Game suspended, and it will be at Bud Selig's discretion as to when it resumes, but it will most likely be tomorrow night.
Lots of questions. Who will start? When will they start? How will the managers treat their bullpens?
Phillies fans have waited 28 years, they will have to wait at least one more day.
In the words of the immortal Jack Buck: "We'll see you tomorrow night."
***
Hey, everyone. This is sports copy editor Dave Miniaci stepping in briefly during this rain induced intermission.
The Tennessee Titans are currently beating the Indianapolis Colts 17-14 in a crazy game. Kerry Collins is leading the Titans down the field to add points to the lead.
As fun as it is watching the game, we hope the World Series game, the actual reason for this blog post, continues shortly. As I have other matters to attend to, I hand the blog back to Mr Andrew J. Cassavell.
***
Inside information from my uncle currently stationed high above the third baseline in the Spanish Beisbol Network booth: "It doesn't look good". In other news... just ate Subway's new chicken Pizzeolla (if that's how you spell it). Great sandwich.
Going across the street to Subway to spend the last few dollars on my id card. Hopefully I'll be back with more analysis for the game tonight. If not, I'll be back tomorrow for more baseball. One thing for certain, looks like we'll be playing baseball into October 28th.
We're debating between a FOX 8 NEWS blog and a MNF blog. Stay posted, it could be a long night.
Matt is standing in the bathroom to keep warm. Must be a rough night because mens rooms at sporting events usually aren't pretty. Forecast for tomorrow? Rain all day.
Couldn't get in touch with Matt, but I was there for Saturday's delay. 45 thousand people packed into the main concourse from 8 to 10 p.m. It was like one giant crowded bar.
As I expected... Rain delay. Pena's hit may have just saved Bud Selig from -- if possible -- even more criticism.
MIDDLE SIXTH Tampa Bay 2, Philadelphia 2
F-8, and we head to the bottom of the sixth tied up.
On a passed ball, Pena goes to second. The infield looks more like a lake than any baseball field with today's drainage technology should.
Pena singles and the game is tied. Don't be surprised if it goes to a delay now with the score tied. This way, baseball can avoid the debacle of ending its season with a rainout, and finish the game tomorrow if they can't tonight.
Stolen base for Upton. With Pena up, the Rays may never get a better chance to tie the game.
Text from Matt: "I've been to a lot of sporting events, and this weather is as bad as I've ever experienced."
Tough play for Rollins, as he ranges to his right, but he can't get the speedy Upton. Definitely an infield hit, and Upton is on as a potential SB threat. Let the chess match begin.
Despite 30 minutes between pitches, Hamels appears unfazed, as he strikes out Iwamura.
To clarify, rules in the postseason are no different from those of the regular season, regarding rainouts. If the game ends now, the Phils win. Don't expect MLB to end its season this way though.
FOX is going to break while the grounds crew works on a very soggy Citizens Bank Park. Might as well get a lot of use out of it tonight, as it will be the last ballgame there until next spring. We'll see what else the weather can impact. The fans seem to roughing the weather and are all still in their seats.
Buck and McCarver are currently discussing one of the dumbest rules in baseball-- the infield fly rule. Sure I understand what's behind it: MLB doesn't want purposeful dropped flyouts turned into double plays. Seriously, if you want to avoid a double play... Don't hit a pop up!
***
END FIFTH Philadelphia 2, Tampa Bay 1
Balfour gets out of the inning with two pop ups.
After a failed bunt attempt, VIctorino fails to get the runners over with a flyout to shallow left. It may not seem like much, but the difference is huge. Without the sacrifice, the double play is still in tact, there is just one man in scoring position, and a flyball will not score a run.
The line on Kazmir: Four innings, four hits, two runs (with two men on still), and six walks. Six walks. Grant Balfour is in for the Rays, whose fairy tail season is in serious jeopardy. An extra basehit here, and we may never hear the cowbells again.
Another walk and here comes Joe Maddon.
"It's 10 p.m. Do you know where your children are?" Howard walks.
MIDDLE FIFTH Philadelphia 2, Tampa Bay 1
If the Rays can get through the bottom of the fifth, they will have a speedy top of the order facing Hamels in the sixth, which could spell trouble for the Phils. With Kazmir about to run out of pitches, and speedsters potentially reaching base, Game 5 could soon become the game I like to call "Athletic Chess". This is why I love the game of baseball.
Chase Utley makes one of the most underrated plays in baseball. The Phils' second baseman avoided the runner, Baldelli, to field the ball, before tagging him out, and throwing off-balance to get the double play. Unbelievable play, especially considering the weather. Kazmir strikes out again.
Just like tonight's blogger so wisely predicted, the weather indeed has had an impact. Rollins drops a routine pop up after running halfway across the diamond because of the wind.
***
END FOURTH Philadelphia 2, Tampa Bay 1
Following a walk to Werth, Utley grounds to Iwamura.
A nine pitch at bat culminates in a walk for Rollins. The Phils are working Kazmir, and with the day off tomorrow (and potentially the entire offseason), Rays' manager Joe Maddon has no rules with his bullpen tonight. 1st and 2nd, two outs, for Werth...
An innocent looking bunt attempt could have proven very costly to the Phils. After a Ruiz single, Hamels' bunt attempt went off the middle finger of his pitching hand. Hamels' ensuing bunt is terrible. It goes right back to Kazmir, and the Rays' pitcher gets the lead runner.
57 pitches through three innings for Kazmir. He's found his good stuff in the last couple of innings, but may not last very long.
***
MIDDLE FOURTH Philadelphia 2, Tampa Bay 1
Hamels works his way out of trouble with a double play ball on a 3-1 pitch to Navarro.
Longoria knocks in Pena with a basehit up the middle. Pena and Longoria, who were hitless coming into the fourth, have combined to give the Rays some life, and to make me look stupid with my 2-0 prediction. Hamels has gone to 2-0 on Navarro.
Pena doubles off the wall, a ball that was clearly stopped by the wind. The slump may be over for the Rays' first baseman, and now Longoria to the plate, looking to break a slide of his own.
Just spoke with Matt again. He says the fans have rarely sat down tonight, and it is difficult to see the game because of the rally towels. The atmosphere Saturday was unbelievable and that was following a two hour rain delay. I can only imagine Citizen's Bank Park during a possible series-clincher.
***
END THIRD Philadelphia 2, Tampa Bay 0
The Phils go down 1-2-3, but with Hamels pitching like John Smoltz of the 1990's, offense could mean very little the rest of the way for Philadelphia. Kazmir has settled into a groove, too, and I wouldn't be shocked at a 2-0 final score.
MIDDLE THIRD Philadelphia 2, Tampa Bay 0
Iwamura singles to break up the no-no, but Crawford grounds out. 18 to go for the Phils, and the Rays aren't even fighting back yet.
Scott Kazmir to the plate after Bartlett grounds out. It is odd seeing him some of these A.L. pitchers swing a bat, and the debate over the DH is one of the most controversial topics in sports. I say let it be. Both strategies are different, but interesting, and when they clash in the World Series it can give managers fits and is fun to watch. I just wish some A.L. pitchers weren't as un-athletic as Chien Ming Wang, and didn't have to be babied on the basebaths for fear of a season-ending injury... yes I'm bitter. Kazmir strikes out. He's definitely an A.L. pitcher.
***
END SECOND Philadelphia 2, Tampa Bay 0
Werth singles, but Utley flies out. Kazmir struggled little in the 2nd, but has thrown a lot of pitches early on.
Just saw the MLB Network's collage for the 2008 season. As a Yankee fan, but a baseball fan first, I don't want to see this season end and enter five months without the pastime. But there's nothing I can do. How many days til Pitchers and Catchers? It's a sad thought. Two easy outs for Kazmir in the 2nd. Werth is up.
MIDDLE SECOND Philadelphia 2, Tampa Bay 0
Easy inning for Hamels, but what else is new. The Phils' ace has been unbelievable this post season, and he may have saved his best stuff for tonight. The Rays are hitless through two innings.
Carlos Pena is struggling. Need evidence? The Rays cleanup hitter, who hit 31 dingers during the season just tried to bunt for a hit. He is now 0 for 14 this series. One away
***
END FIRST Philadelphia 2, Tampa Bay 0
They're waving their towels in Philly after Victorino knocks in two on a single to left. The Phils are now 24 outs away.
Following a Howard K, and a walk to Burrell, they're loaded for the Hawaiian Victorino. Big AB early in the game.
Utley takes one off the upper back. It'll hurt tomorrow, but some postgame champagne for the Phils' second baseman would probably ease the pain. Kazmir looks wild early as he usually does. Teams that can jump on him early before he settles into a groove are usually the successful ones.
Werth walks on a questionable pitch on the outside corner, after the umpire denies Rollins a walk on a pitch on the inside corner. Looks like an inside zone tonight. One on one out.
Fox just showed the graphic of the TB defense, which has made errors in each of its last eight postseason games. Bad luck? Nerves? Youth? It's hard to tell, but it could be a combination of the three for a usually solid, but very inexperienced defense.
Middle First Tampa Bay 0, Philadelphia 0
Rollins makes things interesting, by dropping a line drive, but throws the speedy Crawford out at first, anyway. The next ground ball is far easier for the all star shortstop. Three up three down.
First pitch time 8:31 for an 8 o'clock game. We could be in for an historic night of baseball, and with the late start maybe an historic early morning. Iwamura flies to left, one out.
***
Just noticed Crawford's batting second. With Pena and Longoria each moving down a spot. Iwamura, Crawford and Upton at the top of the order. Could be a fun night behind the plate for game 3 hero Carlos Ruiz
***
For you fans out there interested in another reason to watch tonight. Count the number of campaign ads. Seriously, with election day eight days away, and a large audience from mostly swing states of PA and FL, we could be in for an all-time high over the next three hours.
***
After watching John Oates' performance of the National Anthem we learned two things. First, the weather will play a factor. FOX showed the rain glistening in the lights of Citizen's Bank Park, the American flag almost stiff because of the wind, and fans bundled up. This is not midsummer baseball. In case you haven't heard-- there's only one October.
Second, the anthem at sporting events is now less about America, and more about who can hold the "Red Glaaaaaaare," the longest. What happened to the days when we honored America, all sang along, and could enjoy a crisp clean anthem. There should be one way to sing it, and no improvisation (I am referring to Patti LaBelle last night).
A few minutes until first pitch, and here are Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, ladies and gentlemen.
***
Hey folks, it's AJ Cassavell coming to you from the Daily Collegian Office, to live blog tonight's fifth game of the 2008 World Series. With an offense that has been on fire for the last two games, home fans that would likely donate limbs to see a championship come to their city, and the most dominating postseason by a pitcher this side of Josh Beckett's '03 campaign, the Phils seem poised to capture a second World Series title.
But it might not be that easy for the Fightin' Phils. With Tampa Bay ace Scott Kazmir on the hill, one good performance tonight could swing the momentum of the entire series. Not including Chase Utley's home run in the first inning of game one, the Phils bats were silent at the Trop, and another trip back to Florida could bring more of the same with James Shields and Matt Garza waiting in the wings.
It will be a difficult task for the Rays to win tonight, but if they find a way, all the pressure shifts to the shoulders of the team looking to bring a title to its city of Philadelphia for the first time in 100 combined years for all four professional teams.
Although the radar I'm currently watching shows a forecast for rain throughout the night, I hear the tarp is off the field and they are looking to play ball on schedule. I was at the game Saturday night, and if they weren't canceling that, I feel safe in saying they won't cancel anything-- although I'm sure FOX wouldn't mind a cancellation tonight, so they wouldn't have to compete with MNF's Titans-Colts game.
Here are the lineups
NO. TAMPA BAY
1. A. Iwamura, 2B
2. C. Crawford, LF
3. B. Upton, CF
4. C. Pena, 1B
5. E. Longoria, 3B
6. D. Navarro, C
7. R. Baldelli, RF
8. J. Bartlett, SS
9. S. Kazmir, P
NO. PHILADELPHIA
1. J. Rollins, SS
2. J. Werth, RF
3. C. Utley, 2B
4. R. Howard
5. P. Burrell
6. S. Victorino, CF
7. P. Feliz, 3B
8. C. Ruiz, C
9. C. Hamels, P
Anyway, I just spoke with Matt Brown, my Collegian colleague who is currently at the game, and he says they should start on time-- which of course means 20 minutes late because FOX needs a ten minute national anthem, and ten minutes of extra advertisements, and previews for 24's Redemption. Seriously, I love 24 as much as the next guy, but i don't need to hear Joe Buck tell me again "The most addictive new drama is back".
One final thought before the game-- If Philadelphia wins it means Boston, New York and Philly own championships in America's three most popular sports. Good news for northeastern sports fans, but for the rest of the country, which detests these teams, it could be a bad night.
Enjoy game 5,
