Get Ready for the Rays

by dajafi on Oct 19, 2008 11:46 PM EDT

They survived an epic meltdown in Game Five and some self-destruction in Game Six, and faced down a near-dynasty in the Boston Red Sox to win their first pennant in their eleventh season of play. Matt Garza looked like a young Curt Schilling for seven innings, and he and four relievers escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth. The last of them, rookie David Price, closed out the defending world champions in the ninth with the tying run at the plate.

Congrats to the Tampa Bay Rays, 2008 American League Champions. The World Series starts Wednesday in St. Pete. Gotta figure it will be Hamels vs. Kazmir. We'll have more on the Rays and the matchup over the next couple days.

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So Jon Kruk ANd Steve Phillips just picked the phillies on ESPN

That makes me uncomfortable for some reason

by jemagee on Oct 20, 2008 9:41 AM EDT reply actions

more espn predictions

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2008/series?series=phitam

Peter Gammons: Phillies in 7
Jim Caple: Rays in 4 (!)
Law: Rays in 6
Kurkjian: Rays in 7
Neyer: Rays in 5

I heard Phillips but missed Kruk somehow. Phillips’ endorsement was pretty backhanded and weaselly, if that makes you feel any better.

by taco pal on Oct 20, 2008 9:43 AM EDT reply actions

Part of Phillips’ analysis went something like this: The Phillies have a better bullpen, but the Rays have a “MUCH” better defense, especially on the right side of the infield. I have no idea how good a fielder Carlos Pena is, though I assume he must be better than Howard. But if you’re talking about the “right side of the infield” and not “first base,” then you’re also talking about Utley’s defense too, and that just isn’t right.

It sounds like a case of “whisper down the lane” to me. Kruk said two weeks ago that Utley was a bad fielder and now Phillips thinks it’s a settled fact. Phillips didn’t say that right-side-of-the-infield defense would be the deciding factor in the series at least, so I guess he deserves some credit for that.

by taco pal on Oct 20, 2008 9:56 AM EDT reply actions

It’s irrational, but I prefer when everyone is ‘against’ the phillies, My purely unprovable untested hypothesis is that Philadelphia sports teams perform better when no one expects them to succeed.

by jemagee on Oct 20, 2008 9:57 AM EDT reply actions

bugaboo

It sure FEELS that way, I agree.

by WholeCamels on Oct 20, 2008 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions

Reminds me of when Iverson

took the Sixers to an unexpected Game 6.

Cuba Si! Yanqi No!
Mariner fan in Exile.
Proudly offending Ma'am since 10-18

by Patrick517 on Oct 20, 2008 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions

The potential Hamels vs. Kazmir matchup could be an awesome narrative. Two young lefties, less than a month apart in age, drafted two spots away from each other in the first round of the infamous 2002 “Moneyball” draft.

RUN WITH IT, ESPN!

by WholeCamels on Oct 20, 2008 10:11 AM EDT reply actions

Hamels big advantage is that he goes deeper

Kaz can have dominating stuff but he hasn’t seemed to be able to keep his pitch count down. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hamels give up a run or two, but the big thing for Kazmir is to avoid the walks. If he walks someone, with the Phillies lineup, things could get out of hand quickly. Having said that, Kaz was fantastic in his last outing but the Rays bullpen has been more than a little shaky. I think that’s the game 1 advantage for the Phillies to exploit.

by staplemaniac on Oct 20, 2008 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I was kinda sorta rooting for the Red Sox toward the end because I had this great “Bizarro World” piece percolating… Howard = Ortiz, Hamels = Lester, Moyer = Wakefield, etc. All for naught.

by WholeCamels on Oct 20, 2008 10:17 AM EDT reply actions