Tug McGraw Conjures Up A Game 3 Win For The Phils

The Battle Of The Baseball Supernaturals  World Series took an eerie turn last night.   Reminiscent of The Rays inexplicable Game 5 loss to The Red Sox last week, the Phillies came out on top last night despite another umpiring non-controversy that broke the Rays Way. Here's the bloody game recap. Crikey.

You see, the ghost of Tug McGraw was quietly wrecking havoc with the Rays' 9th inning defense as the team tried to send a tied game to extras. At 1:47am.  His long lost, then found son, Tim McGraw of country music fame, walked the game ball out to legendary Phillies hurler Steve Carlton for the first pitch ceremony last night.  Seems he walked a little bit of Tug around the mound as well.

Explains a lot:

• Jamie Moyer's Game Of A Lifetime while sick as a dog. From the looks of things, might be tonsilitis.
• Matt Garza's Which Matt Is That performance
• Longo's wind shortened longball to LF in the top of the 6th with 2 out and one on
• Utley and Howards' back to back wind lengthened jacks to RF in the bottom of the 6th
• The Mad Australian's plunking of Santa Rosa's pinch-hitting Eric Bruntlett in the bottom of the 9th
• The Mad Australian's Wild Pitch in the 9th allowing baserunners to advance
• Navi's bad throw on a 9th inning attempt allowing baserunners to advance
• Carlos Ruiz dribbler down the 3rd base line with bases loaded and a 5 man infield shift
• Evan Longoria's Hail Mary lob of Ruiz' dribbler over Navi's head
• The Phillies' walk-off dribbler is only their second base hit of the night 

And wouldn't you know it... the lead baserunner who was advanced all the way to walk-off run scoring status was Philly Eric Bruntlett, a guy who lives 20 miles up the road from PTown.

So, in a magnaimous return to The Pearls' roots... giving kudos to PTown area pros in pursuit of America's Game... Eric, here are your kudos.  Your second Pearlacious World Series Moment has been duly noted.  And my journalistic responsibilities have been met. And we expect to see you at Camp next weekend.

The Rays must win tonight or tomorrow to bring the Series home to Tampa Bay.  Where The Trop can work her much more potent magic.

ATTENTION WORLD - RAYS BEAT BOSTON

The Rays will play the Phillies. In the the World Series. The LAST game of the 2008 MLB Season...

What a night. The Rays played their game. The Red Sox endured the brilliance of The Pit. 41,000 fans armed with obnoxious cowbells and an aresenal of mohawks... and it rattled them. Just enough.

Garza was lights out and how 'bout David Price's finish? The punch-em-out/throw-em-out combo by Garza and Navi in the top of the 6th was game changing. RBI hits from Longo and Rocco and another home run by Willy Aybar manufactured the runs. Aki snags a laceburning rocket to end it. And for a half second thinks about stickin' the ball in his back pocket as a souvenier.

Congratulations Tampa Bay.

Feel The Heat Philadelphia!

Cheers!

A + B = C

A ll but Long-o hit. Aki goes yard. Aybar 2 for 3 with a Sac. Aye!
+ B ullpen blows away the Sox
------------------------------------
C an they do it in 3?

Rays win 6-2 and are up two games in a best of 5 series. Believe.

October baseball is a blast. Let's do it again next year. PTownJr saw the new stadium in the 2008 Rays Media Guide and thinks it's awesome. Gotta agree. Time to start looking at colleges in Florida.

The White Sox had a chance to blow the game wide open in the first as Kazmir loaded the bases with the first 3 batters he faced. Chicago only managed 2 runs out of a hit batter, a walk, 3 hits, a sac fly and 37 (!!!) pitches. Could have been carnage. Kaz settled in and threw 5.1 pretty good innings, allowing just 2 more hits. Maybe seeing Price stretching in the rear view mirror pumped him up. Not quite a Special K night, but much more the K-K-K-Kaz we're gonna need the rest of the way.

But the pen got it done, retiring 9 of 13 in 3.2 scoreless innings. Three of the four Sox JP Howell faced in the 8th left the box with bats still on their shoulders and chins in the chalk. Wicked nasty. Bradford got the call to close. Jermaine Dye won a 13 pitch battle on a controversial call. After fouling off 8 pitches in a 2-2 count, he lined one to short. The ball glanced off the heel of a leaping Bartlett's glove. He grabbed the ball and made a quick but teensy bit high throw to first. Aybar came down with the ball and put a solid tag on Dye's back a step in front of the bag as Jermaine whizzed by. First Base Blue, Ron (Mea) Kulpa's view was blocked and he ruled Dye safe. No worries. Konerko grounded into a double play on an 0-2 pitch, and Thome air conditioned the Trop on an 0-2 count to give the fans a second cowbell crazed win.

Everyone hit last night, except Longoria. But he gets a pass for the 3-3 effort with two home runs in game one. Aki's opposite field two run shot put the Rays ahead in the 5th. Navi manufactured runs with his clutch hitting and Rocco got some post season glory with a two out RBI single in the 8th. Willy Aybar has done a great job filling in for Pena, who will likely return for game three.

On to Chicago. Go get 'em boys!

Uno Mas, Por Favor!

One more Rays win (or Boston loss) is all it will take to crown Tampa Bay as the American League East Champions.  Wow!  Pinch me again!

The comeback kids did it again last night, rallying from a 6-0 deficit to overtake the molting Orioles... and then some.  Edwin Jackson was lit up in a disasterous 5 run first, but true to form, settled in after a few innings.  The Rays' scored 5 runs in the 5th and took the lead in the 6th. Bartlett was plunked a few times last night and the O's issued some bases loaded walks to tally more ribbies for the Rays later in the game.  Navi was Mr. Dependable with men on base.  Again.

Good to see the Rays hitting well going into the final 4 game series in Detroit. 96 wins with 4 games to go. A 100 win season?  You gotta believe.

All eyes were on the scoreboard last night.  Three wins separate the Rays and Red Sox. The tiebreaker (head to head record) has already gone to the Rays. So, with the Rays comfortably on top in Baltimore, the real drama last night was happening in Bean Town. The Tribe battled hard for another win over the Red Sox, but came up a run short.  The bubbly was carted into the Visitors' Clubhouse at Camden Yards when it looked like Cleveland might score the go ahead run.  But the corks will fly in Detroit instead.  A 1pm ET start after a late night plane ride could make for a tough game today.  Rays starter, Scott Kazmir, flew ahead yesterday which seemed like a party pooping bummer at the time, but now could determine whether the bubbly will flow today or later this week.  The early start complicates PTownFan's celebration.  With the game over in the early afternoon on the west coast,  Mamma could be a little tipsy by the time PTownJr gets home from school.  It's not good to drink alone.  I should probably postpone the party.  What a problem to have...

Uno mas, por favor.  Hoy! 

Two! Woo!

2 many good things to count 2day:

• 
  
  2 = Rays Magic Number:  A Rays win and a Red Sox loss today and we can avoid the whole Magic Number = 1 drama.

• 
  
  2 = Doubleheader Sweep in Baltimore Yesterday:  2 wins. Twice as nice. 2 games closer to the AL East Title. First twin bill sweep in franchise history.
• 
  
  Shields needed 2 innings to get in a groove for a career best 14th win:  The rotation was juggled to line him up for the Game One start because he goes deep into games, sparing the bullpen on a doubleheader day.  His pitch count was mighty high after two, but then he locked in and was awesome.
• 
  
  2 Baggers key a game one win:  Navi , Perez, Bartlett.  
• 
  
  2 awesome not to mention:  Perez' sac bunt to drive in the final run in a 5-2 win. Speedy Perez can fly. A flippin' fast Ray OF that WANTS to bunt... and CAN.  Love that. 
• 
  
  2 out rally in game 2:  Top o' the 8th.  Bennie Boo Boo Zobrist, the Rays latest Left Fielder (seems "Utility Infielder undershoots the mark) outdid his actually awesome defense with a monster triple to get something going for the Rays. Down 4, the Rays needed much more and got it.  Aybar grounded out but scored Zobie. Dan Johnson K'd and Rays fans fluffed up the mohawks under their rally caps. Long-o drove a first pitch fastball 410 feet.  Rocco singled his booty on base and Gross walked.  2 on. Barty drives in 2 more with a pinch hit single. Baseball God and my personal hero Dioner Navarro scores 2 in a pinch hit appearance. BJ Upton, you guessed it, hits a 2B to score Navi. Rays 7- O's 5.
• 
  
  2 many errors and 2 pitchers later, a 2 run lead for the Rays.  The Orioles played the sloppiest defense I have ever seen last night.  They are done plucked.
• 
  
  2 scoreless innings and a save for Closer By Committee Member JP Howell.  He hails from Sacto by the way.
• 
  
  2 few Jonny Gomes sightings.  C'mon JoJo.  Not 2 many chances left.

Not quite a perfect day though.  PTownFan's name was not drawn in the Rays' "2 Cheap 2 Buy Season Tickets, But Wants A Playoff Ticket Anyway" lottery.  But, there's a 2nd chance drawing if the series returns home to Tampa Bay for Game 5 :-)

Rays Playoff Bubbly In Bubble Wrap One More Night

PTownJr's Back To School Night topped the priority list last night. However, I managed to follow the ebb and flow of the Rays/Twins game on my most awesome and completely indispensable iPhone. Lot's of flow early. Followed by an ugly ebb. Really, it was more of a victory sucking vortex that swallowed the Rays 8-6 lead in the 9th.

Blowing a late lead has been a mighty rare occurrence this season so let's break it down with the return of The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly.

You owe it to yourself to cue the music for this one. Just click that play button on the right:

THE GOOD:

• A five run first!
• Three long balls for Long-o.
• Pena and Navi went yard.
• Pena and Longo went yard back to back, the 8th B2B set for the Rays this year.
• Some fine defensive plays... or so I hear. The iPhone MLB dudes were pre-occupied with the highly offensive top of the 9th.
• The home debut of David Price, the 1st overall draft pick of the 2007 draft. King David went 2/3 of an inning in relief of a somewhat shaky Shields. Coming in with one out and two on, he K'd two tough lefties after giving up a 2 run single.
• Percy pitched a scoreless 8th! !!!!! !!!!! !
• The Rays could clinch a wildcard spot tonight with a win. But only if the White Sox, Jays and Yankees all lose. I hope all 18 eyeballs are on the game and not the scoreboard tonight.

THE BAD:

• A crowd of only 17,298. People! What gives out there? Are all the Back To School Nights in Florida on September 17th? I don't think so!
• Those three long balls of Longo's tied Jonny's Team Record for most home runs in a game vs. KC in July, 2005. C'mon Evan. You're a stud, but is nothing sacred? You already have my vote for Rookie of the Year without raiding the trophy case.
• The dart board Joe is using to pick the Closer Du Jour needs some grease. Or fairy dust. Or something.

THE UGLY:

• The Twins scored 5 in the top of the 9th sparked by some local kid named Span playing in front of the hometown crowd for the first time.
• Delmon Young was among those that piled on. (Remember him? The Skipper got on him for not running out an infield hit last year so he declared a sick day and got himself traded... for Bartlett and Garza. Neener neener.)
• The Twins used a slug bunt to inflict more damange. Gardenshire credited head coach Paul Maytorena of the Casa Grande High School Gauchos for that move. Thanks Paul. You got some 'splainin to do. From now on, you're limited to one copy of the playbook.

Last But Not Least:

The Pearls have become pretty Rays centric of late, but we need to send some love to Brandon Morrow. His latest outing wasn't so pretty so we won't dwell on it, but just want to send the good vibes to a good kid who has pledged more memorabilia for the silent auction at our 2008 Camp For A Cure. More news on Camp coming soon.

Just like hitting bottle caps with sticks... Sox Meatloafed in 90th Win

"We were joking around in the dugout before he hit the home run," Pena said. "A popular game in the Dominican Republic is to hit the bottlecaps with the sticks. So I'm like, 'Hey man, Willy's played a lot of bottlecaps with sticks. It's a good matchup here."

That was Carlos Pena's reaction to Joe Maddon's light bending lineup card last night. Tim Wakefield has owned The Trop and lefty DH Cliff Floyd was just 1-11 against the knuckleballer. So why not try something new? Joe's solution... use untested switch hitter Willie Aybar's right handed bat against the softball server. Something about the bat path of his swing path from that side of the plate. Uh huh. Willie went yard in his first at bat and put the Rays up 3-2. They never looked back. Gross, Perez and Longo flicked a few bottlecaps before Francona pulled the plug and began the bullpen emptying procession of Sox relievers.

Meanwhile, Ortiz hit two home runs off Garza who held his ground but didn't dazzle last night. With a cushy but not comfortable 8-3 lead in the 5th and Ortiz coming to the plate a third time, Maddon went to the pen with a one-run mindset. Garza needed only one more out to be credited with the win, but in the other quote of the evening, Maddon later said:

""It isn't about Garza's won-loss record," Maddon said. "It's about the Rays' won-loss record."

We'll need that kind of thinking a lot during the next 45 or so days.

No bottlecaps for Jonny in the Rays 10-3 win last night. But I'm sure he's having the time of his life. The Rays Meatloafed the Sox again taking 2 of 3 and reduced their magic numbers to 10 for the AL East Championship and 4 for a wild card berth. They host the Twins in a four game series that begins tonight and finish the season with a 7 game road trip in Baltimore and Detroit. Let's hope a two game lead over the Sox is enough.

The Rays have now blown through all but the most Pollyanna-ish expecations, notching their 90th win. 95 is within reach. Whoda (really) thunk it?

Deja vu all over again!

Photo: St. Petersburg Times

Last night had to be the sweetest win ever! Again. The Rays regained sole possession of the AL East lead and could clinch a wildcard berth as soon as Friday. The Magic Number(s) are 12 (AL East Title) and 6 (Wild Card). Rays fans, tonight's game is huge. Find a rally cap and a Sports Bar.

No ABs for PTown's pro last night, but plenty of other pretty pearls.

• Sonny was sonsational. He may be on the bubble for the starting rotation with Price now up. And major trade bait once the season is over. I hope the PTBs decide to "dance with the one that brought ya". 13 consecutive innings vs. Josh Beckett without an earned run. John Romano (St. Pete Times) says Sonnanstine Has The Right Stuff For The Rays. I couldn't agree more.
• Josh Beckett took a no-no into the 5th and a 2 hitter into the 7th last night. At that point it hit me. I didn't have my lucky Rays cap on. I won it making Player of The Game Picks in the TBSNRadio510 Forum. A quick sprint to the closet worked. Swear to God... I put the thing on and 30 seconds later, Pena went yard and we had a 1-1 tie.
• The Rays mojo is full of that kind of supernatural touchy feely stuff . It all started with Joe Maddon's comment about "good face". It's been a love/hate relationship with Joe's hunches ever since, but lately... well... check the standings.
• The latest lucky charm is the fauxhawk mohawk. I credit Jonny with planting the seed for that one. His current hairdo started two years ago with a curly hawk with a long tail that one sportswriter said looked more like the rear end of a donkey or something to that effect. Next day it was gone. All of it. Maybe he can grow a faux in the next 12 days.
• Navarro cemented the momentum shift with a H-U-G-E gun down of Jacoby Elsbury at 2B in the 8th.
• Hard to believe for all the clutch hitting he's done this season, but Navi had his first walk off of 2008 last night. Bartlett hit a bloop single to lead off the 9th and get the winning run aboard. Pena drew a walk, moving Bartlett into scoring position. Longo K'd and Floyd took a slider square on the recently repaired right knee to load 'em up and make it seem even easier for Navi. Senior Septiembre drilled Masterson's 2-2 fastball to hop the wall and man love broke out all across America.

I envy those fans who win tickets to a game and a chat with their favorite player. If it were me, I honestly don't know how I could pick just one from this team. Every single one of these guys has contributed. They've picked each other up. They've played unfamiliar positions without complaint. They've handled the rare but necessary attitude adjustments with extraordinary class. Usually player to player without headlines. I hope the Rays set aside convention and pick 25 + MVPs at the end of this incredible season.

There is more riding on tonight's game than just a series win, or sole possession of 1st place in the AL East. It's about momentum, and tie breakers, should the Rays and Sox have equally strong finishes.

Grab a rally cap Rays fans. Hop on board The Magic Bus.

Woo! The Other Johnson Gets Rays Back On Track

Lotsa chatter that Jonny Johnson Gomes will finish his season in Tampa Bay once the Governors' Cup International League Championship is in the bag. But the plane ride was pushed back a day when the Bulls dropped the opener last night against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  The Bulls took the lead with an 8th inning rally, but the Yanks came back with 2 in the 9th to win it 8-7. Gomes was 1-4 with a single and a run scored at DH and is batting .263 in the post season.  Newly minted Minor League Player Of The Year, David Price struck out 9 in his 6 inning appearance and may be on his way to The Rays as soon as today.  Cannot wait to see that boy throw.

Meanwhile, Dan Johnson has been quietly getting it done all season.

The left handed batter was claimed off waivers from the A's in April and many Rays fans wondered what the plan was for another 1B with limited experience at other positions and a 5 pound medical record. Johnson was in Tampa Bay just long enough to get a uniform when the Rays right field platoon swelled yet again and Dan was Durham bound.  The popular former A played some outfield and 3B for the Bulls but was used primarily as the DH, swinging the bat well  with a .307 average, 25 home runs and 83 RBIs. He got the call to Fenway yesterday and arrived too late to start, but just in time to save the day.  The Rays were up 3-2 in the 8th with 2 outs, a Sox runner on, and a textbook matchup at the plate.  Jason Bay was just 1 for 18 against Rays reliever Dan Wheeler. Naturally, Bay launched a 1-1 pitch over the Monster for the lead.  On his reputation for working the count, Dan Johnson got a last second call to pinch-hit and lead off the 9th. Against Papelbunion Papebon. No pressure.  He saw three balls, then a strike and hammered the 6th pitch into the right field stands. The first Papel-bomb since June 14th.  Johnson snapped a career 0-15 pinch hit streak as a Major Leaguer and what a time to do it.  The speedy Fernando Perez drilled a double off the monsta. My hero Dioner Navarro, hit yet another clutch double to plate Perez and put the Rays back on top 5-4.  With Percy set to close, Rays fans chanted their favorite motivational quotes and popped a Rolaid.  The Rays closer managed to get it done but, as usual, it was an E-Ticket ride instead of a Brandon Morrow mow down. Whatever. We won and we're still on top in the AL East.

As for Jonny Johnson Gomes... the Rays are still convinced Jonny is a lefty specialist in the batter's box and opted for left handed hitter Dan Johnson given the series of RHP they'll face the next few days.  Jonny's Durham splits?   .171 vs LHP in 35 ABs.  and .292 vs RHP in 72 ABs for a combined .252.  But what do I know.

Hey, Longo is back this weekend if everything stays on track with that mending wrist. Love him, but he'll have to put on quite a show to knock Navi off PTownFan's pedestal for Rays MVP.