FWIW, tickets to the Rays home games, should they be lucky enough to advance to the World Series only cost $100 / seat.
Seriously, if I could only pick one, I’d go for Game 3. It’s doubtful that the Dodgers would win in a sweep, so there will probably be at least a Game 5. If they lost in a sleep you don’t want to be at Game 4. I don’t think that they Rays could sweep the Dodgers, if it came to that, but I think it’s within the realm of possibilities that the Red Sox could.
Congrats to the Phillies for tonight’s game. I’m not sure I agree with Torre’s bullpen moves, but the fact of the matter is that the relievers didn’t get the job done tonight when it mattered, and the Dodgers’ offense missed some golden opportunities.
Here’s to staving off elimination on Wednesday.
ETA: I’m still buying my World Series tickets tomorrow because I’d feel like the biggest heel in the world if we actually came back in this series and it turned out I didn’t get them when I had the chance.
Phillies and Rays wins last night put us one step closer to a Clearwater-St Petersburg series. “US 19 Series” doesn’t have the same cachet as “Subway Series” or “Freeway Series”, does it? Maybe USAirways hubs series?
Rays jump out front, 3-0, on back to back homers by Pena and Longoria. I think that sets the rookie record for postseason HRs, fwiw. Both over the Green Monster. Now let’s see if the Sox respond.
Aybar crushes another ball WAY out of the park, with Carl Crawford on board. Now Rays up 5-0. Navarro takes Wakefield off of the wall, but he’s slow so it’s just a single. Wakefield is out of the game before he can finish the third inning.
The Rays are very good. Also, in the last two games, the Sox have simultaneously forgotten how to both pitch and hit. (In game two, they just forgot how to pitch.)
The Rays are good, but they are playing over their heads right now. In the regular season we hardly ever saw this much offense, much less on back to back to back nights. I’d venture a guess that the Red Sox team average was at least 30 points higher than the Rays. Maybe it’s just a case of a couple of the young guys (Longoria and Upton) blossoming, but they’re getting production from almost everyone.
Not that I’m complaining, mind you.
FWIW, last night, Garza was on fire. Sonnanstine has been pitching deceptively well in the last third or so of the season.
3-1 with two games back at the Trop. Worst case I have tickets for Games 6 and 7. Best case, I don’t use them. It will be interesting to see how Daisuke pitches on Thursday night. I don’t expect the Rays eyes to be as big as saucers then.
Coming in a day late, but wasn’t that a great game? I only heard it on the radio while working, but it was a classic playoff battle. Plus, my team WON for a fricking change!
I’m rooting for the Phils to face Boston. One, I’d just like to see the series, and two, the Rays are scary. I watched them only once or twice in the regular season, but I saw most of their ALDS series win, and those fuckers are confident that they can, and deserve to, win the World Series. Either opponent would offer a potentially fun series, if the Phils actually win the NLCS, but the Rays worry me.
Matsusaka is scheduled to face James Shields in a rematch of Game 1. But the Rays are considering switching to Scott Kazmir, who got touched pretty well in Game 2. Reasoning is that Shields has not pitched well in Fenway, while Shields has (for the most part). But I think it’s also a matter of getting Shields at home, where he’s been great, against Beckett, who has struggled.
I think that they’ll do it. Seems like something Maddon would do.
I’m looking forward to seeing the Phillies v Dodgers game tonight. I’ve seen bits and pieces of the Phillies games during the playoffs, and a bit when I was on business in the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton area for a few weeks during the summer, but don’t really know them. Ironically their Spring Training facility is much closer to my home than the Trop. Very nice facility.
No matter how this ends up (I refuse to say anything before it’s done), it’s all been worth it to watch that absolutely stunning 5th inning. Three errors off the same guy? Oh my god.
