Rays finally show inexperience

Grant Balfour's wild pitch was just one of many ugly plays for the Rays in the ninth. Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images Jon Heyman's Mailbag Got a question or comment for Jon? Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Jon Heyman on Twitter

PHILADELPHIA -- The feel-good Tampa Bay Rays got a rude awakening here late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, much ruder than even V.P. hopeful/hockey mom Sarah Palin received when she dropped the first puck here at a Flyers game to a chorus of boos a couple weeks back. The Rays were greeted with insults and epithets, according to Cliff Floyd, and the Rays young star Evan Longoria, who eventually figured in the key losing play, was serenaded all game with chants of "Eva.'' In contrast to the hard and harsh treatment from the Philly faithful, they were frustrated by tantalizingly soft stuff from the Phillies middle-aged starter Jamie Moyer, who showed his wisdom in holding the young Tampa team at bay most of the night.

The Rays finally came of age in this the 11th year of their existence, yet looked slightly green against the wily Moyer, who's 45 and wants to pitch until he's 50. For one of the few times in this incredible, impossible Rays year, their youth showed in the game that was delayed by rain for an hour and a half and ended at 1:47 a.m. Mistakes cost the Rays, as the Phillies built the winning ninth-inning rally on a hit batsmen, a wild pitch, an error and a questionable fielding decision by Longoria, the wunderkind third baseman and certain Rookie of the Year who's following a superior performance in the regular season and spectacular showing in both their American League playoffs series with a very rough World Series so far.

The winning run in Philly's 5-4 victory (Recap | Box Score) scored when Longoria, whose Series average remained at .000 after taking an 0-for-4 collar, tried to make an impossible play in a difficult situation. Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, a .219 hitter who homered earlier in the game and has been a surprise hitting hero through the first three games, topped a bases-loaded, no-out dribbler in the bottom of the ninth. The best play would have been for Longoria to let the ball keep dribbling and hope it dribbled foul.

But Longoria tried for the one-in-a-million scoop throw. Perhaps the team that's overcome all odds thought there was a play to be made. But Eric Bruntlett easily scored the winning run as Longoria predictably scooped the ball well past catcher Dioner Navarro.

"It's a really awkward play and he did the best that he could. It's just an unfortunate situation,'' Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "You may have seen something differently ... I thought it was going to stay fair.''

"It might have taken a squibber down the third-base line, but at the same time it's better to be lucky sometimes than good,'' Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.

The more-good-than-lucky Rays are being tested again after holding off the World Champion Red Sox in the regular season, then spoiling Boston's big comeback in the ALCS. But they are one tough and scrappy bunch, and they are going to need to channel those attributes Sunday in Game 4. Otherwise, they could be facing an elimination game against Phillies ace Cole Hamels on Monday in Game 5 in this palace of putdowns.

While the Rays finally made errors of inexperience, the Phillies are also better than many folks figured. They were being overlooked heading into the Series, thanks to all the excitement surrounding the miracle Rays. But Philly is a dangerous team, and with the real Ryan Howard finally standing up after looking bad on so many curveballs, it becomes that much more dangerous. Howard lofted a long home run off Rays starter Matt Garza to follow a homer by Chase Utley and give the Phillies a 4-1 lead in the sixth inning, before the resilient Rays made a game of it.

Tampa showed its athleticism in tying the score at 4-4 in the eighth when multitalented B.J. Upton manufactured one run on two legs. After Upton reached on a single to shortstop when Jimmy Rollins double clutched on his throw, Upton stole second and third, and scored when Ruiz's low throw was inadvertently kicked by Upton, whose three steals in Game 3 tied the World Series record last accomplished in 1968 by Lou Brock.

"[Carl] Crawford and Upton, they really fly,'' Manuel said. "When they hit the ball on the infield they make you hurry.''

The Rays can beat you in a lot of ways. But they got a little help from the umpires in cutting the lead to 4-3 with a two-run seventh inning. First-base umpire Tom Hallion blew a call, setting up the two-run inning. With two bad calls going against the Phillies in Game 2, they had reason to wonder when things might even out. But they kept their cool.

In this case, Hallion called Crawford safe even though replays indicated that Moyer and Howard teamed up to nip Crawford at first. A surprisingly agile Moyer flipped the ball to first while belly flopping, and Howard nabbed the ball barehanded just before Crawford hit the bag.

"I thought we had 'em,'' Howard said. "But I guess the umpire thought otherwise.''

After Navarro doubled to left, the Rays continued their trend of driving in runs with outs. Groundouts by Gabe Gross and Jason Bartlett accounted for the two runs to make it 4-3. The Rays tied it an inning later before they played a dreadful ninth inning.

Normally dependable Rays reliever J.P. Howell hit Bruntlett with a pitch to start the ninth, and Bruntlett moved to third following a wild pitch and a throwing error by Navarro. Two intentional walks loaded the bases before Ruiz hit the fateful dribbler off Grant Balfour.

Perhaps it was past the young Rays' bedtime because they looked slightly sleepy by the end. Game 3 didn't get going until the unreasonable hour of 10 p.m. after rain delayed the start, perhaps contributing to the Rays' drowsy performance against the slow-throwing Moyer, the miracle man and Pennsylvania product who didn't start pitching for the team of his youth until he was 43.

Moyer's Series debut came at age 45, the second oldest ever to start a Series game after Jack Quinn in 1929 "I think it exceeded every expectation, every thought, every dream I ever had,'' Moyer said. Moyer's Game 3 performance came on the heels of two previous postseason stinkers.

The Philly faithful, who were loud and proud, and waited through an abject downpour to see the first Series game here in 15 years, would say the same about this Series so far.