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Rays try a second time to advance
Game 4 Monday at 5:07 p.m. (on 1250 WHNZ)
Monday, October 6, 2008
Chicago scored three runs in the fourth inning and John Danks held the Rays offense down, extending the White Sox season by at least one more day.
The White Sox won 5-3 on Sunday to trim Tampa Bay's ALDS series lead to 2-1.
Game 4 is Monday at 5:05 p.m. and can be heard on sister station 1250 WHNZ.
In the other AL series Anaheim won at Fenway 5-4 in 12 innings to avoid Boston from sweeping. Those teams plays Monday night as well, at 8:35 p.m.
It was Tampa Bay getting out to a 1-0 lead, on Aki Iwamura's infield single in the second inning, to temporarily quiet a loud black-wearing crowd. But Matt Garza ran into trouble the second time around the Sox batting order.
A.J. Pierzynski singled in Dewayne Wise to tie the game in the third, then the White Sox poured it on in their next at-bat. Jim Thome led off with a double to the wall and Paul Konerko walked. Ken Griffey's shallow single loaded the bases and Alexei Ramirez hit a sac fly to center putting Chicago up 2-1. Wise then sliced a double to left that brought two runners homer.
Chicago added a run in the sixth.
B.J. Upton's long homer off Danks in the seventh gave the Rays hope but Chicago relievers Matt Thornton and Bobby Jenks finished the job.
"This game's in the history books and we're already looking to tomorrow," a confident Upton said afterwards. "We'll definitely be ready tomorrow, and, if needed we'll go back to our home. But I don't think it's anything we're really pressing about, we just want to come out of here with a win."
Danks struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings. Garza allowed seven hits and walked four in six innings. Chad Bradford pitched two solid innings to keep the Rays in the game.
Tampa Bay turns to Andy Sonnanstine Monday in hopes of avoiding a fifth and deciding game, which if needed would be Wednesday in St. Pete. Gavin Floyd will go for Chicago.
Game 2 Recap:
The Rays' worst fears about Scott Kazmir were being realized in the first inning, and all of a sudden the good feelings about Thursday's playoff victory were gone.
But these Rays continue to be resilient no matter what, and as a result they lead the ALDS two games to none. Kazmir settled down after allowing two runs in the first inning, and Aki Iwamura hit a big go-ahead homer in the fifth inning of Tampa Bay's 6-2 win over the White Sox Friday.
Tampa Bay added three runs in the eighth inning to put the game away. The Rays will go for the sweep of the best-of-5 Sunday in Chicago with Matt Garza facing John Danks.
Iwamura's two-run shot off Mark Buehrle made the score 3-2 in the fifth. He took an outside curveball the other way, barely sending it over the left-field fence. Another sold-out Trop crowd chanted "Aki, Aki" until Iwamura came out for the curtain call.
Kazmir, who down the season had control problem and all year ran up big pitch counts, was no different in the first inning. He threw 37 pitches and allowed the first three baserunners to reach on a hit-by-pitch, walk and single. Jim Thome 's single made it 1-0 and Alexei Ramirez hit a sac fly but Kazmir was able to strike out Juan Uribe with the bases loaded to keep the damage limited.
"Be patient. That was my thought," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "It’s really important that we get him going. … If he was able to get through that, I thought he might be able to settle in, and he did."
Kazmir lasted 5 1/3 innings, throwing 98 pitches and allowing eight hits but he got the win. The bullpen covered the last 3 2/3 with Grant Balfour (who again retired Orlando Cabrera, with not the histrionics of the day before) getting out of the sixth inning. J.P. Howell then came on after Balfour allowed two singles to start the seventh, and retired the next three men then Howell struck out the side in the eighth. Chad Bradford tossed the ninth.
After a two-base error by Ramirez -- he tried to double Willy Aybar off first on a Baldelli liner -- the Rays cashed in with Dioner Navarro's RBI single to make it 2-1 in the first.
Navarro finished the scoring with a run-scoring double after Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli also driving in runs in the eighth. The rally started with a B.J. Upton triple.
Navarro, Crawford and Aybar had two hits each. Aybar was playing again for Carlos Pena, who had expected to get in the game but was not 100 per cent recovered from a scatched cornea.
Game 3 in Chicago is set for 4:07 p.m.
GAME 1 RECAP (10/2): Some questioned the wisdom of Rays rookie Evan Longoria saying it was an advantage playing the White Sox over the Twins.
But Longoria backed up the talk -- big time -- on Thursday.
The Rookie of the Year candidate hit two solo homers, both for leads, as Tampa Bay defeated the Chicago White Sox 6-4 to take Game 1 of their American League Division series.
Longoria homered in his first two postseason at-bats making him the first rookie to ever do that. The only other player ever to do it was Rays minor league coach Gary Gaetti, with Minnesota in 1987.
"I was nervous, but if you're not in this situation then you're not soaking up the moment," Longoria said afterwards, adding that part of the reason simply was the overwhelming atmosphere at Tropicana Field.
"I felt (nerves) as soon as I walked out to stretch, and in batting practice," Longoria said. "It's exciting. These fans were great and for us to be able to perform in front of the crowd was huge."
The Trop emanated a buzz like never before -- similar to the difference between a Lightning regular season game compared to a Stanley Cup Final contest. It was sold out with 35,041 fans and clearly that's how it will be the rest of the way.
James Shields went 6 1/3 innings for the victory and got stellar support from his bullpen, particularly Grant Balfour getting out of the seventh in electrifying fashion.
Game 2 of the best-of-five is Friday night at 6 p.m.
"I loved the way our guys went about ttheir business," said Rays manager Joe Maddon.
In the fifth inning Longoria added an RBI single to make it 5-3 and chase White Sox starter Javier Vazquez.
Carl Crawford followed Longoria's last hit with an RBI up the middle for a 6-3 lead.
J.P. Howell pitched the eighth inning in 1-2-3 fashion and Dan Wheeler got the save although he gave up a leadoff homer to Paul Konerko, who earlier in the at-bat thought he walked, heading to first base on a pitch that made the count 3-2.
Shields allowed a three-run homer to Dewayne Wise that put Chicago ahead 3-1 in the top of the third but that was all the damage the White Sox did against the righty. In the seventh Shields ran into trouble and was pulled after hitting A.J. Pierzynski to load the bases.
But the fireballing Balfour got out of the jam with two strikeouts. The inning ender was a great duel with Orlando Cabrera, who drew Balfour's ire by kicking chalk out towards the mound after a pitch. On strike three Balfour emphatically pointed Cabrera back to the dugout.
"I think it's a good thing," Maddon said of the contentious exchange which surely will make every highlight package of the game. "It's all authentic. He gets wound up while he pitches. That's how he deals with the world when he's pitching."
Balfour told Newschannel 8 afterwards that it was a "misunderstanding" between he and Cabrera but at the same time, didn't flinch when saying "I told him to go sit down" after the strikeout.
Before the second homer by Longoria Tampa Bay had tied the game, after having entering the bottom of the third down 3-1. Jason Bartlett singled followed by an Aki Iwamura triple to make it 3-2. Then Willy Aybar's sac fly scored Iwamura. Longoria hit a blast that went off the C-ring catwalk in left field.
Rays first baseman Carlos Pena was pulled early due to slightly blurred vision, the result of Pena accidentally scratching his left eye at home Wednesday, according to the Rays. Maddon said it's a "quick healing' type of injury and that Pena is expected to be able to play Friday.
"I thought the way Willy Aybar came off the bench and did a wonderful job," Maddon noted. "Regadless of the situation Willy's always ready to play."
Longoria homered on the first pitch of the second inning to give Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead. Wise came up with his three-run shot on a two-out, two strike pitch.
Shields went 6 1/3 innings, striking out four while allowing six hits and the three runs. Vazquez was charged with all six runs allowed by Chicago.
Longoria had three of Tampa Bay's 11 hits. Iwamura and Bartlett collected two apiece.
Chicago's Alexei Ramirez and A.J. Pierzynski singled to start the top of the third. After a sacrifice bunt by Juan Uribe moved the runners over Shields retired the next two batters and was one strike from getting Wise before the left fielder pulled one over the fence. He did have six homers in limited time down the stretch after MVP candidate Carlos Quenton suffered a wrist injury for the White Sox.
The White Sox won 5-3 on Sunday to trim Tampa Bay's ALDS series lead to 2-1.
Game 4 is Monday at 5:05 p.m. and can be heard on sister station 1250 WHNZ.
In the other AL series Anaheim won at Fenway 5-4 in 12 innings to avoid Boston from sweeping. Those teams plays Monday night as well, at 8:35 p.m.
It was Tampa Bay getting out to a 1-0 lead, on Aki Iwamura's infield single in the second inning, to temporarily quiet a loud black-wearing crowd. But Matt Garza ran into trouble the second time around the Sox batting order.
A.J. Pierzynski singled in Dewayne Wise to tie the game in the third, then the White Sox poured it on in their next at-bat. Jim Thome led off with a double to the wall and Paul Konerko walked. Ken Griffey's shallow single loaded the bases and Alexei Ramirez hit a sac fly to center putting Chicago up 2-1. Wise then sliced a double to left that brought two runners homer.
Chicago added a run in the sixth.
B.J. Upton's long homer off Danks in the seventh gave the Rays hope but Chicago relievers Matt Thornton and Bobby Jenks finished the job.
"This game's in the history books and we're already looking to tomorrow," a confident Upton said afterwards. "We'll definitely be ready tomorrow, and, if needed we'll go back to our home. But I don't think it's anything we're really pressing about, we just want to come out of here with a win."
Danks struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings. Garza allowed seven hits and walked four in six innings. Chad Bradford pitched two solid innings to keep the Rays in the game.
Tampa Bay turns to Andy Sonnanstine Monday in hopes of avoiding a fifth and deciding game, which if needed would be Wednesday in St. Pete. Gavin Floyd will go for Chicago.
Game 2 Recap:
The Rays' worst fears about Scott Kazmir were being realized in the first inning, and all of a sudden the good feelings about Thursday's playoff victory were gone.
But these Rays continue to be resilient no matter what, and as a result they lead the ALDS two games to none. Kazmir settled down after allowing two runs in the first inning, and Aki Iwamura hit a big go-ahead homer in the fifth inning of Tampa Bay's 6-2 win over the White Sox Friday.
Tampa Bay added three runs in the eighth inning to put the game away. The Rays will go for the sweep of the best-of-5 Sunday in Chicago with Matt Garza facing John Danks.
Iwamura's two-run shot off Mark Buehrle made the score 3-2 in the fifth. He took an outside curveball the other way, barely sending it over the left-field fence. Another sold-out Trop crowd chanted "Aki, Aki" until Iwamura came out for the curtain call.
Kazmir, who down the season had control problem and all year ran up big pitch counts, was no different in the first inning. He threw 37 pitches and allowed the first three baserunners to reach on a hit-by-pitch, walk and single. Jim Thome 's single made it 1-0 and Alexei Ramirez hit a sac fly but Kazmir was able to strike out Juan Uribe with the bases loaded to keep the damage limited.
"Be patient. That was my thought," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "It’s really important that we get him going. … If he was able to get through that, I thought he might be able to settle in, and he did."
Kazmir lasted 5 1/3 innings, throwing 98 pitches and allowing eight hits but he got the win. The bullpen covered the last 3 2/3 with Grant Balfour (who again retired Orlando Cabrera, with not the histrionics of the day before) getting out of the sixth inning. J.P. Howell then came on after Balfour allowed two singles to start the seventh, and retired the next three men then Howell struck out the side in the eighth. Chad Bradford tossed the ninth.
After a two-base error by Ramirez -- he tried to double Willy Aybar off first on a Baldelli liner -- the Rays cashed in with Dioner Navarro's RBI single to make it 2-1 in the first.
Navarro finished the scoring with a run-scoring double after Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli also driving in runs in the eighth. The rally started with a B.J. Upton triple.
Navarro, Crawford and Aybar had two hits each. Aybar was playing again for Carlos Pena, who had expected to get in the game but was not 100 per cent recovered from a scatched cornea.
Game 3 in Chicago is set for 4:07 p.m.
GAME 1 RECAP (10/2): Some questioned the wisdom of Rays rookie Evan Longoria saying it was an advantage playing the White Sox over the Twins.
But Longoria backed up the talk -- big time -- on Thursday.
The Rookie of the Year candidate hit two solo homers, both for leads, as Tampa Bay defeated the Chicago White Sox 6-4 to take Game 1 of their American League Division series.
Longoria homered in his first two postseason at-bats making him the first rookie to ever do that. The only other player ever to do it was Rays minor league coach Gary Gaetti, with Minnesota in 1987.
"I was nervous, but if you're not in this situation then you're not soaking up the moment," Longoria said afterwards, adding that part of the reason simply was the overwhelming atmosphere at Tropicana Field.
"I felt (nerves) as soon as I walked out to stretch, and in batting practice," Longoria said. "It's exciting. These fans were great and for us to be able to perform in front of the crowd was huge."
The Trop emanated a buzz like never before -- similar to the difference between a Lightning regular season game compared to a Stanley Cup Final contest. It was sold out with 35,041 fans and clearly that's how it will be the rest of the way.
James Shields went 6 1/3 innings for the victory and got stellar support from his bullpen, particularly Grant Balfour getting out of the seventh in electrifying fashion.
Game 2 of the best-of-five is Friday night at 6 p.m.
"I loved the way our guys went about ttheir business," said Rays manager Joe Maddon.
In the fifth inning Longoria added an RBI single to make it 5-3 and chase White Sox starter Javier Vazquez.
Carl Crawford followed Longoria's last hit with an RBI up the middle for a 6-3 lead.
J.P. Howell pitched the eighth inning in 1-2-3 fashion and Dan Wheeler got the save although he gave up a leadoff homer to Paul Konerko, who earlier in the at-bat thought he walked, heading to first base on a pitch that made the count 3-2.
Shields allowed a three-run homer to Dewayne Wise that put Chicago ahead 3-1 in the top of the third but that was all the damage the White Sox did against the righty. In the seventh Shields ran into trouble and was pulled after hitting A.J. Pierzynski to load the bases.
But the fireballing Balfour got out of the jam with two strikeouts. The inning ender was a great duel with Orlando Cabrera, who drew Balfour's ire by kicking chalk out towards the mound after a pitch. On strike three Balfour emphatically pointed Cabrera back to the dugout.
"I think it's a good thing," Maddon said of the contentious exchange which surely will make every highlight package of the game. "It's all authentic. He gets wound up while he pitches. That's how he deals with the world when he's pitching."
Balfour told Newschannel 8 afterwards that it was a "misunderstanding" between he and Cabrera but at the same time, didn't flinch when saying "I told him to go sit down" after the strikeout.
Before the second homer by Longoria Tampa Bay had tied the game, after having entering the bottom of the third down 3-1. Jason Bartlett singled followed by an Aki Iwamura triple to make it 3-2. Then Willy Aybar's sac fly scored Iwamura. Longoria hit a blast that went off the C-ring catwalk in left field.
Rays first baseman Carlos Pena was pulled early due to slightly blurred vision, the result of Pena accidentally scratching his left eye at home Wednesday, according to the Rays. Maddon said it's a "quick healing' type of injury and that Pena is expected to be able to play Friday.
"I thought the way Willy Aybar came off the bench and did a wonderful job," Maddon noted. "Regadless of the situation Willy's always ready to play."
Longoria homered on the first pitch of the second inning to give Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead. Wise came up with his three-run shot on a two-out, two strike pitch.
Shields went 6 1/3 innings, striking out four while allowing six hits and the three runs. Vazquez was charged with all six runs allowed by Chicago.
Longoria had three of Tampa Bay's 11 hits. Iwamura and Bartlett collected two apiece.
Chicago's Alexei Ramirez and A.J. Pierzynski singled to start the top of the third. After a sacrifice bunt by Juan Uribe moved the runners over Shields retired the next two batters and was one strike from getting Wise before the left fielder pulled one over the fence. He did have six homers in limited time down the stretch after MVP candidate Carlos Quenton suffered a wrist injury for the White Sox.
© 2008