ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -A sizzling duo in the first two rounds of the playoffs, B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria fizzled in the opening game of the World Series.
The emerging stars, instrumental in the young Rays winning the AL pennant in their first-ever postseason appearance, went hitless for Wednesday night in Tampa Bay’s 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
In their defense, most of the Rays struggled, too. But after driving in 26 runs against the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox on the way to baseball’s biggest stage, Upton and Longoria have raised expectations.
Cowbell-clanging fans rose to their feet in anticipation every time they strolled to the plate. Each time they settled back into their seats a little more deflated as the Rays were unable to overcome the early 3-0 lead Philadelphia took against left-hander Scott Kazmir.
Kazmir settled down to pitch six solid innings and keep Tampa Bay in the game, but the offense couldn’t bail him out.
an extremely hot bat in the playoffs after struggling at the plate much of the year, in part because of an injured shoulder. He has 15 postseason RBIs, four shy of the major league record set by David Ortiz in 2004.
He and Longoria have combined to hit 13 of Tampa Bay’s 23 home runs this postseason, however they were a combined 0-for-6 against Phillies starter Cole Hamels and fared no better against relievers Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge.
Upton, whose seven homers tie Tony Glaus for the most by an AL player in a single postseason grounded into double plays twice, once with the bases loaded. Longoria’s six postseason homers are a record for a major league rookie, however he struck out twice and finished 0-for-4 after Lidge fanned him in the ninth.
Without the type of production they provided in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Rays sputtered.
Leadoff man Akinori Iwamura had three of their five hits off Hamels, including a RBI double that trimmed Philadelphia’s lead to 3-2 in the fifth inning. The rest of the lineup had two hits, one of them Carl Crawford’s fourth-inning homer.
Add A Comment