The Tampa Bay Rays need some help.

They return to Tropicana Field with a 3-2 advantage in their best-of-seven American League Championship Series with Boston, but it sure doesn’t feel that way. After Boston frantically overcame a 7-0, seventh-inning deficit on Thursday night, the relaxed, confident Rays have reason to be rattled.

But, what’s done is done for them. They went out in Game 5, controlled the game for seven innings, and saw their reliable bullpen suddenly cough up a lead in grand fashion. Read more »

The most important thing baseball fans probably had on their minds last night, as the Tampa Bay Rays cruised to a 7-0 lead in Game 5 of the ALCS, was who would start Game 1 of the World Series for the AL Champions.

But the Red Sox rallied from seven runs down to win Game 5 and send the series back to Tampa Bay with the Rays now holding a slim 3-2 advantage.

Most fans probably can’t help but wonder now who’s going to start Game 7 for the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. Would it be Daisuke Matsuzaka, last night’s starter, going on three days rest for the Red Sox if the series makes it to Sunday? You can’t count out future Red Sox ace Jon Lester, who, although he gave up four earned runs and took the loss in Game 4, is a big game pitcher no matter how you look at it. The man defeated cancer and essentially death. So, pitching in a Game 7, on the road in a hostile environment, is probably not a big deal to him. Read more »