What happened to my Rays?
This definitely is not the Tampa Bay Rays team that I shamelessly adopted as my own a couple of weeks ago. I mean, what have they done with Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria? I could have sworn they were around somewhere.
Here's what they used to look like (left), but both are completely out of sync, and facing Jamie Moyer in Game 3 clearly didn't help. Pena has seemed lost at the plate and Longoria obviously has been reduced to guessing, since he looked at a waist-high fastball for his eighth strikeout in 15 at-bats a couple of innings ago and just struck out again in the eighth inning.
If you're keeping track at home, Pena and Longoria have combined to go 0-for-30 with 15 strikeouts. I gotta tell you, that isn't easy to do.
The whole "Tampa Bay in six games" thing looks like it's pretty much out of the question, but I'm not giving up just yet. If I changed my mind now and the Rays stage a miracle comeback to win the whole enchilada, I'd look like an even bigger fool than I do now, which -- from a standpoint of actual size -- would be hard to do.
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Comments
We got the Phillies were we want them, now we can sweep the next 3 to pull out another crazy comeback! Hamels, who?.....
Posted by: jon germany | October 26, 2008 11:57 PM
We'll see how much you're rooting for the Rays three years from now... I say: Go Phils.
Posted by: Steve D. | October 27, 2008 12:10 AM
C-H-O-K-E!
'Nuff said!
Posted by: B Baer | October 27, 2008 12:13 AM
Lowlight of the series:Patti Labelle's rendition of the National Anthem-In the annals of history second only to Roseanne Barrs debacle in San Diego
Posted by: Ron in Va | October 27, 2008 6:58 AM
The miracle rays were too good to be true. They're going down. If it aint the O's in the AL east then I'm not rooting for them so I've kind of been hoping they'd fall flat soon. Here's to hoping the Phils continue to put their foot down on the rays throat tonight!
Posted by: guiiiiiitar picker | October 27, 2008 9:25 AM
Pete--As Oriole fans, we know too well that a 3-1 World Series advantage is not insurmountable.
Longoria and Pena will find their groove and the Rays will win the next three games.
And, in a few months, we'll get a lively taste of it in the next Tim Dorsey novel.
Posted by: Barry | October 27, 2008 11:54 AM
Can You say Colorado Rockies?
Doubt Tampa Falls as far as The Rockes did, but are they really an AL EAST Powerhouse?
The SS 2b combo does not look very good at the plate nor in the field.
I think they are more than a one year wonder, but are they really that good? (I guess the Red Sox think so!)
With there pitching, they should still be good. I am not sold they have enough proven offense.
But they are in the world series, so they are not that bad!!
Posted by: doug m | October 27, 2008 4:16 PM
You've jumped ship before... and you climbed back on. Let's not go through that again. Keep on, you'll be giving fairweather fans a bad name. Win or lose, the Rays are the sports story of the year.
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Pete's reply: I haven't jumped ship. I'm just going down with it. And I agree the Rays are a great story either way.
Posted by: a fan with delusions of grandeur | October 27, 2008 8:00 PM