And so it comes down to this, for the American league championship the Tampa Bay Rays take on the Boston Red Sox. The Rays are all too familiar with there northern AL East brethren, having beaten them 10 times out 18 games played.

The Boston Red Sox have history, they have a crappy stadium, and Ben Afllack. The Rays have a young history, a crappy stadium, and Dick Vitale. I think Vitale is the better actor between the two, to be honest.

I shouldn't have to say much else. This four game series is in my my eyes as nothing more then yet another obstacle for the Rays to overcome. They have proven that they have been the better team all year. The Rays have proven they can been Boston in there building. The Rays have proven they can beat Papelbon. What have the Red Sox proven?

Time Capsule: April 25, 2008. This was the Rays first victory of the year against the Red Sox. You may remember this game because of the game winning hit by Nathan Haynes.

                1  2  3   4  5  6   7  8  9  10 11    R  H  E
                -  -  -   -  -  -   -  -  -   -  -    -  -  -
Red Sox         0  3  0   0  0  1   0  0  0   0  0    4 10  1
Rays            1  0  1   2  0  0   0  0  0   0  1    5 11  0

BATTING

Boston Red Sox               AB   R   H RBI   BB  SO    BA   OPS  Pit   PO   A  Details
J Ellsbury CF                 5   0   1   1    0   0  .284  .873   18    6   0   SH
D Pedroia 2B                  6   0   1   0    0   0  .340  .862   21    0   4   
D Ortiz DH                    6   0   0   0    0   1  .177  .611   23    0   0   GDP
M Ramirez LF                  5   1   3   0    0   1  .370 1.116   17    2   0   2B
K Youkilis 3B-1B              4   0   0   0    1   1  .330  .936   22    8   1   
J Drew RF                     4   2   1   0    1   2  .282  .825   21    3   0   
S Casey 1B                    0   1   0   0    1   0  .346  .886    7    1   0   
  J Lowrie 3B                 3   0   1   0    1   0  .346  .841   17    4   1   
J Lugo SS                     4   0   0   2    1   1  .306  .685   19    2   1   GDP
K Cash C                      3   0   3   1    0   0  .323  .790   13    2   1   SF
  C Crisp PR                  0   0   0   0    0   0  .341  .794         0   0   
  J Varitek C                 0   0   0   0    0   0  .262  .800    4    2   0   HBP

T Wakefield P                                                            0   1
  D Aardsma P                                                            0   0
  B Corey P                                                              0   0
  J Lopez P                                                              0   0
  M Timlin P                                                             0   1
Totals                       40   4  10   4    5   6              182   30  10

Tampa Bay Rays               AB   R   H RBI   BB  SO    BA   OPS  Pit   PO   A  Details
A Iwamura 2B                  5   1   2   0    1   0  .220  .525   25    2   1   SB
C Crawford LF                 6   3   3   1    0   1  .314  .765   24    4   0   2·3B,SB
B Upton CF                    3   0   1   1    2   0  .298  .807   23    3   0   CS,SF
J Gomes DH                    3   1   0   0    0   1  .265  .863   14    0   0   HBP
  C Pena PH                   1   0   1   0    0   0  .200  .781    4    0   0   
  N Haynes PR-DH              1   0   1   1    0   0  .278  .594    2    0   0   
E Longoria 3B                 3   0   1   1    2   0  .286  .952   28    2   1   SB,IW
E Hinske 1B                   3   0   0   0    2   0  .306 1.055   26    8   1   
D Navarro C                   5   0   1   0    0   1  .391  .918   26    6   0   
G Gross RF                    4   0   1   0    1   1  .200  .609   18    5   0   
J Bartlett SS                 5   0   0   0    0   0  .208  .472   14    2   5   

M Garza P                                                                0   0
  J Howell P                                                             0   0
  D Wheeler P                                                            0   0
  T Miller P                                                             0   0
  G Glover P                                                             0   1
  S Dohmann P                                                            1   0
Totals                       39   5  11   4    8   4              204   33   9

PITCHING

Boston Red Sox                IP     H   R  ER   BB  SO  HR    ERA   BF  Pit-Str  Ct·Sw·Lk   GB·FB·LD· ?   GmSc  IR-IS   LevI    WPA
T Wakefield                    6     6   4   3    5   1   0   4.06   30  113-70   45· 3·22    7·10· 6· 0     42    -     1.40  -0.14
D Aardsma                      1     0   0   0    0   1   0   3.29    3   17-10    8· 0· 2    1· 1· 0· 0          0-0    1.18   0.09
B Corey                        1.2   2   0   0    2   1   0  10.50    8   25-13    7· 2· 4    1· 2· 2· 0          0-0    2.90   0.09
J Lopez                        0.2   1   0   0    0   1   0   4.50    3   10-8     6· 1· 1    1· 1· 0· 0          3-0    3.95   0.16
M Timlin, L (2-2)              0.2   2   1   1    1   0   0  13.50    5   25-13   10· 2· 1    1· 1· 2· 0          1-0    2.74  -0.22
Totals                        10    11   5   4    8   4   0          49  190-114  76· 8·30   11·15·10· 0          4-0 

Tampa Bay Rays                IP     H   R  ER   BB  SO  HR    ERA   BF  Pit-Str  Ct·Sw·Lk   GB·FB·LD· ?   GmSc  IR-IS   LevI    WPA
M Garza                        5     5   3   3    3   1   0   7.62   23   84-49   30· 4·15    3·11· 5· 0     43    -     1.13  -0.06
J Howell, BS (1)               3     3   1   1    0   3   0   2.63   12   46-27   16· 3· 8    3· 3· 3· 0          0-0    1.75   0.11
D Wheeler                      1     1   0   0    0   1   0   1.38    5   25-16    9· 5· 2    2· 2· 0· 0          0-0    3.61   0.14
T Miller                       0.1   0   0   0    2   1   0   2.57    3   16-6     1· 0· 5    0· 0· 0· 0          0-0    2.97  -0.08
G Glover                       1     1   0   0    0   0   0   1.69    4    9-7     4· 0· 3    2· 0· 1· 0          2-0    3.41   0.04
S Dohmann, W (1-0)             0.2   0   0   0    0   0   0   2.45    1    2-1     1· 0· 0    1· 0· 0· 0          2-0    4.97   0.32
Totals                        11    10   4   4    5   6   0          48  182-106  61·12·33   11·16· 9· 0          4-0 

OTHER

So Draysbay, what do you think will happen? Will the Rays continue to shine or will the Red Sox come and prove that vetern leadership (being old) means something?

Go Rays! Be the Best!

Over the last few days I have read many local review of the upcoming series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox. In the reviews I have read about pitching match ups and roster moves but there are a few things that I have not read.

No one is complaining about the attendance. Now, I know first three Tampa Bay Rays games are sell-outs but, you don't see any cynical slashes at the Rays fans?

No one is complaining about the travel time to the Trop. Here we are on the verge of the Rays first playoff game and no one is complaining about the economy, gas prices, or going over the bridge to Pinellas County.

Lastly, I am not hearing anyone concerned about the Trop being overran by White Sox fans. How about that?

It's funny how winning cures ailments. Go Rays! Beat the White Sox!

What a great season. Down to the last eight. If the Rays want to play ALCS, they have to go through the AL Central Champions White Sox. Will the White Sox let the Tampa Bay Cinderella story continue, or will Pale Hoes play the roll of the evil step-sister trying to away our glass slipper?

The Rays have played the South Side Sox 10 time and have come away with a 6-4 record. Most memorable game, at least to me was the infamous AJ Pierzynski game. But, that's all water under the bridge this time around.

Time Capsule: The Rays first win against the White Sox was on April 4, 1998. The then Devil Rays took two out of three from the Chicago White Sox. How about the Rich Butler sighting? Also, in this game Fred "The Crime Dog" McGriff hit his first home run as a Devil Ray.

Go Rays Go! Stain the White Sox!

There was an interesting article in the St. Pete Times hitting the newsstands today that simply asked "who should throw out the first pitch?"  This question is a good question.

A few names that I have heard have been: Dick Vitale, General Petreaus, and a few former Rays Fred McGriff and Wade Boggs. I ask the same question to your Draysbay? Who do you, the *loyal fan of the Tampa Bay Rays, who do you deem perfect to throw out the first pitch of the playoffs?

Here are a few names that I would like to throw out there, just for fun:

1. George Stienbrenner. WHAT? Why not, I mean the guy has done a lot for the Tampa Economy and I would find it rather amusing and also I would tip my cap if "the Boss" had the gumption to throw out the first pitch.

2. Wounded War Veterans. What is the Tampa bay area? BESIDES TRANSPLANTS, yes I hear you. The Tampa Bay area is full of honorable War Veterans and military retirees. Would would be more thoughtful then a veteran or a slew of veterans throwing out the first pitch?

3. Tim Marcum, Jon Gruden,  John Tortorella, and Joe Urso. All four of these men have brought championship hardware to the Tampa Bay area. Tim Marcum has coach the Tampa Bay Storm to five Areanabowl Championships. Jon "Chucky" Gruden brought home a Vince Lombardi trophy in 2002. John Tortorella was the coach who gave Lord Stanley's cup a tan. Finally, all Joe Urso has dominated the NCAA II baseball with University of Tampa Spartans.

4. Vinny Lecavalier,  Dave Anderchuck, Leeroy Selmon, and Doug Williams?

Anyone else have two cents to throw in?

Have you ever ran marathon? Have you ever ran a mile? The important concept in running is finishing strong. The Rays take on the Detroit Tigers in a best of four game set. The Tampa Bay Rays are getting set play in the playoffs. While the Detroit Tigers are getting set to watch the playoffs.

Last time the Rays played the Tigers, this year,  they swept the Detroit nine in a best of three game set in the beginning of Aug. The three game set which was made memorable by a Rodney melt down walking home Carlos Pena and a LL Cool J post game concert.

Time Capsule: Last time the Rays played the Tigers in Detroit was for a four-game set in Aug 6-9 which the Rays tied the series taking two of the four games. You may remember that series as being the series where the Rays snapped their 8-game road losing streak. Below is the (Devil) Rays Box, check out the Josh Wilson sighting:

Here are the match-ups for the upcoming four-game set.

So what do you think will happen Draysbay? Will the Rays suck it all up and finish strong moving toward the playoffs? Or will the Rays  just coast to the season's finish line?

Go Rays Go!

8. What is the world come in a group of 8? Eight crayons in a crayon box. Eight candles in a menorah. There are eight sides to a stop sign. There eight legs of a spider. 8 is a good number. 8 is how many games our Rays have left in the season.

So the Rays are in the playoffs. So what? The Rays need to keep on playing because the Red Sox will not keep on playing. The Rays gave the twins to gift wrapped wins and now they must keep on playing.

The Rays take on the Baltimore Orioles in a four game set. The Rays have bested the Orioles 11 of the 14 times these two teams have played. The Orioles will play the role of spoilers as they try to finish their season strong.

8 is a powerful number but so is 7, as in 7 games until the Red Sox are eliminated from the AL East title.

So what do you think will happen? Will the Rays fold or fight to an AL East title?

Go Rays Go! Pluck the Orioles!