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Phillies claim first title since 1980
In one of the strangest endings to a baseball season in history, the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series tonight by outlasting the upstart Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 in the completion of a Game 5 that started more than 72 hours earlier. The rain that had kept the teams off the field since Sunday night was gone along with the majority of the wind, but the chill remained as Philly stepped to the plate in the bottom of the sixth with the game tied at two and the franchise's first title since 1980 in sight. The teams traded runs before Pedro Feliz' one-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh gave the Phillies a 4-3 lead they'd never relinquish. Appropriately it was Brad Lidge - who didn't blow a single save all season - that struck out Rays pinch-hitter Eric Hinske to put an exclamation point on Philadelphia's long-awaited championship season. By Jay LeBlanc.
Rain forces suspension of Game 5
The Phillies took a 2-0 lead in the first inning but the visiting Rays battled back and tied the game in the top of the sixth, just before the start of a rain delay that would eventually result in World Series Game 5 being suspended until tonight. Major League Baseball is undoubtedly happy that the Rays were able to knot the game before it was halted, as none but the most ardent Philly fans would have liked to see the Phillies clinch the World Series title in a game that didn't go the full nine. The game will resume at 8 p.m. EST tonight with the Phillies coming to bat in the bottom of the sixth. By Jay LeBlanc.
Phillies just one win away
Ryan Howard busted out of his postseason power slump with two homers and five RBI and Joe Blanton tossed six strong innings and added a solo shot of his own as the Phillies ravaged the visiting Rays 10-2 in Game 4 of the World Series. Jimmy Rollins stroked three hits and scored three times for the Phils, who took a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. They'll send ace Cole Hamels to the mound tonight as they try to capture the franchise's first championship since 1980. By Jay LeBlanc.
KILL - Phillies just one win away
Ryan Howard busted out of his postseason power slump with two homers and five RBI and Joe Blanton tossed six strong innings and added a solo shot of his own as the Phillies ravaged the visiting Rays 10-2 in Game 4 of the World Series. Jimmy Rollins stroked three hits and scored three times for the Phils, who took a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. They'll send ace Cole Hamels to the mound tonight as they try to capture the franchise's first championship since 1980. By Jay LeBlanc.
Phils win in 9th, take series lead
Eric Bruntlett raced home with the winning run on a Carlos Ruiz dribbler to third in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Phillies to a 5-4 win over the visiting Rays in Game 3 of the World Series. 45-year-old lefty Jamie Moyer bounced back from a pair of ugly postseason outings to earn the victory with 6 1/3 innings of three-run ball and Ruiz, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard slugged solo shots as the Phillies took a 2-1 series lead. ALCS MVP Matt Garza allowed four runs on six hits - including all three Philly homers - in six innings to take the loss. By Jay LeBlanc.
KILL - Phils win in 9th, take 2-1 series lead
Eric Bruntlett raced home with the winning run on a Carlos Ruiz dribbler to third in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Phillies to a 5-4 win over the visiting Rays in Game 3 of the World Series. 45-year-old lefty Jamie Moyer bounced back from a pair of ugly postseason performances to earn the victory with 6 1/3 innings of three-run ball and Ruiz, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard slugged solo shots as the Phillies took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. ALCS MVP Matt Garza allowed four runs on six hits - including all three Philly homers - in six innings of work to take the loss. By Jay LeBlanc.
Rays bounce back in Game 2
Rays starter James Shields repeatedly pitched his way in and out of trouble during his 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton and Jason Bartlett each knocked in a run as Tampa Bay beat the visiting Phillies 4-2 Thursday night to even the World Series at a game apiece. Starter Brett Myers pitched relatively well for the Phillies after a shaky start, but his offense squandered numerous scoring opportunities throughout the course of the game. The series now shifts to Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies posted a 48-33 mark during the regular season. By Jay LeBlanc.
Hamels, Utley lift Phils in Game 1
Chase Utley slugged a two-run shot in the top of the first and Cole Hamels tossed seven innings of one-run ball to improve to 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA this postseason as the Phillies topped the Rays 3-2 at Tropicana Field to take a 1-0 lead in the World Series. Philadelphia's dynamic bullpen duo came through once again, as Ryan Madson protected a one-run lead with a scoreless eighth before giving way to Brad Lidge, who slammed the door in the ninth for his sixth postseason save. By Jay LeBlanc.
World Series predictions
If the National Pastime staff's League Championship Series predictions showed one thing, it's that fans make lousy fortune tellers. All five of us picked the Red Sox to defeat the Rays and advance to the World Series, but don't misinterpret that as a collective lack of faith in Joe Maddon's ballclub. The truth is that all of us either used to live in Massachusetts or still do, and none of us could bring ourselves to root against our beloved Sox. Now that Tampa has shocked the world and taken the A.L. title, we're unencumbered by fan loyalties and the crystal ball is much clearer.
KILL - World Series predictions
If the National Pastime staff's League Championship Series predictions showed one thing, it's that fans make lousy fortune tellers. All five of us picked the Red Sox to defeat the Rays and advance to the World Series, but don't misinterpret that as a collective lack of faith in Joe Maddon's ballclub. The truth is that all of us either live in Massachusetts or used to, and none of us could bring ourselves to root against our beloved Sox. Now that Tampa has shocked the world and taken the A.L. title, we're unencumbered by fan loyalties and the crystal ball is much clearer.
Rays vs. Phillies: The tale of the tape
This year's Fall Classic promises to be just that. With apologies to the Red Sox and Dodgers, there's no question that baseball's two best teams will take the field in Game 1 of the 2008 World Series tomorrow night in St. Petersburg, Fla. With championship-caliber offense, defense and pitching, the Phillies are a team without a glaring weakness; of course, the same can be said of the upstart Rays. One of these squads will hoist the World Series trophy before the first Halloween candy is distributed - but which one? As we ponder that question and anxiously await first pitch from Tropicana Field, let's see how they match up. By Jay LeBlanc.
KILL - Rays vs. Phillies: The tale of the tape
This year's Fall Classic promises to be just that. With apologies to the Red Sox and Dodgers, there's no question that baseball's two best teams will take the field in Game 1 of the 2008 World Series tomorrow night in St. Petersburg, Fla. With championship-caliber offense, defense and pitching, the Phillies are a team without a glaring weakness; of course, the same can be said of the upstart Rays. One of these squads will hoist the World Series trophy before Halloween - but which one? As we ponder that question and anxiously await first pitch from Tropicana Field, let's see how they match up. By Jay LeBlanc.
Garza, Price pitch Rays into Series
Rookie phenom David Price preserved a 4-2 Rays lead by fanning the red hot J.D. Drew with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth and slammed the door shut on the Red Sox' season in the ninth as Tampa Bay edged the defending World Champs last night in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. ALCS MVP Matt Garza earned the win by allowing one earned run on just two hits while fanning nine in seven stellar innings of work for the Rays, who will host the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday night in Game 1 of the 2008 World Series just a year after finishing with the worst record in all of baseball. By Jay LeBlanc.
Sox win sets up Game 7 showdown
Jason Varitek's two-out solo shot in the top of the sixth broke a 2-2 tie and gave the visiting Red Sox a lead they would never relinquish as they went on to beat Tampa Bay 4-2 to tie the American League Championship Series at three games apiece. Red Sox starter Josh Beckett allowed two runs on four hits in five innings of work and the Boston bullpen took over from there, with Hideki Okajima, Justin Masterson and Jonathan Papelbon holding the Rays hitless the rest of the way to force a Game 7 showdown for the A.L. crown tonight at Tropicana Field. By Jay LeBlanc.
Historic Red Sox rally extends ALCS
J.D. Drew laced a J.P. Howell offering over the head of Rays right fielder Gabe Gross with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to drive home Kevin Youkilis with the winning run and complete one of the most remarkable comebacks in postseason history as the Red Sox staved off elimination with an 8-7 victory in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. The Red Sox came to bat trailing 7-0 in the bottom of the seventh but tallied four in that frame and three in the eighth before pushing the winning run across in dramatic fashion in the ninth. Boston's win sends the series back to Tropicana Field, where Josh Beckett will face off against Tampa Bay's James Shields Saturday night in Game 6. By Jay LeBlanc.
