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Wednesday, October 22
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Hot Lines: Wednesday's best MLB bet
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Philadelphia Phillies at Tampa Bay Rays (-105, 7.5)
While Cole Hamels' dominant performance keyed Philadelphia wrapping up the NL championship series, it was Scott Kazmir who helped give Tampa Bay the home-field advantage for this matchup.
He was the winning pitcher in the All-Star game, working a scoreless 15th inning before Phillies closer Brad Lidge gave up the winning run to the AL in the bottom half. It's the only loss suffered all year by Lidge, who has converted all 46 of his save opportunities - five in the postseason.
The victory meant the AL would get the extra home game in this series and that means a city which before this year had never seen a playoff game, or even a winning record during the Rays' first 10 years of existence, will be the focus of all baseball fans as the Fall Classic begins.
Tampa Bay never finished with more than 70 wins and was a major league-worst 66-96 in 2007 before all of its young talent, directed by manager Joe Maddon, came together this season to win the AL East with a 97-65 record.
"People were happy when we got our 71st win. People were excited when we got our 81st win, saying you guys have cleared the .500 mark. We still kept going," said Rays pitcher Matt Garza , the ALCS MVP after beating the Red Sox twice. "We've proved doubters wrong this entire time."
Both teams feature powerful lineups with plenty of speed mixed in, as well as young starting pitching - the only starter in this series not in his 20s is 45-year-old Jamie Moyer of Philadelphia.
The youngest position players in this series have become the Rays' biggest stars.
Evan Longoria , the likely AL Rookie of the Year winner, had four homers and eight RBIs over the final six games of the ALCS. B.J. Upton, a 24-year-old center fielder, hit nine homers during the regular season but has seven in 11 playoff games while driving in 15 runs.
Neither Upton nor Longoria have faced Hamels (3-0, 1.23 ERA) - only four Tampa Bay hitters have - and his lone start versus the Rays was a loss during his 2006 rookie season.
Maybe no pitcher in this postseason has been better. The NLCS MVP has allowed three runs and six walks in 22 innings, striking out 22 while holding opposing batters to a .173 average.
"Being in that parade down Broad Street (in Philadelphia) is what we all want," Hamels said. "Getting a World Series ring and trophy is what really matters. Getting there is great, but winning it all is the best."
Hamels has given up more than two earned runs once in 13 starts since Aug. 1, pitching at least seven innings in nine of those games. Including his series-clinching NLCS win over the Los Angeles Dodgers , Hamels is 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA in his last seven road starts.
Pick: Philadelphia
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Wednesday, October 22
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Hot Lines: Wednesday's best MLB bet
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Philadelphia Phillies at Tampa Bay Rays (-105, 7.5)
While Cole Hamels' dominant performance keyed Philadelphia wrapping up the NL championship series, it was Scott Kazmir who helped give Tampa Bay the home-field advantage for this matchup.
He was the winning pitcher in the All-Star game, working a scoreless 15th inning before Phillies closer Brad Lidge gave up the winning run to the AL in the bottom half. It's the only loss suffered all year by Lidge, who has converted all 46 of his save opportunities - five in the postseason.
The victory meant the AL would get the extra home game in this series and that means a city which before this year had never seen a playoff game, or even a winning record during the Rays' first 10 years of existence, will be the focus of all baseball fans as the Fall Classic begins.
Tampa Bay never finished with more than 70 wins and was a major league-worst 66-96 in 2007 before all of its young talent, directed by manager Joe Maddon, came together this season to win the AL East with a 97-65 record.
"People were happy when we got our 71st win. People were excited when we got our 81st win, saying you guys have cleared the .500 mark. We still kept going," said Rays pitcher Matt Garza , the ALCS MVP after beating the Red Sox twice. "We've proved doubters wrong this entire time."
Both teams feature powerful lineups with plenty of speed mixed in, as well as young starting pitching - the only starter in this series not in his 20s is 45-year-old Jamie Moyer of Philadelphia.
The youngest position players in this series have become the Rays' biggest stars.
Evan Longoria , the likely AL Rookie of the Year winner, had four homers and eight RBIs over the final six games of the ALCS. B.J. Upton, a 24-year-old center fielder, hit nine homers during the regular season but has seven in 11 playoff games while driving in 15 runs.
Neither Upton nor Longoria have faced Hamels (3-0, 1.23 ERA) - only four Tampa Bay hitters have - and his lone start versus the Rays was a loss during his 2006 rookie season.
Maybe no pitcher in this postseason has been better. The NLCS MVP has allowed three runs and six walks in 22 innings, striking out 22 while holding opposing batters to a .173 average.
"Being in that parade down Broad Street (in Philadelphia) is what we all want," Hamels said. "Getting a World Series ring and trophy is what really matters. Getting there is great, but winning it all is the best."
Hamels has given up more than two earned runs once in 13 starts since Aug. 1, pitching at least seven innings in nine of those games. Including his series-clinching NLCS win over the Los Angeles Dodgers , Hamels is 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA in his last seven road starts.
Pick: Philadelphia
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