The Rays finally did it. Shaking off a near-epic collapse in Games 5 and 6, the young Rays finally broke through tonight with a 3-1 victory. Matt Garza pitched brilliantly, getting into the 8th, striking out 9 and only allowing 2 hits against a very potent Bostn lineup. Lester pitched almost as well, but left just a couple more pitches up in the zone that resulted in extra base-hits and a couple of runs.
Congrats to the Rays. The little team that could has given hope to every small-market franchise in perpetual rebuilding mode and hopefully the A's can follow the Rays' path next season and beyond.
So, Phils-Tampa Bay will start next Wednesday and you gotta think that Rupert Murdoch and Fox are just pissed right now that two small market teams will battle for the World Series. While the sour-pusses in Boston, New York and Chicago will probably sit this series out, I think it has the potential to be a very entertaining battle. The Phillies, without homefield advantage, will definitely be the underdog in the match, but I wouldn't count them out. Their lineup is stacked and Cole Hamels can shut down any lineup, and he'll be able to pitch up to 3 times if necessary in the series. It should be a good one!
