The Tampa Bay Rays make a comeback to force Game 5
After languishing on the brink of elimination, the Tampa Bay Rays have won another chance to advance to the National League Championship Series.
With the threat of going back home, the Rays gave a splendid performance, with injured Evan Longoria giving a 425 foot home run in the first and two doubles.
The Rays and Texas Rangers both have one final chance to advance to the NLCS, forcing them both in a deciding Game 5 of the post-season - the first since the Los Angeles Angels beat the New York Yankees in 2005.
Both teams are now at 2-2, with the Rangers winning Game 1 and 2 at home and the Rays winning Game 3 and 4 in theirs.
"We've really battled to get back to even," said Longoria. "And I think we have a lot of confidence going home, and being able to finish the series in our home ballpark."
The next game will be played in Florida and the Rays are hoping that their home-field advantage will be enough to win Game 5.
"I still want to believe there is a home-field advantage and hopefully that's going to show up," Rays Manager, Joe Maddon said. "The extra game at home, I have been talking about it all along."
If the Rays succeed, they will join the 2001 Yankees as the solitary teams to be defeated in the first two post-season games at home and still win a five game series.
Texas is the only current MLB team that hasn’t ever won a post-season series, and has never prevailed in a playoff game at home.
Longoria, still suffering from a left quad strain, was at 0-for-12 before he and Carlos Pena had successive doubles to start the 4th innings off Tommy Hunter. Longoria added a homerun for two runs in the 5th inning to give the Rays a 5-0 lead.
Longoria's injury limits him when he runs around the bases and on various plays at third base.
With the Rays first at bat, Pena scored after a throwing error by Ian Kinsler in the 2nd.
After Pena delivered a double to left field as Longoria was able to score and after B.J. Upton doubled to the left, Pena was able to get a run, making the score 3-0 in the 4th.
By the 5th, the Rays were on fire, with Longoria delivering a 425 foot home run to the left which also allowed Ben Zobrist to score, making the score 5-0.
In the 6th inning, the Rangers came to bat with Nelson Cruz delivering a 404 foot homer to right centre and Mitch Moreland hitting a double allowing Kinsler to score, making the score 5-2.
These were the only two runs scored by the Rangers, leaving the Rays with the win.
The final game of the post-season series between the Rays and Rangers will take place on Tuesday October 2, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The winner of the game will advance to the NLCS.
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