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Game 1 Goes To The Phillies

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 23, 2008

Star Of The Game: Cole Hamels
Hamels, the Philadelphia Phillies' left-handed ace, kept coming up big in the clutch. He recorded his fourth win of this postseason, defeating the Rays 3-2 in Wednesday night's Game 1 of the World Series at Tropicana Field. Hamels allowed five hits and two runs in seven innings of work, walking two and striking out five. He had a pair of 1-2-3 innings, while facing the minimum three batters in three other innings (thanks to a pair of double-play balls and one runner caught stealing). For the postseason, he is 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA, walking seven and striking out 27 in 29 innings.

Key Decision

Rays manager Joe Maddon mixed-and-matched his bullpen well in the late innings. Grant Balfour had one of his most effective outings, getting five straight outs before ninth-inning trouble. Then Trever Miller was summoned to face Ryan Howard (strikeout) and Dan Wheeler came in for Pat Burrell (pop out). The bullpen did its job, but Tampa Bay's offense couldn't pick up the slack.

Play Of The Game

Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir escaped trouble throughout the game, stranding seven runners in his six innings. But he couldn't get out of the first inning unscathed. Kazmir walked the game's second batter, Jayson Werth, then surrendered a two-run homer to Chase Utley on a 2-2 pitch. Utley unsuccessfully tried to bunt earlier in the at-bat. Just before the homer, Utley checked his swing on a low fastball. Kazmir thought it was a strikeout. Third-base umpire Tom Hallion did not agree.

Quirky Play

Carlos Pena reached to lead off the sixth inning when his grounder was bobbled by Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. But as Hamels wound up for the first pitch to Evan Longoria, he threw to first, where Pena was breaking. Howard tossed to shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who retired Pena at second base. Maddon - and the entire Rays dugout - screamed for a balk (to no avail).

Critical Moment

In Tampa Bay's fifth inning, Akinori Iwamura smacked a two-out double, driving in Jason Bartlett and making it 3-2. B.J. Upton, who has seven homers this postseason, couldn't get the tying run home, popping up to Howard at first base. Opportunity wasted. No one knew how big that would become. The Rays never got another hit. In fact, the last 11 Tampa Bay batters were set down in order, ending the game.

Crunching The Numbers

The winner of World Series Game 1 has gone on to capture the championship 63 times (61.2 percent). The first-game winner had taken the World Series in 10 of the last 11 seasons. The lone exception was 2002, when the San Francisco Giants defeated the Anaheim Angels. Anaheim eventually won in seven games. Its bench coach was Joe Maddon, now the Rays' skipper.

Our Take

Only one game? Yes, it's only one game. But it puts the must-win onus on the Rays, who can't afford to drop two straight at Tropicana Field. It was the same prescription for a Rays' loss that sometimes cropped up during the regular season - not enough offensive production (the 2-3-4 batters were 0-for-12), a mistake or two by the pitching. James Shields needs a big game for the Rays to grab some momentum heading to Philadelphia. (Historical note: The 1969 Amazin' Mets also lost Game 1 of the World Series - 4-1 to the Orioles - before capturing the championship in five games. For what it's worth.)

Joey Johnston

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