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Garza Won't Be Counted Out

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Matt Garza delivers a pitch in the first inning against Boston.

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By MARC LANCASTER

mlancaster@tampatrib.com

Published: October 14, 2008

BOSTON - Matt Garza made his point Monday.

All he heard about heading into Game 3 was his opposite number, Jon Lester, and how everyone expected the lefty to dominate the Rays. Hardly a word was said about Garza, the only Rays pitcher to lose a game in the first round, and it admittedly got under his skin.

"I'm not going to say it didn't," Garza said. "He obviously had center stage and I was just the guy on the backdrop. Well, I'm one of those guys where I like taking on the star. I like being doubted and I like being counted out."

He put the chip on his shoulder to good use Monday, locking down the Red Sox lineup through the first six innings as the Rays built a 5-0 lead before turning matters over to J.P. Howell and Edwin Jackson to finish it off.

Garza said he understood why people thought the scales might be tipped rather heavily towards Boston heading into the game. He rattled off key stats - Lester was 11-1 at Fenway Park this season and had never given up a run in the playoffs - off the top of his head.

"I would have put the bet on them, too, if I was a fan," Garza said.

He couldn't control what his teammates who actually faced Lester did, but he immediately showed he was at least up to the challenge of keeping the Rays in the game. His fastball command was on - always a key - and he was able to pound the ball hard and low in the strike zone.

Dustin Pedroia lined a couple balls off the Green Monster against him, for a double in the first and a single in the third, but Garza smothered the middle of Boston's order. David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew were 0-for-9 against him, and only Ortiz hit the ball out of the infield - a harmless fly to center to end the fifth.

He allowed at least one runner to reach base in each inning, but the only run charged to him scored after he exited the game two batters into the seventh. So, yes, this was vindication in a big way for Garza.

Remember that in his previous start against the Red Sox, the Rays' rout of Tim Wakefield on Sept. 17, Garza didn't qualify for the win because he got into enough trouble with an 8-3 lead in the fifth inning that Joe Maddon pulled him from the game then and there.

Now that memory, and all the pregame talk about Lester, can safely be tucked away.

"It becomes a little personal when as a starting pitcher all you hear about is your opposing starting pitcher," said Evan Longoria. "Garza's been so good for us all year, for him not to get any kind of credit or hype or anything was kind of a shot in his foot. He went out there and proved a lot of people wrong, that he can pitch and do well on this kind of stage."

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