Thank you for a great season.

One word: MIRACLE

Who would’ve thought. We will be raising a banner that says that we are the AL Champs.

Post your season memories.

So, we lost the World Series we weren’t even supposed to be in.

After winning the ALCS nobody imagined we’d ever be in.

After winning the ALDS nobody imagined we’d ever be in.

After going to the playoffs nobody imagined we’d ever be in.

After winning the division nobody imagined we could ever compete in.

After winning at least 15 more games than anyone imagined we’d win.

After a season nobody imagined we’d have.

Why should we celebrate?  Well, to wax Morris Buttermaker, because you should be damn proud of yourselves!

Don’t look back in anger on this series.  Be proud of all this team has accomplished.

And be content in the knowledge that we are set for bigger and better things.

Don’t go anywhere.  We’re not.

The suspended game that was due to be played tonight at 8:00 has been canceled. The game is tentatively set for 8:37 tomorrow night due to a Barack Obama campain comercial. There is 8-10 inches of snow on the ground in Philly and the conditions are treturous. We will see if they can get the game played tomorrow. The weather is expected to be better. This moves game 6 to Thursday and game 7 to Holloween. Boy how people with kids who want to trick or treat will love that.

Longo and Carlos,

Thank you very much for hitting the ball. Now we can win this game and head back to the Trop.

Sincerely,

The Rise Of The Rays Staff

(AP Photo/ Julie Jacobson)

We had ugly weather all night. Thanks to Carlos Pena, we scored two runs to tie the game after the Phillies scored 2 in the first. The field looked like crap with water all over it. The weather looks worse in Philly for tonight. IT COULD SNOW. I know we have no experience in snow. For the strategy, you could start Balfour, the pitcher who is in now. He doesn’t have a starters mentality, but we are at 6-7-8 in the order, so the pitcher will have to bat soon. If you leave him in, you can pinch hit for him and then bring someone else in. You could start Howell, who used to be a starter. You could start Price, who as you know is lights out. He won’t give up many runs and is the best candidate to keep this game close. He hasn’t batted since high school and you would want him to go a few innings. The last option is E-Jax. He is a starter. He is also a converted infielder and can swing the bat a bit. He could go a few innings and is tough.

Dear my great hitters, Longo and Carlos,

You need to start hitting for this game. Your swings look terrible. You guys need to fix it. You know you are sucking when Andy Sonnanstine has more hits than both of you combined. (Even though Andy is a good hitter.) You guys have been moved down in the lineup so hopefully the pressure is off.

Signed, Your biggest fan,

Devon Rogers

Now that that is off my chest, here is the Preview.

Pitchers:

Kazmir vs. Hamels

Take note of the lineup change.

Iwamura, 2b
Crawford, lf
Upton, cf
Pena, 1b
Longoria, 3b
Navarro, c
Baldelli, rf
Bartlett, ss
Kazmir, p

It’s not much but Crawford has 2 of the team’s 3 homers and has been good in the series. Hopefully the shift down can remove the pressure and get the Rays to start hitting.

I know it may be sacrilegious to quote the Red Sox at this moment, but it is applicable.

“Don’t let us win this game.”

That was uttered by Kevin Millar prior to Game 5 of the 2004 American League Championship Series.

This series–this season–is far from over.  The odds may be stacked against us, with Cole Hamels taking the mound at home in Game 5.  But it would be lovely to tear down their tarps and drag them kicking and screaming back to St. Petersburg.

We are known for pulling the unexpected win out when we need it most.  Hell, a lot of our 105 wins this year have been unexpected.  That’s why we won the division, and that’s why we’re in the World Series.

The important thing is that the team does not panic.  They need to lighten up and play this game as they usually do, not get all wound up in the tension of a needed game.

One surprise win is all it will take.  All the doubts will start flooding back for Philly fans.  Their best pitcher will have been spent, and we will have all the advantages in our favor.

It’s something we should be used to.  We’ve done this many times already this year.  All we need is to wake up one last time.

Don’t let us win this game, indeed.

(AP Photo/ Gene J. Puskar)

(AP Photo/ Morry Gash)

(AP Photo/ Julie Jacobson)

Sonny vs. Blanton

We need a win to get the momentum back on our side.

GO RAYS!!!!

Just after 1:50 in Philly, the game ended on a dribbler to Longo, the final score, Phils 5-Rays 4. The only other things you need to know about the game are, the Rays scored all of their runs without a hit. (sac fly, 2 groundouts, and a fielding error.) Also, the Rays broke the record for most stolen bases in a postseason with 22.

Tonight’s game could be one of the best World Series’ in history. So far it has been back and forth close games. We really need a win tonight to stay in contention. I think Sonny will be able to do it.

Even though the numbers showed we SHOULD’VE crushed Moyer, he won because his strike zone went from here to Saskatuwan. Garza’s did not. Tonights game will be well fought, and we will see who wins in the end. You could blame the loss on the weather, but I don’t think we should. When you can’t score runs on hits, your going to run into trouble. Sure, it’s nice to score 4 runs without a hit because they are basically giving it to you. But you need some hits. If we had hits, we would’ve won. I don’t like the decision to walk two straight guys. You can hold a guy on third on a ground ball when he is not forced home. We know the problem wasn’t playing on the road. We won two straight at Fenway, one of the most hostile environments in the league. I just think we had a bad day and we can come back tonight.

Garza vs. Moyer.

Hold off the rain. Please hold off the rain.

GO RAYS!!

Garza is nearly unstoppable anywhere he pitches. Hopefully he will pick up where he left off in the ALCS.