hot, hot, hot

The hottest team in the big leagues right now is Tampa Bay, which won its seventh game in a row on Monday. Yes, the streak coincides with Evan Longoria’s return from the disabled list, and, yes, the Rays’ pitching has been great of late. But Desmond Jennings, the former Itawamba Community College two-sport star, is also heating up and doing the things a leadoff man should do. Jennings is batting .359 over his last 10 games, with two homers, four RBIs and 12 runs. He has scored 10 runs in his last six games, all Tampa Bay wins. For the year, he’s at .249 with nine homers, 34 RBIs and 55 runs in 91 games. Don’t be surprised if Tampa Bay runs down the New York Yankees in the American League East. P.S. Brent Lillibridge, the former Mississippi Braves shortstop, is getting regular time with Cleveland — his third team in 2012 — and is taking advantage. He homered Monday and now has two, his first two of the year, in his last three games. He is batting .313 in his last 10 games, raising his average to .205. Lillibridge can run and play virtually anywhere in the field. When he hits, he’s a valuable asset.