Tampa Bay Rays (8-5) at Philadelphia Phillies (8-3), 8:35 p.m.
Sports Network | October 25, 2008
(Sports Network) - Tampa's Matt Garza tries to follow up a sensational American League Championship Series this evening, as the World Series shifts to Citizens Bank Park for Game 3 between the Rays and Philadelphia Phillies.
Although the forecast seems less ominous than it did at the start of the week, heavy rain is still expected for Saturday in the Philadelphia area. Of course, there hasn't been a World Series game postponed by rain since Game 4 of the 2006 series between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals.
Garza earned ALCS MVP honors for the Rays by going 2-0 against Boston, while surrendering just two runs in 13 innings. He was brilliant in Game 7 against the Red Sox, allowing only a first-inning solo home run and two hits over seven innings to secure Tampa's first-ever AL pennant.
Prior to the ALCS Garza had gone winless in six starts, including a setback to the Chicago White Sox in Game 3 of the ALDS.
The 24-year-old righty, who was 11-9 this season with a 3.70 ERA, was 4-6 in 15 road starts this season with a 4.53 ERA. He has never faced the Phillies.
Tampa evened this best-of-seven series at a game apiece on Thursday, as James Shields threw nearly six shutout innings and B.J. Upton went 2-for-4 with a run batted in, helping the Rays to a 4-2 win.
Shields (1-0), who had lost his previous two postseason starts against Boston in the AL Championship Series, gave up seven hits and two walks in 5 2/3 frames. But he skated around and out of trouble to keep the Phillies off the scoreboard, and struck out four. Dan Wheeler tossed a scoreless inning of relief, while rookie David Price threw the final 2 1/3 innings, giving up two runs.
Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria hit RBI groundouts for Tampa Bay, which managed seven hits, all of them singles.
Philadelphia won Game 1 despite leaving 11 men on base and going 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position. The same offensive troubles showed up again, as the Phillies left 11 more runners on base and went 1-for-15 with them in scoring position.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Phillies' 0-for-19 drought with runners in scoring position to start the World Series was the longest since the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers went 0-for-22 for the entire four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles.
Eric Bruntlett slammed a pinch-hit solo homer for Philadelphia, while Carlos Ruiz finished with a pair of doubles and two walks. The first three hitters in the Phillies lineup finished a combined 1-for-14.
Brett Myers (0-1) took the loss after allowing four runs -- three earned -- on seven hits with three walks in seven innings.
So now the series shifts to Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies were 48-33 this season and have yet to lose a playoff game there in four games this postseason. The Rays, meanwhile, were 40-41 away from home on the year.
Philadelphia turns to Jamie Moyer, who was one of their most consistent starters during the season, but has been anything but that here in the playoffs. Moyer, 45, has lost both of his postseason starts, giving up eight runs in just 5 1/3 innings.
The 22-year veteran, who will be making his first-ever World Series start, was blistered by the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLCS, as he allowed six runs and six hits in 1 1/3 frames. He had been 16-7 in the regular season with a 3.71 ERA in 33 starts.
Moyer has faced the Rays 15 times over the course of his lengthy career and is 8-4 against them with a 2.85 ERA.
The Rays and the 1991 Atlanta Braves are the only teams to reach the World Series a year after finishing with the worst record in the majors.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, is back in the Fall Classic for the first time since 1993 and is trying to claim just its second World Series title since its inception way back in 1893.
There also hasn't been a title in any of the four major sports in the City of Brotherly Love since 1983, when the 76ers beat the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA championship.
