Cold, Hard Fact: Rays Still In It

In the time leading up to the resumption of Game 5 of the World Series, the team perhaps 3 1/2 innings away from seeing its season come to an end seemed perfectly content to be hanging out in Delaware.

Grant Balfour recommended the burger at the tavern down the street from the Hotel du Pont. Trever Miller planned to break out some board games to play with the kids later in the evening. Andrew Friedman was in meetings, as usual. Akinori Iwamura and Jason Bartlett departed the hotel lobby, separately, with their wives and infant sons bundled up against the wintry conditions that stretched across state lines and have wreaked havoc on the Fall Classic.

Though it wasn't raining in Philadelphia after about 6 p.m. Tuesday, near-freezing temperatures and a brutal wind that gusted to 40 mph at times was enough to keep Major League Baseball from attempting to complete the game that was suspended by rain Monday night.

They'll give it another shot at 8:37 tonight, and despite the inherently unpredictable nature of the weather, the sense was they would get the green light.

"As we stand here now I think the chances are very high that we'll play," Friedman said shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday.

He spoke at the Hotel du Pont in downtown Wilmington, about a 45-minute drive from Citizens Bank Park and the Rays' headquarters for now after they were unable to find new lodging in Philadelphia on Monday night. Director of team travel Jeff Ziegler was the man of the hour, finding lodging for the entire traveling party on the fly when it became clear Game 5 would not be finished Monday.

The combination of the Rays' fancy new digs and the rally just before Monday's game was postponed to tie the game at 2 in the middle of the sixth inning had Tampa Bay feeling like it had caught some sort of break.

"I think the guys are excited with the fact that we're still here and we still have a chance to win this World Series," Balfour said. "I think the longer it goes on the more we believe that maybe we're destined to do this. We've been through a lot this year and we've overcome a lot of hurdles. Maybe this is just another one right here."

Reliever David Price, who could figure prominently in the outcome whenever play resumes, said the feeling in the clubhouse after the postponement was the same as if the Rays had won a game.

"We're still here in Philadelphia, we're playing to get to Game 6 back in Florida," Price said. "Everybody's feeling good right now."

Manager Joe Maddon said he expected the Rays' players, coaches and staff to lay low and regroup Tuesday. There was an optional team bus to Philadelphia for anyone who needed treatment in the training room or wanted to do a bit of throwing or take some swings in the batting cage, but Maddon said he didn't expect many - if anyone - to make the trip.

"I'm fine with that," he said. "The back and forth, our schedule, just getting a rest right now is about as important as anything. I know I've been sleeping like a bear right now, myself, just trying to catch up. In regards to our guys, they haven't forgotten how to hit, throw, run, etc. So if they want to get out there and do it, that's fine. If they don't, they don't have to."

The Rays clearly believe momentum is on their side now and will give them a boost as they begin a mad dash to preserve their season whenever Commissioner Bud Selig deems the weather suitable.

The upbeat attitude that prevailed Tuesday actually had been in place already, Friedman said. He sounded confident his team will remain upbeat after pulling even before the rains came.

"I think everyone was incredibly motivated before the game for that not to be our last game of the season," Friedman said. "Just the continuation aspect of it, to know that this season's going to continue and we feel like if we can get this thing back to Tampa Bay, we feel very confident about our chances."

Now all that's left is figuring out exactly when that will take place. The Rays hope to know by early afternoon today whether their buses will be heading back to Philadelphia around 3 p.m. Until then, they were enjoying themselves as much as the situation allowed.

"We're going to make the best of our time here at the Hotel du Pont and wait for a phone call and go play ball," Miller said.