The Philadelphia Phillies ended their long wait for a World Series title with a short burst of baseball as they clinched the crown by completing a rain-suspended 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Phillies captured their first Fall Classic title since 1980 in a unique, three-inning finish as they resumed Game Five, suspended in the middle of the sixth on Monday with the score tied 2-2 when the field became unplayable after rain. The victory gave the Phillies a 4-1 triumph in the best-of-seven series and ended a dream season for the Rays, who rebounded from the worst record in the majors last season.
The Philadelphia Phillies crushed the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2 to move within one win of their first World Series crown in 28 years. Slugger Ryan Howard belted two homers while Jayson Werth and starting pitcher Joe Blanton also cleared the fences for the Phils, who claimed a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Rays’ dream season, which has taken them from the worst record in the majors to their first Fall Classic, will come to an end if they lose Game Five at Citizens Bank Park on Monday. Howard, who had gone the entire postseason without a homer until he hit one on Saturday, said his big-game dreams came true.
The Philadelphia Phillies took advantage of some sloppy play in the bottom of the ninth to claim a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays and earn a 2-1 lead in the World Series. Victory in the rain-delayed game gave Philadelphia a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with Game Four scheduled for Sunday. After relinquishing a 4-3 lead in the eighth, the Phillies began the winning rally when JP Howell hit leadoff man Eric Bruntlett, who took second base on a wild pitch and dashed on to third on a poor throw by the catcher. Grant Balfour, who delivered the wild pitch while facing Shane Victorino in relief of Howell, then issued intentional walks to the next two hitters to load the bases with no outs.
Big Game James. That’s quite a nickname for a pitcher with 32 major league wins. James Shields definitely deserved it Thursday night. Shields stymied the slumping Philadelphia Phillies, rookie David Price got the final seven outs and the plucky Tampa Bay Rays rebounded from a rare home loss with a 4-2 victory that tied the World Series at 1-all.
The waiting game turned into a winning game for Cole Hamels, Chase Utley and the Philadelphia Phillies. Hamels escaped trouble to win his fourth postseason start, Utley hit a two-run homer in the first inning and the Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in the World Series opener Wednesday night.
Being an All-Star is old hat for Rangers shortstop Michael Young, who made his fifth Midsummer Classic appearance Tuesday night. Playing the role of hero is getting pretty familiar, too. Young, named the All-Star MVP in Pittsburgh two years ago after hitting a two-run triple in the ninth inning, supplied the game-winning RBI for the American League again Tuesday with a 15th-inning sacrifice fly that ended an epic 4-3 battle.
Non c’era modo migliore per dire addio allo Yankee Stadium, “la casa che Babe Ruth costruì” destinato a chiudere i battenti al termine di questa stagione. American League e National League hanno dato vita all’All Star Game più lungo della storia del baseball.
The second-year Rangers outfielder had a first round for the ages Monday night in the annual State Farm Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium, but he lost in the final round to the Twins’ Justin Morneau, who outhomered Hamilton, 5-3.
Smacking 28 first-round homers into the far reaches of the old ballpark, which is scheduled to close at the end of the season after 85 years, Hamilton set the all-time Derby record for homers in a single round. He shattered the mark of 24 that Bobby Abreu, then of the Phillies and now of the Yankees, set in Detroit’s Comerica Park three years ago, when Abreu won the contest.
