A sample smattering of chatter about the Sox from the guys on the other side of the field.

The American League Championship Series arrived in the sport's loneliest outpost Friday night, and it looked and felt exactly the way postseason baseball should.

Sellout crowd, tense game and a post-midnight ending. There was no cool October breeze inside Tropicana Field, but on the other hand, they did find the most annoying American Idol singer available.

All in all, it was a perfect ALCS debut for Tampa Bay.

Other than, you know, the lack of runs.

Rays Report:

The Rays won 97 games during the regular season and beaty [sic] Boston 10 out of 18 times to win the AL East for the first time in franchise history and gain home field advantage for the ALCS. They lost that edge in one hard fought, closely contested game Friday night in front of a sold-out stadium that included a fair number of Red Sox fans, but was dominated by Rays supporters.

One more thing you couldn't have said about this team, or this place, before this season.

Her Rays:

There is one huge issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Ever since Evan Longoria was spotted at the USF game in the vicinity of a girl with a very nice set of boobies, he's been stinkin it up at the plate. This can not be happening right now. He does not even look his normal comfortable self. There is only one solution. Get him a flat chested girl stat. He needs to balance the scales. That way he can go 4-0 not 0-4, and stay out of excruciating inning ending double plays.

Tampa Tribune:

There it was, a brightly wrapped moment for the Can't Miss Kid named Evan Longoria.

As he came to the plate in the eighth inning Friday night, two men were on and he represented the go-ahead run in an evening the Rays spent chasing the Boston Red Sox. As we have seen so frequently this summer, Longoria thrives on stages such as these. Even his tormentor, Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, was out of the game. You could picture the ball rocketing toward the left-field bleachers to pull another one out for the Rays. Or perhaps it would clank off one of the catwalk rings. But surely he would do something dramatic.

Alas, he did.

On a 2-0 pitch, he swung at would have been ball 3. Two pitches later, he grounded routinely to short. As soon as the ball left Longoria's bat, you knew. Everyone of the 35,001 at the Trop knew.

Double play.

Longoria slammed his helmet to the ground in real anger as he crossed first base.

Opportunity lost.

Game lost.

Rays Of Light:

Every single time the Rays loaded the bases, they shot themselves in the foot. The first inning was pretty much the whole game. The Rays load bases through walks. The Rays strand baserunners because no one can get an RBI. Shields had a good game but Dice K pitched a 4 hitter. The home field advantage vanished last night. Tonight is a must win game with Kazmir taking the mound. If the Rays lose both games at home, the prospects look bleak. I'm not saying it's over but the trends show that most 0 - 2 teams don't win the ALCS.