Congratulations Tampa Bay Rays!

You earned your first American League Pennant and, in doing so, your ticket to the World Series. You took down the defending 2007 Word Series Champions. It wasn't easy or quick, but you did it. Jon Lester pitched well enough to win, but Matt Garza pitched well and won the game. Unfortunately, the Red Sox bats took a breather at the very wrong time.

They say it's pitching that wins series. To a point, that's true. It only takes one run to win a game. The pitcher who is able to prevent that run can come away with a win.

However, offense is equally important. Am I the only one who thinks that if a team doesn't produce runs, it won't win? The Red Sox spent a fair amount of time this season not producing runs.

They produced enough to win the wild card, but how often was it agonizing to watch them struggle at the plate?

One has to wonder how or if things would have been different if Manny Ramirez was still in a Red Sox uniform. The common consensus is that he probably wouldn't have played anyway either by dogging it or being benched for dogging it.

But can we say that his presence in the lineup - at least his 2007 presence - was sorely missed?:

Jason Bay did a notable job taking over the Manny spot on the roster. He was very productive and an upgrade defensively. But his hitting wasn't electric.

Not like Manny's.

I don't know what the answer is for the Red Sox. Without Manny behind him, David Ortiz isn't the same hitter. Pedroia and Youkilis can't carry the team for the whole season, and it's gotten to the point where the bottom third of the order is a cakewalk for the opposing pitcher. It reminds me of Little League where you have all your good hitters at the top of the order, and you grit your teeth patiently while dying through the bottom.

I don't see the Red Sox doing a lot in the off-season. There are issues to be addressed. I can't, for the life of me, though, see them making major changes to the team.

I guess it all remains to be seen.

For the time being, the kudos belong to the Tampa Bay Rays. Good luck in the World Series.

I hope Philadelphia beats you.

They've Got Spirit, but....

After an optional practice today, the Red Sox were upbeat according to an article by Adam Kilgore of Boston.com, the online arm of the Boston Globe.

"We've got nothing but baseball ahead of us," catcher Jason Varitek said. "Belief. It wasn't just '04, '07. We've been able to do it. It leaves an overriding belief. I believe. I believe that if we execute what we can do,we're going to present ourselves with a great chance to win."

Sure, the Red Sox have a chance to win. They've had three chances to win in their last three games.

But they didn't.

It doesn't matter what they believe because the Rays believe THEY can win. And WILL win.

Sort of negates each other, doesn't it?

The objective observer would look at the Red Sox and see too many problems for them to be able to pull off another 07 or 04. It would be a nice story.

If you can believe it.

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Tampa Bay Rays manager, Joe Maddon, adjusted his regular rotation to have Scott Kazmir start the next game against the Red Sox instead of James Shields.

I find this interesting because Kazmir was the only Rays pitcher the Sox were able to tee-off on. The Rays ended up winning Game 2 in extra innings but only after Kazmir was roughed up for five runs.

This rotation change will mean that Kazmir will go against Dice-K who won Boston's only victory in the series. I wonder if Maddon means for this series to go back to Tampa Bay, so they can celebrate on their home field.

I really do wonder that.

Really.

Win Bigger Than It Looked

The Tampa Bay Rays 9-1 win over the Sox last night was bigger than it looked.

First, the Rays got back their home field advantage with that win. If the Sox want to win the pennant, they will have to do it at the Trop.

Second, it made the ostensible Red Sox ace, Jon Lester, look very human, not so intimidating.

Third, it gave the Rays back the confidence they've had all year. They are now in 'surge' mode.

On the other side of the coin,

It made the ostensible Red Sox ace, Jon Lester, look very human. Besides Jon, who else is there? Dice-K? He manages to get it done but not without a lot of drama. Beckett is clearly no longer the ace, and this starting rotation doesn't look so very strong any more.

Can we quit with the Ellsbury as lead-off batter experiment and put Crisp in there instead? Coco has been hitting, and he's quite fast. Ellsbury has left the building for some reason, along with a few other batters like the once-feared Big Papi.

Speaking of which, it would appear that David Ortiz only got to the place he did in hitting because Manny batted behind him. Take Manny out of the equation and apparently Ortiz is only a nominal hitter.

I predicted to a local radio show that if the Sox win the ALCS, it will be in seven games.

I also predicted that if the Rays win it, it will be in five games.

Everything is on track to come true.

On one good note: the Phillies are now one game away from getting into the World Series. They have a 3-1 lead in the NLCS. I am rooting for them to go all the way.

Unless the Red Sox make it in, of course.