It's Philly's night
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Ryan Howard reached into the stands, stuck his glove into a cluster of fans and caught a foul pop for a key out. Yes, Tropicana Field was filled with World Series rookies on and off the field.
With the glamorous teams eliminated, the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays opened a most unexpected World Series Wednesday night. Cole Hamels escaped trouble to win his fourth postseason start, Chase Utley hit a two-run homer in the first inning and the Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2.
While the City of Brotherly Love celebrated, the worst-to-first Rays might as well have been plopped into the fish tank in right-center, flopping in their first game in baseball's ultimate event. They managed just five hits — none after the fifth inning.
"If you want to take the wind out of the sails," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said, "you shut the cowbells up and get some home runs. That will do it — except in Citizens Bank Park. If you hit enough there, they ring a bell. They ring the Liberty Bell."
Philadelphia will try to make it two in a row at Tropicana Field when Brett Myers pitches against James Shields in Game 2 tonight. The team that won the opener has captured the Series 63 of 103 times, including 10 of the last 11. But the team with home-field advantage has taken 18 of the last 22 titles.
"It's huge," Phillies closer Brad Lidge said. "You try and downplay it, but obviously you're coming into a place like this, you want to make sure you get the first game, especially because you got your ace on the mound. It's really important to do that."
It seems the rust vs. rest debate as been around almost since, well, the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Philadelphia had six days to reflect and relax after winning the National League pennant. The Rays had two days to recover after beating Boston in Game 7 for the AL title on Sunday night.
"I don't think it threw off our timing too much," Utley said of the layoff. "I think (tonight) we should definitely be more back on track."
Hamels, MVP of the NL championship series, improved to 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA this postseason. He had only a pair of 1-2-3 innings, but the composed 24-year-old left-hander allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings.
Ryan Madson pitched a perfect eighth. Lidge worked the ninth for his 47th save in 47 chances this year, silencing the Rays and their cowbell-clanging fans.
While Carl Crawford homered, playoff stars B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena went a combined 0-for-12, striking out five times and hitting into two double plays. Akinori Iwamura had three of his team's five hits.
Scott Kazmir, selected two picks ahead of Hamels in the first round of the 2002 amateur draft, struggled with his control and gave up three runs, six hits and four walks in six innings.
"It wasn't an easy night, and I felt like I had to battle every single inning," Kazmir said.
Philadelphia could have romped but went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners. Their other run even scored on an out, an RBI grounder by Carlos Ruiz.
"It's better to come up empty with a lot of guys in scoring position than not have any at all," Utley said.
