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Again, Rays Are Able To Answer

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By MARTIN FENNELLY

mfennelly@tampatrib.com

Published: October 24, 2008

Updated: 10/24/2008 01:44 am

ST. PETERSBURG - Ah, the old We're Not Just Happy To Be Here game.

One of these days, we'll learn.

You started to hear them after Game 1 of the World Series.

"Maybe some of our doubters are back," Rays DH Cliff Floyd said.

It's like energy drink to this bunch.

They had us right where they wanted us.

And so this Series is tied after the Rays' first Series win, a grinding 4-2 victory at Tropicana Field. It was like Game 2 of the ALCS against the Red Sox, or Game 7. It was like this whole dreamy season.

When questioned, they've answered.

Thursday, they did exactly that.

They jumped on the Phillies for three runs in the first two innings, not with long balls, but on RBI groundouts by the still hitless Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria, then an RBI single by B.J. Upton, who singled in his first two at-bats and ran down a liner in center, erasing Game 1 memories. The Rays controlled the night. The Phillies shutdown relievers could only watch.

The Rays got what they needed from James Shields, who also set the tone. It wasn't close to Shields' best start of the season, runners all over the place, but it was his biggest. After two ALCS losses, he was a bulldog, refusing to let the Phillies score before being lifted in the sixth.

"It was exactly what we needed," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

The Rays got what they needed from the bullpen after Maddon lifted Shields, first from Dan Wheeler, then David Price, who allowed two runs, one earned, but still made a statement. He struck out Ryan Howard looking with two men on to end the seventh inning, then fanned Chase Utley in the ninth before getting Howard on a grounder to end it.

You looked up and Phillies leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins was 0-for-10 for the Series and Philadelphia was 1-for-28 with runners in scoring position.

The Rays got a big play from Upton in center field, when he raced to catch that liner with two men on in the second. There was no more talk of how Upton didn't burst from the blocks to first base on his first double-play ball in Game 1.

"The guy in center field looks like he can really cover some ground," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.

And there was Rocco Baldelli in right. He doubled up Jayson Werth at first after running down Utley's dying fly ball in the fifth. And they got the little plays -Jason Bartlett safety-squeezed Cliff Floyd across the plate in the fourth.

That's three Rays runs off three outs.

They didn't even have an extra-base hit.

But they did what they needed when they needed it.

They probably needed the doubters, too.

There are few remaining holdouts. How do you doubt a team that blows that big lead in Game 5 of the ALCS, but still manages to win a pennant? But it still doesn't take much for some people to think this season is turning back into a pumpkin.

Instead, this Series moves to Philadelphia for three games, with the advantage tilted toward the Rays starting pitchers, at least until Hamels starts again. Pena, Longoria and Carl Crawford are a combined 1-for-23 in the Series. That will have to change. But at least there's a clear formula:

Beat any Phillies pitcher not named Hamels, Madson or Lidge. Keep these games from turning into seven-inning contests. Avoid that killer Phillies bullpen by grabbing a lead and holding it.

Only three times has the home team lost the first two games of a Series and come back to win it. Well, throw that statistic out until next season. It's tied. The Rays made sure. They grabbed this game.

No doubt about it.

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