2008 ALCS Game 1: Chicago WS @ Tampa Bay Rays
Posted by SBG on Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I wonder if the locals in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area hate the White Sox. If you recall, Jerry Reinsdorf threatened to move his club to Tampa Bay (the area, not the body of water, although the latter sounds good, too) to extort money from Chicago to get a new stadium. Some of the locals with elephantine memories might hold a little grudge against Jerry's kids for his use of their area to build "beautiful" US Cellular (right before Camden Yards rendered that style of park so yesterday).
I'm going to admit that that isn't much of an angle, though. How's this for an angle: local team sucks for ten years and then suddenly has as good of a chance as anybody to win the World Series. Yeah, that's the angle I'd be going after, if I were writing a story about this series. And for Twins fans, you have the option of cheering for a former Twin on the White Sox: the BEST CATCHER, EVAH!!!! and all-around good guy, A.J. Pierzynski or former Twins castoffs Matt Garza, Grant Balfour, and "Rays 'MVP'" Jason Bartlett. I've always liked AJ, even if he's kind of a dink and even if Dan Barreiro thinks he's all that. But, the trade of AJ for an elite closer, a potential Cy Young Award winning pitcher, and a somewhat useful pitcher while a potential future HOF catcher was waiting in the wings has made the moving on process quite easy. On the other hand, the deal that sent Garza and Bartlett to the Rays has been one of those swallow hard and hope things. I liked Garza and Bartlett, even if there is some evidence that maybe they are a little high maintenance. They have some talent -- especially Garza -- and talent trumps a lot of idiosyncrasies.
The White Sox are trotting out Big Game Javier Vasquez today while the Rays counter with James Shields. I talked before how young the Rays are -- only one player who's seen his 31 year old season has more than 25 at bats, and no starting pitcher for the Rays this season has celebrated his 27th birthday. Shields is the old man of that group, he'll be 27 in December. This is a club that can win now and for the next several years. That they are sitting in the AL East is a blessing and a curse -- they can keep the Yankees out, making life just a little better for the rest of us, but they are also susceptible to having what could be a helluva run blunted by the $200 million+ behemoth. So, winning now is a good idea. Let's hope it starts today.
Go RAYS!
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Go Rays!
Bartlett is ready to prove the the rest of the world why he was the Rays MVP.
I noticed the Rays listened to my "advice" two weeks ago about leaving E-Jax out of the playoff rotation.
This Longoria dude is pretty good.
If only the Twins had a young, cheap, power hitting, slick fielding third baseman.
Let's not jump to conclusions. He's a rookie, after all.
Pena out? That's unsettling.
Longoria pulls a Gaetti! (HRs in first two playoff at bats.)
They almost didn't put the tag on Pierzynski on the caught stealing.
glad to see the Rays up
Can Longoria make it three?
Well, he made it 2 1/4. I'm sure the Rays are quite happy to settle for an RBI single.
I guess Ozzie was right. Vasquez is not a big game pitcher.
I don't think I'd ever heard of Clayton Richard until a couple of weeks ago, and now it seems like he pitches every game.
Evan Longoria = stud
A strong inning for Shields.
A stronger inning for Richard. Still, 6-3 looks pretty good.
The endgame here should be pretty interesting. We know the Rays have a top-notch bullpen, except they have no "closer" (they left Percival off the roster).
A.J. up in the seventh, representing the tying run.
HBP. It's always fun to see that happen to AJ, but not when it loads the bases.
And A.J. is hit by a pitch. Balfour comes in to pitch with the go-ahead run at bat.
Balfour strikes out Uribe. Two down for Cabrera.
Cabrera and Balfour exchange words. I have no idea what's going on there, and neither do the ESPN radio guys.
Strikeout! Still 6-3 at the seventh inning stretch.
On his way back from a trip to the mound, Guillen blew some kisses to the crowd. The White Sox seem to be having trouble with the idea that they're getting beaten by Tampa Bay.
the Sox cant win in Domes
Yeah, too bad they lost the coin flip and had to play the first two in St. Pete.
Still 6-3 going to the eighth.
Howell pitches a 1-2-3 eighth. Chicago will have Konerko, Griffey, and Ramirez up in the ninth.
Two singles and a walk load the bases for the Rays with two out in the bottom of the eighth.
Dotel comes in to face Upton.
Upton called out on strikes, although he disagrees. On to the ninth, still 6-3.
Who's coming in for the ninth? Wheeler?
Dan Wheeler comes in to pitch the ninth for Tampa Bay.
Ouch, Konerko.
Home run for Konerko. 6-4 Rays.
One down.
ooh, a Paulie HR
Two down. A.J. has the chance to make the last out.
Game over. The totals on the board are correct. Tampa Bay 6, Chicago 4.
Rays win!
1 down, 2 to go.