Rays Try to Stay Alive in ALDS Game Three

Boston will look to eliminate Tampa Bay with series sweep.

By Russ Reed

Photo by USATSI

All of the momentum the Rays had coming into their Division Series matchup with the Red Sox has seemingly been crushed.  Boston pounded out 19 runs against Tampa Bay’s top two pitchers.  Matt Moore surrendered eight runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched in game one, and after dominating the Rangers in the play-in game a week ago, ace David Price struggled.  Last year’s Cy Young Award-winner gave up seven runs in seven innings.

But, Tampa Bay does have two things working in their favor.  First, despite what the Red Sox said about Tropicana Field earlier in the season, it still is the Rays’ home park.  Although fans might not have packed the stands in the regular season, the atmosphere certainly changes in October.  The 2008 ALCS against Boston is a prime example of how the home field gives Tampa Bay more of an advantage in the postseason.

The second is having Alex Cobb on the hill tonight.  Cobb was absolutely stellar in his last start, the A.L. Wild Card game in Cleveland.  His stuff was electric and got himself out of multiple jams.  This is all the more impressive considering Cobb was hit in the head by a line drive against the Royals on June 15 and missed two months.  Since returning on Aug. 15, he’s gone 5-1 with a 2.41 ERA.

However, the Rays have to square off against Clay Buchholz.  Many people were concerned if Buchholz would return to form after missing over three months with a neck strain.  But, the 29-year-old right-hander has looked as sharp as he was at the start of the season.  He went 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA in September, bringing his season totals to 12-1 with a 1.74 ERA.

And as I mentioned earlier, Boston’s offense is red-hot.  David Ortiz had his first multi-home run game in the postseason in Game 2, at age 37.  Plus, the top of the lineup is setting the table for the heart of the Red Sox order, as Jacoby Ellsbury batted .556 in the first two games and Shane Victorino hit .500.

Tampa Bay will have to play a near-perfect game to avoid elimination tonight.  

However, with their hottest pitcher on the mound at home, the odds of winning tonight increase tremendously.

Notes:  First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET, and the lineups for each team have been released.

Boston Red Sox:

1.     Jacoby Ellsbury, CF

2.     Shane Victorino, RF

3.     Dustin Pedroia, 2B

4.     David Ortiz, DH

5.     Mike Napoli, 1B

6.     Daniel Nava, LF

7.     Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C

8.     Stephen Drew, SS

9.     Will Middlebrooks, 3B

SP – Clay Buchholz, RHP

Tampa Bay Rays:

1.     David DeJesus, LF

2.     Ben Zobrist, 2B

3.     Evan Longoria, 3B

4.     Wil Myers, RF

5.     James Loney, 1B

6.     Desmond Jennings, CF

7.     Matt Joyce, DH

8.     Yunel Escobar, SS

9.     Jose Molina, C

SP – Alex Cobb, RHP

Saltalamacchia is back behind the plate for Boston after David Ross caught John Lackey in game two.  Middlebrooks moved back to the nine-hole, where he hit in game one, after hitting seventh in game two.

For Tampa Bay, Myers has bounced all around the lineup.  The rookie right-fielder hit third in game one, second in game two, and now moves to the clean-up spot.  Joyce gets the start at designated hitter after Delmon Young started the first two games of the series in that spot.  

Young has gone 3-9 with 2 RBI in the DH spot this postseason, including a clutch home run against the Indians in the Wild Card game.  However, Young has also left four on-base during the same three-game stretch.

Best and Worst NHL Jerseys

By Andrew Miller

One of the most underrated parts of sports is the uniform. They have the ability to make or break a fan base. We have all been there before, either wondering how in the world someone produced that hideous jersey or praising the genius that designed those awesome sweaters. It’s time to take a look at the best jerseys in the league as well as the ones that should probably be burned.

Top 5

5. Rangers Home

Ah America’s red, white, and blue put to excellent use. With the exception of the 76-77 and 77-78 seasons, the Rangers have had the slanted name on the jersey since the inception of the team in 1926. The nickname Broadway Blue Shirts gives a nod to this uniform and rightfully so as the classic look has had only minor updates to keep it current.

 4. Red Wings Home

The classic red and white look features a wing and a spoke, paying homage to Motor City. Hockey Town’s team has had the same home jersey since 1932. In fact, it was their only uniform at the time. Their away sweater is simply switching the colors out for one and another and has been sported by several greats including Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe.

3. Blackhawks Home

I promise it’s the last “original six” team on the list, but the Blackhawks sweaters are considered to be one of the greatest in sports even though I have them at number three. It was a coin flip between the red based home and the white away, but either way the jersey is straight up sweet. Not to mention it’s centered around one of, if not the best logos in sports.

2. Hurricanes Alternate

It’s finally time to come back to the modern creations and the Hurricanes alternate is a great place to start. Personally, I think a black-based uniform can either look very good or very bad with no middle ground. This one clearly pulls off the look the best and is in my opinion the best alternate out there. How can you not love the creativity in the hurricane flag?

1. Lightning Home

Thank Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman for bringing the Detroit look south. He scrapped the old uniforms and went for the same two-color appearance, except his version has a slight edge. I’m a huge fan of the oversized logo on the front as well as the single stripe. And maybe it’s just me, but the blue works better than the red. Congrats to the Lightning on claiming the best jersey in the NHL.

Bottom 5

5. Kings Away

Simple can be good, but plain black and white? That is just too simple for me. The team tried to embrace the Detroit-style look, but it doesn’t make me want to cheer for their team. Not a total train wreck, but bad enough to land the sweater at number five for the worst uniform in the league.

4. Sharks Home

 I get the whole ocean color theme going on, but teal was a poor choice. The color comes off ugly and it fills the jersey as well as the socks. I’m a bigger fan of their alternates than these and their logo is outdated and too cartoonish and uncreative. A shark biting a stick? How many times in sports do you see an animal biting equipment?

3. Kings Alt

Shortly, you will learn that alternate jerseys work or they don’t. Los Angeles tried to be retro and sport their throwback ‘uni-s’ from when the club was created, but royalty wore purple and gold in the mid-evil period. It’s the twenty-first century and it’s time to ditch these immediately.

2. Senators Alternate

Add these to the pile of bad alternates. It’s never a good idea to make multiple horizontal stripes across the entire uniform (see Canadiens’ old jailhouse jerseys). Usually I’m a fan of the crème substituting for the white, a popular appearance for Winter Classic jerseys, but putting an O as a logo tells me they didn’t put a whole lot of though into this. Shockingly enough, the worst jerseys in the NHL are in a league of their own.

1. Islanders Alternate

I’m not a big fan of the Isles’ regular jerseys, but these shouldn’t even be shipped to areas of need. I’ve heard some describe them as a motor-cross uniform gone wrong. Not only do they put together an ugly color scheme, but also the club continues the look right through the pants and socks. Far and away the ugliest sweater in the NHL, let’s hope they revamp their entire image upon arrival in Brooklyn.

NHL Early Season Surprises

After Sunday, every team in the league except the Flames will have played at least seven games. In the shortened 48 game season, that’s almost fifteen percent of the schedule. Now that the 2013 campaign is two weeks old, it is time to take a look at the early surprises of the year

By Andrew Miller

Biggest Surprise: Tampa Bay Lightning

(Kim Klement/USA Today Sports)

Everyone knew Steven Stamkos would light it up as usual, following his 60 goal year by putting up 14 points in just seven games. However, Marty St Louis seems ageless by still getting the job done at 37 and Vincent Lecavalier has managed to find a resurgence in his career after not averaging a point per game since the 07-08 season. But possibly the biggest bright spot on the team may be goalie Anders Lindback holding his own in the net. Although he doesn’t have Vezina caliber numbers, for his first year as a full time starter he has been more than reliable for the Lightning. The teams six wins through seven games makes them the biggest surprise of the year so far after not making the playoffs last year.

Honorable Mention: Patrick Marleau (San Jose Sharks)

San Jose’s star left wing has quietly always been a reliable scorer, but in seven games, he has scored nine goals. In comparison, the Sharks have let up 12 on the season. A recipe for success starts with the Canadian scoring two goals a game for the first four games of the season. I would not expect Marleau to keep up his crazy pace, but the start lands him an honorable mention.

Biggest Disappointment: Philadelphia Flyers

My pick to win the East this year has let me down so far to this point. The Flyers have question marks everywhere. Danny Briere and Scott Hartnell combined for two points this season while Ilya Bryzgalov is still struggling to find his rhythm. It will be hard to turn it around with the Atlantic Division looking stronger than ever. Peter Laviolette has to turn this team around quickly or else the Broad Street Bullies will fade out of the playoff picture.

Honorable Mention: Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)

Alex Ovechkin burst onto the NHL scene, already winning a rookie of the year and an MVP award by the age of 25. He has yet to find his groove this season, however, only scoring two goals to go along with a lone assist. The Caps need him to wake up, as they only won twice in their first eight games. The Great Eight can heat up in a hurry and score in bunches, and I would bet that he turns it around and cracks the 20 goal mark on the year.