Rays live up to Ozzie's praise

Rays live up to Ozzie's praise
RAYS 9, WHITE SOX 4 | Sox manager ranks Tampa turnaround with decade's best stories
August 23, 2008
BY TONI GINNETTI

Are the Tampa Bay Rays the best story of the 2008 baseball season? How about the best baseball story of the last 10 years?

To White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, whose last days as a professional player were with the then-Devil Rays, the dramatic turn-around of the long-losing franchise counts at least as one of the best in a decade.

''This is one of the best, to me, the best news in baseball besides [Josh] Hamilton [the Texas Ranger who overcame a drug addiction] in the last 10 years -- besides us winning in 2005 and the Boston Red Sox [winning in 2004]. Hopefully, we kick their butts, but they deserve to be [applauded].''

The proof of Guillen's words was there for a sellout crowd at U.S. Cellular Field to see. The Rays spotted the Sox and John Danks a two-run lead before coming back with their own long-ball display to win 9-4.

The loss dropped the Sox into second place in the American League Central behind the Minnesota Twins, who took a half-game lead by beating the Los Angeles Angels 9-0.

For the Rays, the victory maintained their 4½-game lead in the AL East over the Boston Red Sox.

''They're definitely a great team with good hitters and good pitching,'' said Sox reliever Octavio Dotel, the victim of a three-run eighth. ''That's why they're in first place in their division. I just try to come out and do my job. I didn't get anyone out. That's going to happen. Sometimes you don't have your best stuff and get them out 1-2-3. Sometimes you have your best stuff and can't get anyone out.

''We just have to be ready to come back and try to win the series.''

''Obviously, it's not what we wanted to happen the first game of the series,'' said Nick Swisher, whose two-run homer in the fourth, his fourth blast in as many games, started the scoring. ''But they're a good team. It was close, and then it sort of slipped away from us. Some of these games happen. You're not going to win them all. This is what a pennant race is all about. One loss isn't going to get us down.''

Rays starter Edwin Jackson (10-, who twice before had been the loser in matchups with Danks, allowed only the two runs on Swisher's homer in six innings.

''This was the epitome of being effectively wild,'' Danks (10-6) said of his 6 1/3-inning outing. ''It worked out the first four innings. I wasn't as sharp as I'd like to be or as I was in the past. They're a real good team. They've proven that all year.''

The Rays had three homers among their 14 hits, while the Sox had Swisher's and a two-run homer from Alexei Ramirez in the eighth. It was the 15th homer for Ramirez, a franchise record for a rookie second baseman.

''We had chances with men on base with less than two outs and didn't take advantage, and they did,'' Guillen said. ''They opened the gates, and all of a sudden the floods came. They're in first place for a reason.''

Of the Rays' home, where sellouts are rare, Guillen said, ''Wake up, Tampa. Wake up. I played there. The only time people would come was when New York was in town. I think they have a good thing going. This is not a fluke. This is not a one-year thing. I think they'll be good for a long time.''




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