Monday, October 27, 2008

Rays Rally, Rain Ruins Game 5

By JC De La Torre

Considering they are playing the playoff lives, the Tampa Bay Rays may be cursing the baseball gods right now. They rallied from an early 2-0 deficit as the heavens opened and deposited a torrential downpour, delaying the game in the bottom of the 6th inning with the score tied at 2. The momentum was switching to the Rays dugout just as the playing surface became unplayable.

Things started rocky for the Rays, after going down in order in the first, the Phillies jumped on starter Scott Kazmir in the bottom half. After getting James Rollins to fly out, Kazmir walked Werth, then hit Utley with a pitch. He rallied by striking out the red hot Ryan Howard, but walked Burrell to load the bases. Shane Victorino up and he lasers a base hit to left, two runs scored.

In the top of the 4th, Upton began the inning with a ground out. Carlos Pena got his first hit of the series as he doubled off the right field wall. Evan Longoria would follow up with his first hit of the series as well, singled to central, scoring Pena to cut the lead to 2-1.

The game remained a one run ballgame until the top of the 6th. With the heavens opening up so badly that Noah began to whey anchor, Hamels got two quick outs for Philadelphia, then saw BJ Upton reach on an infield single. Upton would slosh his way to second base. Carlos Pena would blast his second hit of the game to left field and the speedy Upton would race around the base paths and slide for the tying score. Longoria would line hard to end the inning and that's when Major League Baseball decided to suspend the game. Weather permitting, the game will be resumed tomorrow at 8pm - where the weather for tommorrow night is expected to be cloudy, slight rain and in the 30's. Whenever the game continues, it will be resumed tied at 2-2 at the bottom of the 6th.

One of the top developments for this is the Rays get Cole Hamels out as a factor in Game 5, escaping with a 2-2 tie with Hamels going a strong 6 innings, allowing 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, and 3 strike outs. Scott Kazmir struggled for the Rays, giving Tampa Bay only 4 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 runs and 5 strike outs, but he walked 6.

This unbelievable season takes another strange twist.

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