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Game 1 A Classic, Except The Outcome

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

Evan Longoria covers his face after popping up in the sixth inning of Friday's 2-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the ALCS.

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By JOE HENDERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 11, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - I think a polar ice cap just melted while we waited for Daisuke Matsuzaka to make another pitch.

Did I say he was a little slow? Species have evolved in less time than it takes for Dice-K to work through that yo-yo, I-may-throw-I-may-not motion of his. It's a style that can induce a stupor, which is one to describe what happened to the Rays on Friday night at the Trop in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.

For whatever solace the Rays may take from this – and I'm guessing not much – they were at least done in by an outstanding pitching performance. It was unfortunate to waste a dynamic outing by James Shields, but the 2-0 loss to Boston was a classic and just the kind of game you want in post-season play.

Except, of course, for the outcome.

Dice-K didn't allow a hit until Carl Crawford's leadoff single in the seventh, with the Sox ahead 1-0. Crawford promptly went to third on a single by Cliff Floyd. The least the Rays could get out of this was a tie score, right? I mean, we had seen this so many times before this season – Rays get dominated for six, seven innings, look feeble, and then find a way.

Not this time.

Matsuzaka got Dioner Navarro to fly out softly to left, too shallow for Crawford to score. Gabe Gross struck out on a basically impossible pitch that dove from his knees to his ankles, and Jason Bartlett grounded into a force.

There was one last chance in the eighth.

They Rays put the first two hitters on, finally chasing the Slow One from the mound. But Carlos Pena flew out to right and Even Longoria, well … the lad could use a hug. Remember how good he was in the first game of the division series? Had a pair of homers. It was in all the papers.

He is 1-for-16 since that glorious beginning with eight strikeouts and, oh, a double play grounder that killed that last rally. He slammed his helmet to the ground in frustration after being called out at first.

Kind of summed up the night.

So, what? You thought this would be easy?

Boston lost eight of nine in the regular season to the Angels but won that playoff in four games. They lost eight of nine here at the Trop in the regular season but now stand 1-0 in the playoffs at the catwalk confines.

Even the clanging of cowbells, urged to ear-splitting decibels by a scoreboard that kept demanding "louder … louder" didn't help. All that got anybody was a headache, which was bad because Dice-K had made everyone pretty numb already.

That throws a lot of heat on Scott Kazmir tonight to keep the Rays from heading to Fenway Park down 0-2 in their quest for a first trip to the World Series. He'll be against Josh Beckett, who is 3-0 lifetime in the LCS.

"We've pretty much had all the pressure on us from the very get-go, on people not really believing and not really thinking that we're going to carry this thing through," Kazmir said.

"I don't think there's going to be any pressure from here on out. It feels like we're kind of underdogs and weren't even expected to make it this far, so we're just having fun."

This really was one of those tip-your-hat games to Dice-K. He looked vulnerable early by walking the bases loaded in the first inning, but in kind of a prelude to what was to follow he got out of the jam. The Rays put only one more runner on from that point until the seventh inning – a two-out walk to Carlos Pena in the third.

These series can turn quickly, of course, and that's what just happened. On their opening serve, the Red Sox wiped out the Rays' dome-field advantage. If they win tonight, the Rays will need to take four of five to keep the magic going.

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