Baldelli defects for Red Sox

By JC De La Torre

Rocco Baldelli grew up near Boston as a Red Sox fan, he dreamed of being with the Red Sox his entire life. That, in addition to a few million other reasons, caused Baldelli to spurn the franchise that stood by him while he dealt with a mysterious illness that robbed him from being able to play a full season of baseball for their most hated rival.

"I'm definitely excited. I think this is a great move for my baseball career," Baldelli said at a Boston presser, "Boston pursued me pretty aggressively, and I appreciated that. In addition to the baseball side of it, they were equally interested in helping me out any way they could medically. I think there were a lot of reasons that this was a very good fit for me. Theo and the Sox, they pursued me not only as a player but also to understand me as a person and to help me out any way they could on the field and off the field."

Baldelli's one year contract is an incentive based with a floor of $500,000 but with escalators based on plate appearances that could go as high as $5.25 million. After signing Pat Burrell to take over the DH roll for big money, the Rays just didn't have the resources to compete with the Sox for Baldelli's services. Baldelli batted .263 with four home runs and 13 RBI in 28 games for the Rays in 2008 regular season while adding 2 home runs and 6 rbi during the playoffs. He's a lifetime .281 hitter with 52 dingers and 234 RBI.

While we're disappointed Tampa Bay couldn't keep Rocco in the fold and we were even more disappointed he went to the hated Red Sox, we wish Rocco the best with his health and success in Beantown.

TAMPA BAY RAYS GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!

By JC De La Torre

The Tampa Bay Rays are American League Champions! I write that again - THE TAMPA BAY RAYS ARE AL CHAMPS AND GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES! The Rays shocked the country and maybe even themselves, putting together a tough, gutty performance in Game 7 of the ALCS, beating the Boston Red Sox 3-1 for their first AL Pennant.

After a devastating loss to Boston in Game 5, then a lackluster performance in Game 6, the media and baseball folks around the world thought the Rays were finished. The Rays took that belief and turned the world on its edge, beating the Red Sox and their best pitcher, Jon Lester.

Things started off a little rocky for the Rays as Dustin Pedroia would take a change up and deposit it into the left field bleachers for an early 1-0 lead. That would be the last hit the Red Sox get for several innings on Rays starter Matt Garza. More on that in a second. Sox starter Jon Lester was masterful in the early going, retiring the first 9 batters he faced.

The Rays woud finally get to him in the 4th inning. Aki Iwamurra would get a bloop single to left to get on. After Upton struck out, Pena would ground into a fielder's choice, giving the Rays a man on first and 2 outs with Evan Longoria at the dish. Longoria would blast into the right field gap, doubling and Pena scored all the way from first - the game was tied! Crawford would strike out to end the inning.

The Rays would take the lead in 5th inning. Tampa Bay would get a double from Willie Aybar to give them a man in scoring position. An infield single by Navarro gave the Rays men at 1st and 2nd with no outs. Rocco Baldelli would bloop a single to left field, scoring Aybar and giving the Rays a 2-1 lead. Lester would keep the damage to a mininum by striking out Bartlett and getting ground outs by Aki and Upton.

From there, the pitchers duel would continue. Garza was sensational, allowing no hits for 5 straight innings until the top of the 7th, when he got into a little trouble. After getting Youkis to pop out, he walked JD Drew, then allowed a single to Jason Bay to give the Sox men at first and second. It looked like Joe Maddon was going to pull Garza out of the game, but he allowed him to finish, and Garza rewarded him by Kotsay to fly out and striking out Jason Varitek.

In the bottom of the 7th, Willie Aybar would lead of the inning with a huge home run to left, giving them a 3-1 advantage.

In the 8th, Boston would take their best shot at the Rays. Garza would start the 8th inning, but would leave after Jason Barlett booted a grounder by Cora into center field. Dan Wheeler came in to relieve Garza. Coco Crisp woud single to right, Cora would go to 2nd with no one out and the dangerous Pedroia at te plate. Wheeler would get Pedroia to pop it out to right and Wheeler's work would be done. JP Howell would check in to face David Ortiz. Ortiz would hit a ground ball, but the Rays could ony get Crisp at 2nd, leaving men at 1st and 3rd with no one out. Chad Bradford would check in for the Rays, but walked Youklis to load the bases. Then Rays Manager Joe Maddon, who is one of the most unconventional managers in baseball made a startling move. He put the Rays fortunes in the hands of a rookie...but not just any rookie, the #1 overall pick of the 2007 draft - David Price. Price would strike out Drew to get the Rays out of the inning with no damage done.

After the Rays went 1-2-3 in the 9th, Maddon stuck with Price to finish it. He would walk Jason Bay, then struck out Kotsay and Varitek. Jed Lowrie would come on to pinch hit for Cora and he grounded to Aki on second, Aki touched the bag and the Trop erupted in elation.

THE TAMPA BAY RAYS SHOCKED THE WORLD!

Its on to the Phillies and the World Series, and for Boston and the Red Sox Nation - a stunned finish to a spectacular series. What a just gutty performance by the Rays - no one believed they had chance, yet Matt Garza was sensational and the Rays played small ball to pull ahead against Boston's best pitcher, then perhaps learning something from Game 5 - they finished it off in style, surviving Boston's last push in the 8th and completing the series like the Champions they are.

Tampa Bay wins the American League Championship Series 4 games to 3.

Can you believe it, Rays fans? Oh my! Rays Win! Rays Win! Rays Win the AL Pennant!

Red Sox control the Rays 4-2, force Game 7

By JC De La Torre

Experience is showing for the Boston Red Sox against the Tampa Bay Rays. It showed in Game 5, when the Rays began their AL pennant celebration 7 outs early and suffered the worst collapse in American League playoff history. Tonight, the Red Sox showed the Rays how its done, as they took control midway through the ball game and shut the door on the Tampa Bay offense, beating the Rays 4-2 in Game 6 of the ALCS.

The Red Sox are now 9-0 under Manager Terry Francona when facing elimination in the ALCS. Tampa Bay pitcher James Shields, nicknamed "Big Game James" didn't look the part in this one. He struggled to find his control and honestly looked like Scott Kazmir, walking guys and having extended at bats.

BJ Upton would give the Rays an early lead in the first with a solo homer to left that clanked off the catwalk. Kevin Youklis would answer in the 2nd, with a solo shot to deep left center, after two it was 1-1.

In the 3rd, Youklis would strike again, getting a ground out to shortstop, the Rays allowed Dustin Pedroia to score as they attempted to prevent the big inning. It would remain 2-1 until the bottom of the 5th, when Jason Bartlett, who homered only once during the regular season, caught an offspeed pitch and wrapped it around the left field foul pole to tie it at 2.

James Shields would fall apart in the 6th, allowing Jason Varitek - who hadn't gotten a hit in the series, to hit a solo shot to first row of right center field, giving the Red Sox a 3-2 advantage. Coco Crisp would get an infield single off of Shields, ending his day after 5 and 2/3, allowing 9 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), walking 3 and only striking out 3. JP Howell would check in and promptly get a ground ball from Pedroia to Bartlett - inning over....or NOT as Bartlett threw it into the Rays dugout. New life for the Sox with 2 outs. David "Big Papi" Ortiz woud bloop a hit into right center, scoring Coco Crisp and the Sox held their 4-2 advantage.

Josh Beckett looked solid in his outing, giving the Sox 5 innings, scattering 4 hits and allowing the two home runs, while striking out 3. Hideki Okajima, Justin Masterson, and Jonathan Papelbon woud not allow any hits, shutting down the hot Rays hitters for the final four innings.

So, the Rays lose their 2nd straight and for the first time in their history, face elimination. Its been one heck of a season and heck of a run for Tampa Bay, it would be a shame to see it end on such a dissapointing note. The Rays do know that Boston has yet to beat the Rays in consecutive games at Tropicana Field this season. Of course, we all know Boston's history.

Matt Garza will go up against the Red Sox Ace pitcher, Jon Lester. The Rays battered Lester the last time they faced him, but they battered Beckett too, and all he did tonight was 4 hit the Rays.

Its win or go home for Tampa Bay and Boston....Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. Can the Rays recover and handle the magnitude of a Game 7 or will the Boston experience by the difference?

One thing is certain - in a Game 7, anything can happen.

GO RAYS!

Rays Seem to Have Right Attitude After Terrible Loss

By JC De La Torre

Ask any Rays fan at the beginning of this series - hey, the Rays are going to split the first two games in St. Pete, then take 2 out of 3 in Boston, bringing it back home with two chances to finish it off at the Trop - would you take it? It would be a resounding yes. Yet, following the greatest collapse in ALCS history, the entire baseball world is asking - "How can the Rays come back from this?"

Its simple. Do what they've done all season and that's play one game at a time. The Rays didn't lose 5 games Thursday night - it was just one game. Sure, it was as gut-wrenching as they come, but it was still one loss - and the Rays are looking at it as such.

Here's what Carlos Pena told the St. Pete Times:

"We are extremely confident. I think the perception is that (Thursday's) game is worth five losses when in reality it is just one.

"If it would have been a tight game — 3-2, we had a guy at second and just couldn't get that hit — we would have been like, 'It's a loss.' It would have been worth exactly the same. So the only difference is the way we're perceiving this. We can either perceive it as a loss that was monumental and you can't ever recover from a coma. Or it's just a loss. We've lost before. We didn't go 162-0. We've got 65 losses.

"We choose to just scratch it off as a loss and look at this trip as a very successful trip because we took two out of three in Boston. When in reality, I think people were more like, 'I just hope they win one so they can bring it back to the Trop.' So not only are we back here, but we're here with a slight advantage."

That folks, is exactly the attitude the Rays need and what they've done all season. The Rays have suffered tough losses before and have rebounded with resounding victories. Win tonight, and the loss to Boston at Fenway is just an interesting stat that is melted away by the wild celebration that will begin in St. Pete.

James Shields told the St. Pete Times:

"They've got more pressure than we do. They're the defending champions. We're not. We were in last place in the league last year, and to get where we're at right now, we don't have as much pressure as they do."

And that is the truth. The Red Sox are the defending champions. They've done it before. They're expected to take this supposedly crushed Rays team and swat them away on their way to another trip to the World Series. The Boston media expects it. The Boston faithful (if that's what you can call a crowd of which many bailed on in the seventh inning) expect it. The National media expect it. Once again, the Rays find that only their fans and their own team believe they can do it. That's pressure on the Red Sox, folks.

I truly believe the Rays will win Game 6 and head on to the World Series to face Philadelphia. However, if Boston wins Game 6....well...let's just say I'll be a bit concerned, because then the pressure switches. I don't think we'll need to worry about it.

GO RAYS! Finish the job!

Rays let the Series slip away...

By JC De La Torre

7 outs - 7 run lead. That's what the Rays had to advance to the World Series. Instead of their third straight convincing victory over Boston at Fenway, the Tampa Bay Rays suffered the second greatest playoff collapse in Major League history as the never-say-die Red Sox refused to die, rallying for an unbelievable 8-7 win.

Wasted in this monumental loss was the tremendous pitching performance by starter Scott Kazmir, who pitched 6 innings, striking out 7, allowing on 2 hits and no runs.

Tampa Bay was staked to a big lead thanks to their power hitting. BJ Upton's 2 run homer in the 1st inning to give the Rays a 2-0 lead. In the 3rd, Carlos Pena's 2 run homer got Rays up to 4-0. Then Longoria followed with his own homer to go back-to-back for the second time in the seires, giving the Rays a 5-0 lead. It would stay that way to the top of the 7th, when BJ Upton doubled off the scoreboard scoring Bartlett and Iwamura to give the Rays a seemingly insurmountable 7-0 lead.

Bottom of the 7th, with Grant Balfour was on the hill, Lowrie doubled and but Balfour got the first outs in the inning quickly. Then the wheels fell off. Coco Crisp singled to left, advancing Lowrie to third. Then Dustin Pedroia down to his final strike, ripped a single to right to score Lowrie and get the goose egg off the board for Boston. Then disaster. David Ortiz - big Papi - found a Grant Balfour fastball blasted a 3 run homer to right to cut the lead to 7-4 and got the crowd back into the game. Dan Wheeler would check into the game and get Youklis.

After Papelpon put down the Rays in order, in the bottom of the 8th Wheeler walked Bay to lead off, then JD Drew blasted a shot to right - Fenway went bananna's - suddenly the dead Red Sox had risen and those Boston fans who left when the team was down 7-0 were scrambling back with the Sox down 7-6. Wheeler got Lowrie to fly out, then struck out Shawn Casey. Unfortunately, Kotsay doubled off of BJ Upton's glove. Then after a 10 pitch at bat, Coco Crisp singled to right, scoring Kotsay to tie the game.

The Rays got two men on with only one out in the top of 9th, but Pena, who only hit into two double-plays all season, hit into one here - ending the Rays threat. Then the bottom of the 9th, JP Howell trying to stop the bleeding gets Pedroia and Ortiz, Youklis hits an infield single to Evan Longoria, but then Longoria threw it past 1st baseman Carlos Pena for an error, allowing Youklis to get to 2nd. The Rays intentionally walked Jason Bay and then JD Drew singled over Gabe Gross head in right, scoring Youklis for the game winning run.

What a comeback by the Red Sox and what a devastating loss for the Tampa Bay Rays. So close to the World Series they could taste it, with the game in the hands of the bullpen that was one of the catalyst to their amazing turn around - and the bullpen implodes, blowing a 7 run lead and a terrifc effort from Scott Kazmir.

The good news for the Rays is that the live to play another day. They're back at the Trop and will have Big Game James Shields on the mound. The Trop fans need to pick up our young team - because I'm sure their not going to be feeling to good on the way home tonight.

SHOCKER IN BEANTOWN - Rays ROCK Sox!

By JC De La Torre

On the road, the young Rays were supposed to wilt under the pressure of October baseball against the powerful Boston Red Sox. The Sox did their job in St. Pete, getting a win in at least one of the first two games and they controlled the series. Win out and they wouldn't have to hear any more cowbells or deal with catwalks. The experienced Sox had their Ace, John Lester, pitching against the Rays whom he dominated this season. All seemed to be set for a series defining victory.

There was a series defining victory tonight...but it wasn't by the Red Sox. The Tampa Bay Rays lit up Boston for 4 home runs, punching the Sox squarely in the snoz 9-1 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the American League Championship Series. The Rays apparently failed to get the memo that they weren't supposed to win and became the first team in the long, storied history of the Boston Red Sox to score 8 or more runs in consecutive post-season games against the Red Sox.

The scoring started in the 2nd inning, when Dioner Navarro grounded out, but allowed Evan Longoria to score to give the Rays a 1-0 lead. After the Sox failed to score in the bottom of the 2nd, the game opened up in the 3rd inning. Barlett opened the inning with a single to left. Aki Iwamurra doubled off the monster, putting men on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. BJ Upton would CRUSH a 3 run moonshot over the monster to give the Rays a 4-0 lead. After a Pena strike out, Longoria would add another run, blasting one over the monster as well. After three innings, it was 5-0.

It would stay that way for awhile, as Matt Garza pitched a masterful game. Garza went 6 innings, striking out 5 and and allowing 1 earned run. The run occured in the 7th, when Ellsbury's sacrifice fly off of JP Howell scored Varitek. Howell would then get Dustin Pedrioa to ground into an inning ending double play to end any chance of a Boston rally.

In the top of the 8th, the Red Sox nation began to flee Fenway as Rocco Baldelli blasted a three run homer over the monster to balloon the lead to 8-1. What a story Baldelli is, battling a strange mitochondrial disorder that threatened his career, and he homers to put the game away in game 3 of the ALCS. Carlos Pena would add another insurance run in the top of the 9th with a solo blast to left center field, Edwin Jackson would come in for his first action in the post season to get the final 3 outs.

Tampa Bay takes a 2-1 lead in the series and puts the pressure squarely on the shoulders of the Boston Red Sox. Tomorrow night Tim Wakefield, a Ray-killer goes for Boston. However, the Rays have been able to hit Wakefield this season, getting two wins against him. The Rays will have the steady Andy Sonnanstine on the mound for the good guys. If Tampa Bay gets Game 4, they'll have three shots at closing out the defending World Champions. For the Red Sox, tommorrow night, the series may be on the line.

Rays Outlast Redsox to Even the ALCS

By JC De La Torre

The Tampa Bay Rays won a wild shoot out at Tropicana Field over the Boston Red Sox 9-8 to even the American League Championship Series at 1. It was a rough night for pitchers, as both starters Scott Kazmir for Tampa Bay and Josh Beckett of Boston, were touched for 2 runs in the first inning.

In the top half, it was Jason Bay doubling home David Ortiz and Kevin Youklis to give Boston a 2-0 lead. In the bottom half, the Rays would answer with Evan Longoria's two run blast to tie it at 2. After a scoreless 2nd inning, Dustin Pedroia homered at the top of the third to give Boston the lead. In the bottom half of the third, BJ Upton homered, then Evan Longoria doubled. Carl Crawford would single, bringing home Longoria to give the Rays their first lead of the series 4-3.

After a scoreless fourth for Boston, Cliff Floyd homered for the Rays to give them a 5-3 advantage. That's when all hell broke loose in the 5th inning. In the top half of the 5th, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youklis, and Jason Bay each hit solo home runs to give the Red Sox a 6-5 advantage. Head to the bottom of the 5th, Upton doubled, then was singled home by Pena to tie it at 6. Longoria doubled to left to score Pena, and advanced to third on the throw to the plate.

Carl Crawford singled again scoring Longoria to give the Rays an 8-6 advantage after 5. Both Beckett and Kazmir were out in this inning. In the 6th, Pedroia would double and then be singled home by Bay to close the Red Sox within 1, but the Red Sox would leave two on. The 7th would go scoreless, but the Red Sox would tie the game again in the top of the 8th, with the amazing Pedroia, who had an unbelievable game, scored on Dan Wheeler's wild pitch. In the top of 9th, a two-out double by Coco Crisp, Wheeler struck up Jacoby Ellsbury to send it to the bottom of the 9th.

In the Rays half, 2 down and Aki Iwamurra on first, Red Sox Manager brought in closer Jonathan Papelbon to face Carlos Pena. Papelbon got Pena to strike out and off to extra innings we went. A game this good couldn't be decided in 9.

Wheeler, working his 3rd inning, went 1-2-3 against the meat of the Red Sox order in the top of the 10th. Papelbon matched in the bottom of the 10th.

Wheeler stayed in for the 11th, struck out Jason Bay, then walked Lowrie. Rays manager Joe Maddon called on the rookie, David Price to face JD Drew. Price walked Drew, then struck out Kotsay, then got Coco Crisp to ground out.

Timlin replaced Papelbon in the bottom of the 11th, and walked Navarro. Fernando Perez came in to pinch run for Dioner. Timlin then walked Ben Zobrist to put the winning run on 2nd with nobody out. Barlett advanced both runners with a well timed hit-and-run. 2nd and 3rd, no one out for Iwamurra. Iwamurra was intenionally walked and BJ Upton had the shot at the winning hit. Upton hit a short pop fly, but it was enough to score Perez, who beat the throw.

RAYS WIN! RAYS WIN! RAYS WIN! What a game, what a win for Tampa Bay!

So now the Rays head to Boston, needing to win a game in Fenway Park to take back home field in this series.

Missed Opportunities...Red Sox take Game 1

By JC De La Torre

The Boston Red Sox schooled the young Tampa Bay Rays, using timely hitting and a superb pitching performance from Dice K to beat the Rays in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series .

Boston's victory steals home field advantage from the Rays and gives them a 1 game to 0 lead in the series.

Daisuke Matsusaka walked the bases loaded with two out in the first inning, but the Rays could not score. Dice K went the first six innings without a hit before allowing to begin the 7th. Unfortunately, with runners at 1st and 3rd and no outs, the Rays failed to convert. Matsusaka would start the 8th but once again allowed 2 hits to start the inning. The Rays again would fail to convert...and the Red Sox got out of the inning. Meanwhile, the Red Sox got a run in the 5th with a sacrifice fly to right field. The Sox would add an insurance run when Carl Crawford's bid to dive and catch a fly ball by Kevin Youklis missed, and the speedy Dustin Pedroia scored. That would be it for the Sox as the Rays wasted a terrifc pitching performance by James Shields, who went 7 1/3, scattering 6 hits and the 2 runs. As solid as Shields was, Matsusaka was better, going 7 innings, allowing only 4 hits and no runs.

The Red Sox took the 2-0 lead into the 9th for their Closer, Jonathan Papelbon. Papelbon struck out Carl Crawford, popped up Cliff Floyd, and struck out Dioner Navarro.

Game 2 will be tomorrow night and its basically a must win for the Rays. A loss in Game 2 and the Red Sox will head back to Boston with a chance to win the series without having to come back to Tampa Bay.

And Here.....We....GO!

By JC De La Torre

Tonight is Game One of the American League Championship Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the defending World Champions, the Boston Red Sox.

Game Ones are crucial, as 60% of Game one winners typically go on to win the series and we know there is no love between the Rays and Sox.

I truly believe this is going to be some of the best baseball we've ever seen in Tampa Bay. Are you fired up? I am! GO RAYS!

It's Boston

By JC De La Torre

The Boston Red Sox held off the LA Angels to win the ALDS three games to one, setting up an all AL East American League Championship Series.

Game One will be Friday Night at the Trop.

One thing can definitely said about this series, the teams hate each other. The fans hate each other. Each game was hotly contested...it should make for a great ALCS.

Congrats to the defending World Champions, I think I can speak for most Rays fans when I say, there's no team I'd like to see the Rays measure themselves against to get to the World Series.

RAYS WIN AND ADVANCE TO THE ALCS!

By JC De La Torre

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Chicago White Sox 6-2 to wrap up the American League Divisional Series with a 3 games to 1 victory. The Rays now await to see if the Boston Red Sox can wrap up their ALDS victory over the LA Angels. If the Red Sox take care of business at home, the Rays will host Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. If the Angels rally to win the ALDS, the series will begin on the road in Los Angeles.

The Rays jumped to a 4-0 lead thanks to two home runs by BJ Upton, a double by Cliff Floyd, and a single by Dioner Navarro. In the bottom of the 4th, Paul Konerko homered to cut the lead to 4-1. The Rays would answer in the 5th, with Carols Pena singling home Aki Iwamura to put them up by 4. Jermaine Dye's home run in the sixth would cut the lead back down to 3, but again the Rays would answer with another scoring single by Pena in top of the 7th.

Grant Balfour would enter the game in the eight and get the final six outs, the last by striking out Ken Griffey, Jr. and with that, a raucous celebration began for the Rays.

On a personal note, I promised my wife that if the Rays made the ALCS, I would cut my hair into a "RayHawk" - and tonight I made good on my promise...it should be an interesting day at work tomorrow.

Congrats to the Rays on their first ever playoff series win!

Rays fly past the Sox again, Up 2-0 in the Series

By JC De La Torre

The Rays are one game away from advancing to the American League Championship Series as they zipped past the Chicago White Sox 6-2 in Game Two of the ALDS. Rays Ace Scott Kazmir had a rocky start, hitting Orlando Cabrerra to begin the game (some believe on purpose for Cabrerra's little tift with Grant Balfour the previous game). He loaded the bases in the 1st and ended up giving up 2 runs. After Dioner Navarro singled in a run in the second, it was 2-1 until the bottom of the 5th. With Bartlett on, Aki Iwamura, who hit only six home runs during the regular season, blasted a two run homer to left to give the Rays a 3-2 lead. After Kaz left in the 6th, Balfour and JP Howell got the Rays to the bottom of the 8th with the lead - where the Rays opened up the game. BJ Upton led off with the triple. Crawford's single scored Upton, then Rocco Baldelli's single scored Crawford. Navarro would give the Rays one more run with another double setting up the 9th for peculiar Chad Bradford. Bradford's strange pitching style (each pitch his knuckles on his pitching arm swing down, nearly touching the ground) seemed to dumbfound the White Sox and after a controversial "hit" by Jermaine Dye where Willie Aybar appeared to tag out Dye running to first but the umpire said he missed, Bradford shut down the Sox one, two, three for the win.

The Rays are now 23-2 in front of home crowds over 30,000. They go head-to-head with the Bucs as Game 3 starts at 4pm Eastern in Chicago, right about the same time the Bucs take on the Broncos. You don't want to look ahead, but with the Rays up 2-0 and the Boston Red Sox up 2-0 on the LA Angels heading back to Boston, it is conceivable that the Rays could have home field advantage for the ALCS. Boston has not beaten Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg this season.