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Offense Breaks Out In Big Way

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By TONY FABRIZIO

afabrizio@tampatrib.com

Published: October 15, 2008

BOSTON - Pitching, defense and a suspect offense.

As recently as early August, the Rays were averaging 4.5 runs a game and the national pundits were saying they'd have a hard time making it to the postseason.

As recently as Game 1 of this ALCS, the Rays were shut out on four hits by the Boston Red Sox.

Suddenly, their lineup sounds like the Fourth of July.

Thirty-one runs in three games. What a time to break out.

"All I can tell you is everyone here is keeping things simple," Carlos Pena said after the Rays routed the Red Sox 13-4 Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the series. "Usually when you do that, your talent is able to express itself, and this team is incredibly talented. You eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary can express itself."

Obviously, the Rays' offense was good enough down the stretch to win the American League East, and it was more than adequate in the Division Series against the Chicago White Sox.

But there hasn't been anything like this. To wit:

•The Rays have hit 10 home runs through the first four games of the ALCS (16 in the postseason), tied for second-most in an ALCS and two shy of the record.

•Before Tuesday, no team in LCS history (either league) had scored as many as nine runs in three consecutive games. The Rays have scored nine, nine and 13.

•Tampa Bay is batting .287 in the series (compared to .232 for the Red Sox). Evan Longoria is batting .294 with three home runs, Carl Crawford .500 with nine hits, B.J. Upton .312 with two home runs and Pena .333 with two home runs.

Crawford went 5-for-5 with two doubles and a triple Tuesday night. He said he did not know he had tied the LCS record for hits in a game, matching Paul Blair (Orioles, 1969) and Hideki Matsui (Yankees, 2004).

"That's nice to know," Crawford said.

Asked where all of the offense has come from, Crawford said, "All I can say is guys are locked in more right now. They're just really trying to focus at the plate and getting their pitch to hit and getting the hit."

Longoria and Upton have combined to hit 10 home runs this postseason, extending their record for most home runs by a pair of teammates under 25. The previous high was six by the Mets' Darryl Strawberry and Lenny Dykstra in 1986.

What's more, Longoria, with his solo home run in the first inning Tuesday, hit his fifth in the postseason - a record for single postseason home runs by a rookie, surpassing Miguel Cabrera, who hit four home runs in the 2003 postseason for the Marlins.

"It really helps when you get two or three on the board in the first inning," Longoria said. "It gives you that sense of confidence that we can hit this guy, and we got to keep it on him."

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