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!

Rays Chew Up A Pair

Yowza. The Rays offense stuffed a sock in Boston again last night. When it was ovah, The Monsta said "TB 13. BOSTON 4".

Carl Crawford and Willy Aybar feasted on Wakefield whiffleballs and Boston relievers. Crawford set a Post Season record with his 5 for 5 performance that included everything but a dinger. Aybar's 5 RBIs once again demonstrated the Rays incredible depth. Tampa Bay wasted no time establishing the momentum with one out in the top of the first. A four pitch walk to speedy BJ Upton of a knuckleball pitcher guarantees a stolen base. Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria followed with back to back home runs. From there it just seemed easy.

Sonny was superb again, going 8+ and giving up his first three earned runs to Boston of the entire 2008 season.  Jackson closed it out setting the radar gun on fire with a slew of 95 mph plus heaters. He may just become the Rays 2009 closer

The Rays broke several post season records last night. It's tempting to get swept up in the hoopla, but here's a sobering fact. 15 teams have trailed 3-1 in a League Championship Series. 4 have come back to win in seven games. 3 times, it was The Boston Red Sox. 1 year ago, Boston trailed Cleveland three games to one and you remember the rest. But the 2008 Sox don't have Manny or Mike Lowell producing buckets of runs.

It's killin' me, but today it will be Humble Pie.  The tasty Boston Creme(d) Pie can wait a few more days.

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
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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!