Oh Evan, Where art thou…
So, here we go again with the Tampa Bay Rays with their backs against the wall. To have to win the next three seems all but impossible. Like I've had said before everyone has been counting them out all year and against the Boston Red Sox. This time they might have dug themselves a whole too deep. So where are the Rays that have been playing all year? These World Series Rays aren't them. The Rays won by having solid defense, pitching and their bats... the speed is still there so at least that is something. The pitching has been decent, but not solid and the last two games have been giving up the big hits... when everyone was praising the Rays' young guns and doubting the Phillies back part of their rotation, it's been Jamie Moyer & Joe Blanton who has shined. Moyer pitched 6 1/3 innings, surrendering 5 hits, 3 earned runs, 1 walk, and 5 K's. Blanton pitched 6.0 innings pitched 4 hits allowed 2 earned runs 2 walks 7 K's... Wow what a pickup Blanton was; trust me, I've watched him in Oakland.
Now about them Rays. The hitting is close to non-existent. Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena are a combined 0-for-29! Ouch, comparing what both of them did against the Red Sox they were 14-for-53 with 7 homers combined. Errors? OMG the errors. How did this start? Was it the cold air? The Young Guns haven't had it either, as they have a combined 43.6 innings pitched, 37 hits, 15 earned runs, 18 walks, and 34 K's against Boston. Against Philly, they have a combined 21 2/3 innings pitched, 25 hits, 10 earned runs, 11 walks, and 17 K's. They are close and not stinking it too bad, but not quite cutting it. The Phillies' bats are coming alive and the Rays' as aren't simple as that. The Rays just don't win when Evan and Carlos aren't hitting. So if the Rays stand a chance tonight to get it back to the Trop, those guys need to come up big. So the question is again with the Rays up against the wall in the cold and facing Cole Hamels on the mound can they be those Resilient Remarkable Rays that we have seen all year?
It has been one hell of a season and a ride either way and no one can take that away from them and with most of these guys locked up for about 3 years... It will be fun to watch…