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Rays Get A Rude Awakening During Flop At The Trop

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 16, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - And now they're tied.

The lead is gone.

Actually, the Rays are ahead of the Boston Red Sox by percentage points. But it felt like they were two back after Boston's bombs-away batting practice Monday night. It felt like a three-game sweep rolled into one game as the best story in baseball was beaten about the head and shoulders, 13-5.

The flop at the Trop.

After 53 days alone in first place, Manager Joe Maddon's miracle workers were rudely reminded that the other guys were, well, defending World Series hampions.

It was a shattering opening to the biggest series in Rays history. Sugar plum thoughts of Dan Johnson and Jason Hammel at Fenway faded as the Sox put the Rays over their knee. Only 29,772 attended. Scott Kazmir didn't show up, either.

'They Hit It Hard And Far'

The lefty's first toss in the biggest start of his career rolled to the backstop. The gag was on. Kazmir's first nine throws were balls, as he quickly walked enemy of the state Coco Crisp and Dustin Pedroia. Then David Ortiz hit one to Bradenton. One batter later, Mike Lowell did the same. It was 4-0.

"When he threw it over the plate, they hit it hard and far," Maddon said.

Long after we'd seen enough, and Jasons Bay and Varitek had homered, Kazmir was removed and dusted for fingerprints. His pitching line (3-plus innings, 9 runs, 4 dingers) was donated to science.

"Today just wasn't my day," Kaz said.

Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury homered off Rays reliever Mitch Talbot, who was sacrificed to the gods in his major-league debut. If they'd defrosted Ted Williams and slapped his head on Eddie Gaedel, they would have jerked one, too. And as baseballs rattled around the Trop, you recalled what Rays veteran leader Cliff Floyd said before this nightmare:

"They got the rings. They're the champs. Think they don't come in here thinking that? It's theirs. They have it. We want it. But it theirs until it isn't theirs, you know?"

Oh, do we know.

Boston's massacre was so complete that Maddon waved a white flag in the fifth. He went split squad on us, pinch hitting for Akinori Iwamura, Jason Bartlett and Carlos Pena. We went to the biggest game of the year and March 13 at City of Palms Park broke out.

Experience Does Matter

Monday wasn't exactly a stirring argument for the idea that experience doesn't matter. Yes, talent matters more than experience, as the Rays have proven, but experience matters a little, too.

"I hope it helps," Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I hope it helps a lot."

There was Ortiz, who four years ago led the Red Sox from 0-3 down to the Yankees, putting Boston ahead 3-0 Monday before Rays owner Stu Sternberg had even counted the house. There was Lowell, the World Series MVP last season, hitting one out, too.

As Boston players circled bases, it occurred to us that winning the East should be more paramount to the Rays than Red Sox. A wild card (hey, at least the Twins lost) means a trip to Anaheim and those runaway Angels.

The Red Sox beat the Angels in the division series on their way to World Series championships in 2004 and 2007. They never even lost in Anaheim. The Rays haven't really been anywhere yet.

"The East is what we're thinking about," Floyd said.

It's been a strange season. The other day, A Sox fan at Fenway held up a "Let's Go Yankees" sign in support of the Yanks beating the Rays. Before Monday's game, Francona waxed friendly on the Rays:

"This is exciting. They've been the story of the year. If it wasn't for us, I would be a fan of theirs."

Too bad. The Trop could use the ticket sales.

The Rays have been uncanny at playing one game at a time. Monday, too, should pass.

"All the runs and home runs won't mean anything tomorrow," Lowell said.

That Rays slide before the All-Star break didn't stop them. That sweep in Toronto didn't keep them from taking two at Fenway last week. Now comes another test, two more against, well, the champs.

It's theirs until it isn't theirs, you know?

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