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It Wasn't The Same Team In Game 1

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By MARC LANCASTER and TONY FABRIZIO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 12, 2008

Updated: 10/12/2008 01:23 am

ST. PETERSBURG - Red Sox DH David Ortiz observed after his team's victory Friday night that the Rays didn't have the same confident look they had during the regular season.

"I'm telling you, I saw faces tonight different than what I see in the regular season," Ortiz told reporters. "I don't blame nobody. It's a lot of pressure out there right now in this game. You know you have to win or otherwise you go home."

Ortiz's observations drew a mixed response from the Rays' side Saturday. Manager Joe Maddon said flatly that he agreed his team didn't look like its usual care-free self in the ALCS opener.

"For the first time Friday, I thought we were impacted a little bit by the event," Maddon said. "In spite of all the preaching, all the attempts to stay within the same parameters. I thought ... we got away from ourselves just a little bit."

Maddon saw it manifest itself in the Rays' at-bats, which weren't as patient as usual and got worse as they struggled to collect a hit against Daisuke Matsuzaka. The slumping Evan Longoria concurred with that, saying people were "probably pressing just to get a hit."

But Cliff Floyd didn't want to hear any of it.

"Is it pressure baseball? Hell, yeah," said Floyd. "If you don't win, you go home - that's pressure baseball. Does it change how you play? I don't think so. Not one bit. Maybe he saw something he hadn't seen during the course of the season, but when has playoff baseball been something you see during the season? Everything changes. Everything's more intensified.

"And it's different for them because they've won. For them it's just one game, and if they lose they come back tomorrow. When we haven't been there, which we haven't, then it can be a little nerve-wracking. That doesn't change the appearance and how you come out there and smile or frown or whatever."

Whatever Ortiz thought, said Floyd, the Rays didn't lose because they were scared.

"I can tell you one thing, and this is from the bottom of my heart - we were expletive ready to play Friday," he said. "We just got beat - by a good team and a good pitcher. Period."

MILD FORECAST FOR BEANTOWN

The Rays apparently are going to get a break with the temperatures in Boston for Games 3 and 4 - it shouldn't be too chilly.

Monday's forecast calls for a high of 67 and low of 50, and with the game starting at 4:37 p.m., the temperature shouldn't be anywhere near 50.

Tuesday night's game starts at 8:07 p.m., and the low is supposed to be 52 degrees.

"If it's mildly cold, with all the gear that you are provided, hopefully we'll be fine," Manager Joe Maddon said.

Maddon allowed that true cold weather might not be a good thing for the Rays, given that the players have acclimated to the Florida heat.

"I grew up in Pennsylvania," he said. "I remember minus-46 with the wind chill, and I freeze now in 40-degree weather."

The coldest game-time temperature for any Rays game was 33 degrees at Boston on April 17, 2003. The Red Sox won that one, 6-0.

PERCIVAL UPDATE

Troy Percival has returned to California to see his family, but he is expected to be back with the Rays should they come back to the Trop for a Game 6. Maddon also said Percival would be available "on a moment's notice" should the Rays need him during the series as an injury replacement.

TRAVEL PLANS

Because the Rays won't work out at Fenway Park until 6:30 p.m., they're waiting until today to fly to Boston. The team usually flies out immediately after games, but Maddon said departing around noon today would give everyone more time to relax.

Four inactive players will head to Boston with the team: Eric Hinske, Jonny Gomes, Jason Hammel and John Jaso.

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