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Upton Powers Up During Playoffs

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By TONY FABRIZIO

afabrizio@tampatrib.com

Published: October 20, 2008

Updated: 10/20/2008 12:56 am

ST. PETERSBURG - OK, so B.J. Upton wasn't always Charlie Hustle during the regular season. He became Mr. October during the postseason.

The talented center fielder, disciplined twice during August for failing to run out ground balls and chided another time for joggling on a fly ball off the wall he thought was a home run, had a riveting American League Championship Series.

Combining his usual exceptional defense with an unexpected power burst, Upton - even with an 0-for-4 night in Game 7 - played a major role in the Rays' series victory over the Boston Red Sox.

He hit four home runs - teammate Evan Longoria matched that number - and drove in 11 runs, tying David Ortiz's 2004 mark for the most in an LCS.

He was the leading contender for the MVP award until Matt Garza pitched out of his mind in Game 7.

"That's the B.J. Upton y'all are going to see for a long time here," said Upton's teammate, mentor and friend, Cliff Floyd. "It was a matter of him getting into his own head and telling himself he could do it and not worry about nothing else.

"He took it upon himself to be accountable. Nobody went to him and gave him the rah-rah speech - it was too late in the season for that. He stepped up to the challenge."

Upton, indeed, was exceptional during the AL playoffs.

After going 0-for-6 in Game 1 of the Division Series against Chicago, he hit safely in nine consecutive games through Game 6 of the ALCS. He smashed seven home runs in 45 at-bats - two fewer home runs than he had in 531 at-bats during the regular season - and drove in 15 runs.

He has tied the AL postseason home run record held by Anaheim's Troy Glaus (2002) and is one shy of the major-league record held by San Francisco's Barry Bonds (2002) and Houston's Carlos Beltran (2004).

Red Sox manager Terry Francona said the surprise isn't that Upton has hit seven home runs in the postseason, but that he only hit nine during the regular season. He said his team tried to keep Upton from getting his arms extended, "because when he does that, he's hitting it a long way."

The obvious difference is that Upton, who has a torn labrum in his left shoulder that will require offseason surgery, has regained some shoulder strength.

Upton made an impact in most of the ALCS games. He provided a home run and the winning sacrifice fly RBI in Tampa Bay's 11-inning 9-8 victory in Game 2, hit a three-run homer in the Rays' 9-1 victory in Game 3, scored two runs in their 13-4 win in Game 4 and provided a two-run homer and a two-run double in the 8-7 loss in Game 5.

He hit another solo home run in Tampa Bay's 4-2 loss in Game 6.

"This is something you dream about as a kid, getting an opportunity to play in the World Series," Upton said. "After all we've been through over here, for us to do it, it's unbelievable."

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