Tampa Bay vs Texas Playoff Game 5

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I haven't played any playoff games, but I'll take a shot here. We have a tied series here at 2-2. Tampa Bay lost Game 1 and it was Price vs Lee. Sometimes in the regular season I like to look at the right-back revenge angle when there are two of the same pitchers involved as only days earlier. I don't know how it works in the playoff games, but I'll give it a try here. Furthermore, home teams are very good historically in all sports in Game 7's. Here it is a Game 5 so I'm stretching a little bit, but you would think that the same theory would hold up. I also like the fact that they still made Price the favorite over Lee despite what happnened in Game 1. Believe it or not, Lee was 0-2 at Tropicana Field in the regular season where his ERA was 4.60 and he allowed 8 ER in 15 innings so its not like he is dominant there. He just pitched a Great Game 1 there. Texas had all the momentum going up 2-0 and all they had to do was win 1 game. They had a chance to bury Tampa Bay and didn't. I'll take the home team in the final game, the pitcher with right-back revenge, the momentum team, and the team with playoff experience that went to the World Series not too long ago.

I will take Tampa Bay -115.


I'll be gone out-of-town for a few days (starting tomorrow) so I won't be able to respond to anything after tonight (late Monday night). Best of luck to the Rays on Tuesday night.
 

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Baseball is the worst team sport for "revenge" wins, but that's not affecting why I'm cutting against the grain with TB as well. This team has a knack for scoring runs...I really could care less about their K totals, the runners they DO get on base score more often than any others in MLB, and there's good reason for it.

Now, Lee's not exactly a guy you can run all over, but I still expect the Rays to be much more aggressive than they were last Wednesday where they wasted some opps vs Lee...how about that lead-off double to start the second that was stranded as a ready example? A semi-Testament to Lee, no doubt, but he had about a half-dozen other hard-hit balls that could've been hits in addition to the other 5 that reached. I know: woulda coulda shoulda. But the larger point is: the guy was and is not invincible and I feel the chances are good that some of those hard hit balls will find grass tonight. Just 2 starts ago vs TB, the Rays put 6 earnies on him in 7 2/3's. He can be had, people.

More importantly than counting on Lee to look semi-human, is the fact that you simply cannot expect a similarly rough outing from Price. I won't say revenge is a factor, but more one of pride. The Rangers have had his number as of late, though, admittedly.

I expect the Rays to grab a small lead by the 4th and hang on for dear life. Against the seemingly (if you believe the ESPN dunderheads) unflappable Cliff Lee.

Funnily enough, the Rangers have lost 3 of their last 4 games vs TB when Lee has started, but you'd never know by the way the usual suspects puport the guy like the "Cy Young" of the post-season with his...wait for it...TWO years and 5 starts worth of post-season experience. Good grief, he's been great folks, but lets give it a little more time before we annoint him "Mr. October/November."

Keep that champagne on ice just yet, Texas, there's a reason why either team is at -105/-115 on the ML, respectively. This will be close. And although you can bet most will be heavily leaning on TEX (and perhaps righfully so) the play is on the ML with the Aquatics.

4-3 TB.

James
 

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Back in town now. Congrats to the Rangers. They deserved it. Their first three runs were a result of being super-aggressive on the basepads. Price was solid pitching, but he had some defensive lapses along wtih others that cost them. The Rangers were fearless and deserved the win. The other two runs came when the game was just about over so its a whole different game if they aren't as agggressive on the basepads IMO. In fact, the whole game changes.Texas beat Tampa at their own game which I misread. Congrats Texas backers.
 

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