The Rays Tank: Friday in Fenway

Oh, postseason baseball. There’s nothing like waking up bright and early and immediately feeling the nerves start to kick in when you begin thinking about two southpaws, Matt Moore and Jon Lester, taking the mound today in Fenway. Albeit, the nerves are a tad bit calmer today than what they have been, considering this is the first Rays game since Sunday where the season isn’t on the line.

At 3 PM, the Rays and Red Sox will square off in game one of a best-of-five ALDS. In three career appearances at Fenway, Matt Moore holds a 3.44 ERA. On July 22^nd, 2013, Moore threw his first career complete-game shutout in Boston, but as their local media would tell you, don’t even worry about that.

I hope that MattyMo learned from David Price earlier this week when reporters were doubting DP. Not that I necessarily expect another CGSO, but I’d be happy with at least seven innings and less than two runs allowed. In that CGSO, Moore only walked one, and as we’ve seen lately, he’s been struggling with walking batters.

Looking Ahead:

Single game tickets for games 3 and 4 of the ALDS will go on sale at 1 PM today. However, the Rays are offering a pretty decent package deal right now which allows you tickets to both games by putting a $50 deposit towards next years season tickets (which gets included in your total). If you plan on going to both games, I’d definitely recommend checking that out first.

Speaking of ALDS tickets, per Vivid Seats, the Rays have the second highest median price for tickets in the American League at $145, behind Boston’s $229 median price. The Athletics sit at $115, while the Tigers tickets have a median price of only $75.

Links:

-Here’s a list of must-follow twitter accounts throughout the playoffs.

-Adam Berry of MLB.com takes a look at the position breakdown amongst the Rays and Red Sox.

-Cork Gaines showcased why the Rays are the most likeable team in sports. Never forget "the fistbump"!

-The MLB Fan Cave is accepting applications now for the chance to be a Cave Dweller in 2014. I would REALLY like to see a Rays representative this year, so if watching every single MLB game interests you, apply and begin your campaign!

-ESPN’s The Sweet Spot gives you an ALDS preview of the Rays/Red Sox.

-Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs examined Jake McGee’s pitching appearance in Wednesday’s Wild Card matchup.

-The Red Sox and Dodgers are listed as the World Series favorites via Bovada.