White Sox-Rays Game One Live-Blog

No preview for this series; I ran out of time, and I think I've probably written enough words on Tampa already. But, as you can hopefully tell from the title, I will be live-blogging the first game, which starts at 2:30 ET. See you then.

2:33 Okay. I'm here. I see the Rays have decided to take Price over Percival on the playoff roster. Fantastic.

2:39 Cabrera flies out to right to lead things off. The cowbell is out in full force.

2:41 Shields looks great, no Dempster-like playoff jitters here. White Sox go 1-2-3 in the first.

Now it's Big Game Javy's turn.

2:49 I guess I shouldn't have broken out the "Big Game Javy" thing so soon. Rays go quietly in the first.

I would say some nonsense like "it looks like a low-scoring affair", but instead I have proof: over 8.5 is now +173 at Matchbook.

2:51 Chicago's playoff roster has "absolutely no surprises". Well okay then.

2:53 You see guys in three piece suits walking around Tampa with mohawks? I mean I obviously wouldn't know, but I kind of doubt this.

2:55 Shields looks good and all, but we should probably remember that this is the same offense that could barely manage a run off Nick freaking Blackburn in an elimination game.

2:58 Longoria crushes one to left-center, 1-0 Rays. Big Game Javy.

2:59 Only missed the glove by two feet on that one. Wow.

2:59 And Crawford strikes out on three pitches in his first AB since August 9th. That was not pretty.

3:01 Floyd crushes a slider to right, but foul. Another great location by BGJ.

3:05 Dioner Navarro, determined not to walk, pops out to left. The White Sox are confused by the roof (I guess?), and it falls in for a "double". Navarro on second, two outs, Gross up.

3:07 The Brewers are going to throw Bush in Game 3. No surprise there.

Gross strikes out. 1-0 Rays after 2.

3:13 Alexei singles up the middle to lead off the 3rd.

3:14 Pierzynski pops one up to short left, and Crawford can't get there. Two on, nobody out, for Uribe.

3:14 Uribe drops down a solid bunt, moving both runners over.

3:16 Cabrera gets jammed on a fastball in, and pops out to second. Two outs for Wise.

3:17 Aybar is now at first. Yahoo! says Pena left with an "undisclosed injury".

3:18 Wise homers to right. 3-1 White Sox. That was bad.

3:19 Come on, Shields. He leaves a FB up to Dye, who doubles over Upton's head.

3:23 Thome grounds out to end the inning. 3-1 ChiSox, mid 3.

3:25 Apparently, Eric Wedge gets to decide which coaches get fired. This is not encouraging.

3:27 What a turn of events this has been. Bartlet singles on a weak grounder that finds its way through, then Iwamura triples to dead center. 3-2 Rays, Iwamura at third, Upton up, nobody out.

3:29 Terrible AB by Upton, who Ks on a check swing on three pitches. Aybar now.

3:30 Aybar flies out to Wise, and Iwamura scores. Wow, that play at the plate was much close than I expected, nice attempt by Wise.

3:31 Nice slide by Iwamura, who can fly, yet he is incapable of stealing a base. Strange.

3:31 Evan Longoria is freaking awesome. Another HR. 4-3 Rays. Over is looking pretty good now, huh.

Evan Longoria, playoff career: 2 ABs, OPS of 5.000.

3:32 Big. Game. Javy.

3:34 Crawford almost falls over while swinging, and flies out to right.

Well. This has been exciting. 4-3 Rays after 3.

3:39 Pena scratched his eye at home last night, felt okay during batting practice, but didn't feel he could play the field after going out in the first. So weird.

3:41 Alexei holds up on a check swing. There's a first.

2-2 on him, two outs.

3:42 We're now told that Pena feels blessed to put on a Rays uniform every day. Can't say I've ever hard that one before.

3:43 Ramirez grounds out; surprising, I really expected a BB there. Shields seems to have settled down, not that he was ever particularly unsettled. 4-3 Rays, mid 4. Floyd, Navarro, Gross due up.

3:45 BPro's Internet Baseball Awards are now open for voting.

3:46 Didn't the Mets extend Minaya like 10 days ago? Why is this a headline now?

3:48 Vazquez paints the corner on the 3-2 pitch and Ks Floyd, who hit another foul HR earlier in the AB.

3:54 Gross walks, then steals second; just his third SB of the year. 2-1 on Barlett with two outs.

3:56 Barlett pops out to left, and BGJ gets out of it. 4-3 Rays after 4.

4:02 Well, that was ugly. White Sox try a hit-and-run with Pierzynski on first and an 0-2 count on Cabrera. Cabrera swings and misses at a CB, and Pierzynski is out by 10 feet. Two outs, nobody on, 1-2 on O-Cab.

4:03 Cabrera flies out to right. 4-3 Rays, mid 5.

4:07 Iwamura reaches out and drops a changeup into short right-center to lead off the bottom of the fifth.

4:11 Upton hits a potential DP ball, but Alexei loses it on the transfer; still gets Iwamura at 2nd though. It is really annoying that Aybar is hitting 3rd.

4:13 Oh boy. Aybar singles on a grounder to left. Two on for Longoria.

4:15 Longo singles to left--pretty much the same spot as Aybar--and Upton scores. Upton is so freaking fast; he was in cruise control with 60 feet to go.

4:17 That'll be it for Big Game Javy. Clayton Richard coming in.

4:19 Crawford--who, apparently, does not suck--singles up the middle against the lefty Richard, and Aybar comes around to score. 6-3 Rays. Hopefully Floyd can keep one of those HRs fair now.

4:21 A third foul HR for Floyd, although taht one was pulled more than the first couple.

4:25 Floyd and Navarro both strike out swinging to end the 5th. 6-3 Rays. Shields has thrown just 73 pitches.

4:29 Wise bunts, and Shields throws him out at first. The announcers are praising Aybar for the pick, but that was a nice play by Shields as well.

4:32 Thome with a very weak grounder back to Shields to end a 1-2-3 inning.

4:34 Looking good for the Rays; the line at MB is now +1100/-1500.

4:40 Richard sets the Rays down in order in the 6th. 85 pitches for Shields; this will likely be his last inning. No need to stretch him, with this bullpen.

4:45 Konerko singles to left to lead off the 7th. Tampa should probably get someone (Balfour) throwing in the pen.

4:47 Shields Ks Griffey on a changeup down and away. One out for Alexei.

4:50 Shields walks Alexei. This is not a good sign. Two on for Pierzynski.

4:51 Shields hits Pierzynski with the first pitch. That'll be all for Shields.

4:53 Balfour coming in to face Uribe with bases loaded, one out.

4:56 Uribe never had a chance, he strikes out on a FB up. Two down for Cabrera.

4:57 Not sure what the history is between Balfour and Cabrera, but it's something. Cabrera was talking to him after that first pitch. Or maybe he just took offense to Cabrera's excessive dirt kicking.

2-2.

4:59 Balfour is awesome. He blows the 2-2 right by Cabrera.

Orlando's not talking now. Huh. 6-3 Rays, mid seven.

5:02 Cabrera was yelling at Balfour between innings? What could he possibly be saying? You have failed, please shut up.

5:04 Ozzie comes out, but keeps Richard in to face Longoria with two outs and none on. Not sure what the logic is behind that.

5:05 Richard walks Longoria on four pitches. I guess that was semi-intentional to get to the lefty Crawford. I'm not sure why you wouldn't just bring in Dotel to pitch to Longoria there.

5:06 Terrible camerawork by TBS.

Longoria got picked off, but Konerko couldn't get the ball to second in time. 1-2 on Crawford.

HR is explaining that is' okay because you've got a 1-2 count on the guy you wanted to get out in the first place. Talk about failed logic. There's a runner on second now, buddy. This changes things.

Crawford grounds out. 6-3 after 7. Wise, Dye, and Thome coming up.

5:12 Howell in now; Anderson pinch-hitting for Wise to get the platoon matchup.

Anderson strikes out looking on a well spotted fastball down and in. Dye up now.

5:14 Dye Ks. Four outs away from the first playoff win in Rays history.

5:18 Howell gets Thome to ground out to end the inning.

5:22 Richard comes back out for the 8th. Baldelli, pinch-hitting for Floyd, grounds out, and then Navarro pops out to Dye. Two down, and Gross singles back through the box.

5:24 And now Barlett lines a single into left. Two on, two out for Iwamura; looks like they're going to keep Richard in to get the platoon matchup.

5:28 Iwamura walks. I'd imagine they'll bring Dotel in to face Upton.

5:32 After falling behind 2-0, Dotel throws three great pitches on the outside corner and gets Upton looking. Griffey, Ramirez, Pierzynski coming up in the 9th. Wheeler pitching, probably.

5:39 The 2-2 pitch is a ball, and Konerko decides to walk to first. Um, please come back.

5:41 After fouling off a bunch of 3-2 pitches, Konerko skies one to left and barely keeps it fair. 6-4 Rays.

5:42 Griffey flies out to left. One out. Ramirez and Pierzynski due up.

5:46 Alexei actually threw the bat at the 1-2. It didn't break or anything. He just let go.

And he strikes out on the 1-2. Two down.

5:48 Pierzynski flies out to center. Rays win. Buehrle v. Kazmir tomorrow night.