Projo Sports Blog

By Tom Haudricourt
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Though biblical history suggests it's hardly an unfavorable matchup, the Tampa Bay Rays aren't buying into this "David vs. Goliath" showdown with the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series.

"I don't really see it as 'David vs. Goliath,'" said Rays outfielder Gabe Gross, who began the season on the Milwaukee Brewers' roster.

"We stood toe-to-toe with them all year long, and basically swapped punches. It was about as even as it could get. We're ready to get back in the ring with them."

In fact, the worst-to-first Rays won 10 of 18 meetings with Boston, including eight of nine at Tropicana Field, where Game 1 will be played on Friday night. The Red Sox kept pressure throughout the season on Tampa Bay, which finished two games ahead to claim the AL East crown.

Now, with the second-lowest payroll in the majors ($44 million), the Rays are primed to take on the defending World Series champions, whose financial resources and productive farm system helped them win two of the last four titles.

"We're excited," said right-hander James Shields, who drew the Game 1 assignment for Tampa Bay. "It seemed like every single series we played Boston this year was like a playoff game, whether they came to our yard or we were at Fenway.

"I think these are the two teams that need to play each other right now."

Without a winning record before 2008, the Rays refused to back down against the Red Sox during the regular season. There were several altercations, including a memorable brawl June 5 at Fenway Park sparked by Shields drilling Coco Crisp with a pitch in retaliation for Crisp taking out second baseman Akinori Iwamura with what the Rays thought was a "dirty" slide the previous evening.

Eight players were suspended for their roles in that melee, setting up spirited meetings between the clubs for the rest of the season. Asked Thursday if there was bad blood between the teams, Boston's David Ortiz laughed.

"There's no bad blood," Ortiz said. "This is not the WWF. This is a baseball game. Sometimes you've got things happening in the game. You stay on the field.

"It's not like you're going out in the parking lot and wait for somebody and whip his (butt). It's not like that. Everybody plays their best and tries to win a game."

Both teams will be looking to find a crack in the other's armor at home. Tampa Bay posted a 57-24 record at home, the best mark in the major leagues. But Boston was only one game behind at 56-25.

When Joe Maddon took over as manager of the Rays three years ago, he heard complaints from players about Tropicana, the funky domed stadium with catwalks in play above the field. He convinced his players to embrace the home-field advantage, part of a change in mind-set from the franchise's losing ways.

Boston manager Terry Francona said he saw no reason to let the unique conditions affect his club.

"I think they've actually done a pretty good job of making this into a baseball stadium," he said. "Catwalks aside, the dugout is good. You can watch the game. It might be the best (visiting) clubhouse in baseball.

"Hopefully, the catwalks don't come into play, or if they do, it's not a controversial play that can affect the outcome of the game. Other than that, I don't mind playing here at all."
Home-field advantage meant nothing to the Rays when they were the perennial doormat of the AL East. But Tampa Bay evolved this year into the chief competition for the Red Sox, surpassing the New York Yankees, who didn't make the playoffs for the first time since the 1994 strike.

Tampa Bay was hardly an offensive juggernaut, ranking ninth in the AL in runs scored. But the Rays had strong pitching (3.82 earned run average, second in the AL) and solid defense (fifth), two facets of the game that allow clubs to win close games.

"What better place for young baseball players to learn how to become good major-league players than to play in the best division," said Maddon, whose steady, upbeat manner proved to be the perfect temperament to lead the Rays out of the baseball wilderness.

"So, for me, even when we were getting our butts kicked quite regularly, it was a wonderful place for us to learn how to play. "

Twice in September, the Red Sox tried to put pressure on the Rays and assume command of the division. In both series, Boston won the opener, only to watch Tampa Bay come back and take the remaining two games.

Along the way, the Rays earned the respect of the Red Sox, who are not assuming the playoff neophytes will succumb to the pressure of facing the defending champs.

"I know that when we played each other, we beat each other up a lot," said Francona, who will send 18-game winner Daisuke Matsuzaka to the mound in Game 1. "They ended up being better. We pushed them, we pushed them, they pushed back. We could never overtake them. Now is our chance to overtake them."

The Red Sox hope to negate some of Tampa Bay's home-field advantage with Matsuzaka, who was 9-0 with a 2.37 ERA in 13 starts on the road.

"He's able to shut out some of the things on the periphery and just concentrate on pitching," Francona said. "I know he's had a lot of success (on the road) and we certainly hope that continues."

 Tags  Boston Red Sox MLB playoffs Tampa Bay Rays

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