This year's World Series has been refreshing. After watching last year's lopsided four-game "competition," it's been a treat to watch. This year's Series, at least thus far, is being played the way baseball should be played -- with pitching, defense, and hard-earned runs aplenty.
Game one featured two of the game's premier lefties, and they did not disappoint. Hamels was superb, giving up just two runs over seven very smooth innings against the Rays' big bats. Kazmir was up to the challenge, too, but his familiar tendency to struggle a bit in the early innings reared its ugly head when Chase Utley clubbed a wayward Kazmir fastball into the right-field bleachers.
Kazmir had a solid outing thereafter, working his way out of a couple of jams, but in the end, Utley's bomb proved to be the difference in the game.
In game two, some early offense--this time the Rays' plating of two quick runs in the first inning--was once again the difference in a well-pitched game. "Big Game James" lived up to his billing for the Rays', shutting out the Phillies over five and two thirds.
Brett Meyers recovered nicely after the Rays got to him early, finishing up with three scoreless innings, but the Phillies wasted opportunity after opportunity to bring home runners in scoring position, setting the stage for Game Three.
Saturday nights' Game Three was an absolute gem, and the ending furnished us with a little bit of world series history, as the Phills plated the winning run on the first walk-off infield single in the history of the World Series. Upon conclusion of the game, I could only wonder: Is Jamie Moyer the oldest pitcher to win a World Series game? He's certainly got the slowest fastball I've ever seen someone pull off a World Series win. Kudos to Jamie, though. Keep plugging away, buddy.
Ryan and I were in a bit of an awkward position in writing this column, seeing as game four will be played later tonight after our columns are due. Sonnastine will face Blanton in a pivotal match up that is an absolute must-win for the Rays. With a Kazmir-Hamels match up that could go either way in game five looming large, the Rays are going to have to suck it up and deliver. If they don't, I'll be looking increasingly dumb for taking the position that they still have a chance.
Either way, my primary reason for thinking the Rays is going to come out on top is that the Series will be heading back to Tampa, provided the Rays can win one of the next two (no reason to think they won't), and although their home-field advantage did not prove to be a deciding factor in the first couple of games, I expect their bats to come alive. B.J. Upton, despite hitting only nine homeruns in 531 postseason at bats, has managed to jack seven out of the park in just 57 postseason at bats. I think we can expect more of the same in the games to come. Lastly, the Rays own the best home-field mark in Major League Baseball, at 57-24.
