Tampa Bay Rays Beat Out Philadelphia Phillies in World Series Game 2

by Rob Walker | October 24, 2008 at 09:41 am

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The Tampa Bay Rays edged out the Philadelphia Philies on Thursday night, trying the teams at 1-1 during their World Series game. A first-inning error led to two Tampa Bay runs, and they kept their lead winning 4-2.

It's only the fifth time in the World Series that the teams have been even at one win apiece going into the third game.

The next game is Saturday night in Philadelphia.

Fit to be tied: Tampa Bay evened the series with Thursday night's win. It is the fifth time since 1995 that a series has been even at 1. Of those previous four, the 2002 Angels were the only team to go on to win the World Series after tying it up at 1 with a Game 2 victory.
Left stranded: The Phils are now 1-for-28 with runners in scoring position in the Series -- a record-setting 0-for-13 Wednesday night and 1-for-15 Thursday. Philadelphia stranded 11 baserunners Thursday night and has now stranded 22 runners in the first two games.

11:42 PM - After a Chase Utley strikeout, Ryan Howard wasted no time putting my misery to an end for the night, grounding right into the teeth of the infield shift to end the game at 4-2. The series is all tied up and now heads back to Philadelphia for three games, where Jamie Moyer will face ALCS MVP Matt Garza in game 3 on Saturday night (or perhaps Sunday, in case of a rainout.) Whenever game 3 is played, I will not be at my post for reactions, as I'll be reacting from the stands at Citizens Bank Park. Whichever team takes the 2-1 series lead, I'll be right back here for game 4.

And what's the internet without a little friendly rivalry? This time over who has the better stadium to host the games:

I’ve read this sentiment echoed by many a blogger on these internets, so Enrico at The 700 Level isn’t alone, but here’s what he wrote this morning:

On the bright side, we can leave that amusement park behind us and come play at a real baseball park in Philadelphia. The fans at the Bank for the World Series will bring it like the Rays have never seen.

Yeah, a real ballpark! Stupid Tropicana Field and its 82-foot basepaths and mound that sits seven feet tall. Freakin’ amusement park, that place. How do those fans even call that dump a baseball stadium? It doesn’t even have any history. Unlike The Bank, which is steeped in FOUR WHOLE YEARS of tradition, baby. Oh yeah, Phillies fans are gonna bring it, the likes of which the Rays have never witnessed.