SPORTS> World Events
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SPORTS> World Events
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Rays book World Series berth
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-10-21 09:29 ST. PETERSBURG, Florida - The Tampa Bay Rays reached the World Series for the first time on Sunday, beating the reigning champions Boston Red Sox 3-1 to win the American League Championship series.
Matt Garza was outstanding over seven-plus innings and Willy Aybar homered as the Rays won the best-of-seven series four games to three. The Rays will host the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies in game one of the best-of-seven World Series on Wednesday. The Rays continued a storybook season, which sees them bidding for a worst-to-first turnaround after being doormats from their formation in 1998 until this year. The Red Sox, in contrast, were bidding for a chance to claim their third title in five seasons after breaking an 86-year drought. Evan Longoria had an RBI double, and Rocco Baldelli drove in a run for the Rays, who had to shake off their demoralizing failure to finish off Boston in Game 5 on Thursday. The Rays led 7-0 on Thursday, but the Red Sox stormed back to force Game 6. Boston then won again to bring the series to Sunday's do-or-die clash. "We've proved doubters wrong this entire time," Garza said. "And we just told each other, you know, keep believing, keep fighting." Garza, who also picked up the win in Game 3, outdueled Boston lefthander Jon Lester again, allowing one run and two hits and was named the Most Valuable Player of the AL championship series. "I didn't kmnow if today was my last start of the year or what," said Garza, who walked three and struck out nine. "So I just went there and emptied my tank and said, 'Hey, here goes, we'll see what happens.'" He left a runner on in the eighth inning after shortstop Jason Bartlett made an error on Alex Cora's grounder. Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon brought on righthander Dan Wheeler, who allowed a single to Coco Crisp and retired Dustin Pedroia on a groundout. Maddon then went to lefthander JP Howell, who battled David Ortiz for seven pitches, inducing a fielder's choice to second that left runners on first and third with two outs. The fourth pitcher of the inning was Chad Bradford, who walked Kevin Youkilis on six pitches to load the bases for JD Drew. Drew faced rookie phenom David Price, who struck him out. "I wanted the ball," Price said. "This is the biggest night in Rays history. It's just an unblievable thing to be a part of it." Price stayed on the mound for the ninth. He walked Jason Bay before striking out Mark Kotsay and Jason Varitek and getting pinch hitter Jed Lowrie to groundout to second, sealing the win and sparking a frenzied celebration on the field and in the stands. "Unbelieveable," Price said of the scene when his teammates mobbed him. "I think everybody shed a couple of tears. I was on the bottom of the dogpile, I couldn't breathe!" The Red Sox opened the scoring in the first inning when Pedroia drove a 1-1 offering from Garza just over the wall in left field for a solo home run. Garza then walked Ortiz before retiring Youkilis and JD Drew. Tampa's righthander would allow only one other baserunner over the next five innings. Lester set down the first nine batters he faced before allowing a leadoff single to Akinori Iwamura in the fourth inning. Lester struck out BJ Upton and got Carlos Pena to ground into a fielder's choice before Longoria hit a double down the right field line. Pena beat the relay throw to even the score at 1-1. Tampa Bay took the lead in the following inning after Aybar led off with a double off the left field wall. Dioner Navarro then reached on an infield single before Baldelli smacked a low changeup into left field for an RBI single.
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