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Tip Your Hats to Tampa

Rays' talent rises to occasion, avoids epic collapse in beating Boston to seal Series trip

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 20, 2008 2:00 PM CDT

(Newser) – The improbable has happened. The Tampa Bay Rays have ousted the defending champion Red Sox. Sportswriters, start your fawning:

The Rays won this thing with “talent, talent, talent,” which trumps experience every time, writes Bob Ryan in the Boston Globe. “The best team in the American League is going to the World Series.”
Besides, the Rays played like grizzled veterans, writes George Vecsey of the New York Times, thanks to a “lineup full of heroes doing the big things and the small things.”

"With everyone expecting them to fold under the weight of the memory of that horrible collapse at Fenway Park, the Rays came up bigger than ever," writes Marc Lancaster of the Tampa Tribune.
As for Red Sox Nation? They’ll be okay; 2004’s World Series counted for a lot. “Now, an October loss is just a loss,” writes Seth McAdams of the Boston Herald. “The Red Sox go home, spirits down, heads high.”

[Quotes (4)]

Tampa Bay's Scott Kazmir, right, sprays BJ Upton with champagne after the Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox to win the ALCS in St. Petersburg, Fla., last night. (AP Photo)

Boston's Dustin Pedroia walks back to the locker room after the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Red Sox to win the ALCS in St. Petersburg, Fla., last night. (AP Photo)

Tampa Bay Rays players celebrate after defeating the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 to win the American League baseball championship series in St. Petersburg, Fla., last night. (AP Photo)

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Lester, who struck out eight and walked nobody, pitched well enough to win a lot of games, but not this one. - Bob Ryan

The Rays vanquished the champions using a lineup full of heroes doing the big things and the small things - George Vecsey

Perhaps making it interesting to the point that everyone dismissed their chances was the only way for the Rays to do it. - Marc Lancaster

Injuries aren’t an excuse, but they are a factor. That the Sox brought the potential tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning in the last American League playoff game of the season says something. - Seth McAdams

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Tip Your Hats to Tampa

Rays' talent rises to occasion, avoids epic collapse in beating Boston to seal Series trip