The Tampa Bay Devil*Rays continued to defy their inexperience by defeating the Chicago White Sox 3-1 in a five game series. The Rays will move on to face the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series. Boston defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3-1 in the other American League playoff.
The Rays continued their hero-by-committee approach to winning baseball while beating Chicago. But special mention goes out to Andy Sonnanstine, who provided a solid start to the fourth game and handed off the lead to the excellent Rays bullpen. B. J. Upton also warrants special mention for rediscovering his power stroke (three homers in the past two games) and providing excellent defense.
As I've mentioned before, Boston deserves to be considered the favorite to represent the AL in the World Series. The Red Sox have the best batting lineup in the league and starting pitching perhaps a hair better than Tampa Bay's. The Rays feature a better bullpen, better overall defense and more speed on the basepaths as well as home field advantage. Boston, of course, has considerably more experience, but the Rays have thus far seemed sufficiently immune to the fatal effects of inexperience.
Though the season is already highly satisfying for Tampa Bay, Boston fans (as well as certain Boston players) are extremely obnoxious. Go Rays.
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