday to the first three batters, literally trailing from his third pitch of the night on.By the time the Rays-Yankees series ends, the trade deadline will arrive and both teams will have a better sense for whether their path to the end of this season is easier or harder, depending on how active they are at the deadline. Cheap Custom Bucks Jersey . Defencemen Drew Doughty, Shea Weber and forward Ryan Getzlaf also scored for the Canadians, who started their gold-medal defence 2-0. Goalie Roberto Luongo, getting the call in place of Game 1 starter Carey Price, was solid when needed in making 23 saves for the shutout. Custom Bucks Jersey China . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. http://www.custombucksjersey.com/ .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. Custom Oscar Robertson Jersey . The Brazilian goalkeeper signed a loan deal with the Major League Soccer club on Friday as he looks to get playing time ahead of this summers World Cup in his home country. Bucks Jerseys China . But now that hes in the NHL, the Calgary Flames centre showed big improvement in that department by scoring the winner in the eighth round of a 5-4 shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. DETROIT -- With a conference championship finally in tow and his teams unbeaten record still intact, P.J. Fleck stopped holding back.Before he was even asked about it, the Western Michigan coach made it clear where he thought his team should be headed next.We deserve to be in the gosh darn Cotton Bowl, he said. Period. Write it down.The 13th-ranked Broncos might indeed end up there, but only after holding on for a dramatic 29-23 victory over Ohio on Friday night in the Mid-American Conference title game. WMU wrapped up its first MAC championship since 1988 when Robert Spillane intercepted a pass with 51 seconds remaining.The Broncos (13-0, No. 17 CFP) led 23-7 at halftime, but Ohio rallied and had the ball in WMU territory in the final minute when Spillane intercepted Greg Windhams pass over the middle. Spillane immediately took a knee at his own 30, then was mobbed by teammates as a Ford Field crowd full of Broncos fans roared.Ohio (8-5) never led and didnt do much on offense until the final quarter, but the Bobcats still came achingly close to their first MAC championship since 1968.Instead, WMU became the first undefeated team to win the MAC title game since Marshall in 1999. The question is whether the Broncos have done enough to make it to the Cotton Bowl. WMU is trying to earn the Group of Five bid to a New Years Six bowl.When asked previously about the playoff committee and its perception of his team, Fleck had been diplomatic, refusing to do too much lobbying. That changed after Fridays win, especially when he was asked about whether hed be paying attention to Navy this weekend.The Midshipmen, two spots behind WMU in the most recent playoff rankings, are another contender for the Cotton Bowl, and they play Temple for the American Athletic Conference title Saturday.I dont think theres anybody to pay attention to, Fleck said, becoming animated. Who are we paying attention to? Why are we paying attention to anyone? We are 13-0. Were the best Group of Five team in the country. We didnt lose a game. Whoever they put on our schedule, we beat. Theres two undefeated teams in the country -- us and Alabama. There is no argument. My TV will be off. We will be recruiting (Saturday). Im not going to watch anybody, period.Im going to wear cotton shirts, Im going to have cotton slippers, Im going to have cotton earmuffs, Im going to have a cotton jacket. Im going to wear everything cotton, from here on out.THE TAKEAWAYOhio: The Bobcats can hold their heads high after giving WMU by far its toughest game against a MAC opponent all season. Ohios defense held firm early, when a couple of fumbles by the Bobcats gave WMU a chaance to break it open.ddddddddddddThey felt they had the talent to be in this game, and so did I, Ohio coach Frank Solich said. They were pretty driven to get some things done.WMU: The Broncos may end up sweating out the bowl announcements Sunday, but WMU can celebrate a truly special season no matter what happens. The Broncos nearly let it slip away in the second half, but their first conference title in nearly three decades was an accomplishment to savor.The crowd of 45,615 -- easily a record for a MAC title game -- was full of WMU fans chanting the teams row the boat mantra .We just kept our oars in the water, quarterback Zach Terrell said. Thats what this teams all about, and people might think its a cliche and that its not real, but thats just how we operate.HIGHLIGHTWestern Michigans Corey Davis, the career FBS leader in yards receiving, had eight catches for 144 yards. That included a 70-yard touchdown in the second quarter in which he caught the ball near midfield with safety Javon Hagan right behind him, opened up some distance between himself and Hagan and then outran a couple more defenders down the sideline.RARE MISTAKESTerrell, who had thrown one interception all season, was picked off twice in the second half, and Ohio held WMU without a touchdown after halftime.Obviously, our defense has been very strong throughout the course of basically the season and so they have that potential and they knew they had to step up, get that done, Solich said. I was a little worried because Western Michigan in the second half just seems to wear people down and then the score just gets away from a team thats playing them.That didnt happen Friday. Ohio repeatedly forced the Broncos to settle for field goals, but Butch Hampton made five of them for WMU. The last one was a 34-yarder that gave the Broncos a 29-23 lead with 1:24 remaining.POLL IMPLICATIONSWMU: The Broncos moved up one spot in the AP poll after last weeks win over Toledo, and they might have a chance to inch up further after winning the MAC. No. 9 Colorado lost Friday night, and No. 11 Oklahoma State plays Saturday.UP NEXTOhio: The Bobcats MAC title drought continues, but Ohio is bowl eligible for the eighth straight season.WMU: If Navy (9-2) loses Saturday, the Broncos figure to be a cinch for the Cotton Bowl. If Navy wins, it could end up being a close call between the Midshipmen and WMU.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25.---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister ' ' '