'Idol' finalist sings before Angels-Rays

ST. PETERSBURG -- "American Idol" finalist Syesha Mercardo slipped and used the now frowned-upon "devil" to preface the Rays on Friday night, but the 21-year-old deserves to be cut a little slack.

After all, it was nearly eight years ago that Mercado sang the national anthem at Tropicana Field, when the team was the Devil Rays and the native of Sarasota, Fla., was relatively unknown.

But Mercado's arrival on Friday night was anything but under the radar, as she entertained fans, posing for pictures and signing autographs, and was beaming despite landing at 3 a.m. ET on Friday.

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