A thunderous atmosphere is likely to be present at Fenway Park on Sunday, as the division series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox is tied 1 to 1.
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Passionate supporters of the Red Sox are also galvanized following the 14-6 victory obtained on Friday night in Florida. If Boston can hit even half of the 20 hits in this game, the stands will turn into a real festival.
“We know that the stadium will be filled with fantastic fans, we can not wait to experience this challenge and this adversity,” assured Rays wide receiver Mike Zunino, quoted on the major baseball website. If we go out there and regroup and play our usual style of play, we’ll be okay. ”
After allocating twenty hits, including five home runs, the Rays pitchers will obviously have to do better. Manager Kevin Cash, however, preferred to give credit to the Red Sox hitters instead of lambasting his own players.
“We knew coming into this series that the Red Sox have a very talented offense,” said Cash. They just were able to have good batting appearances back-to-back and with guys on the trails. ”
Memories erased from 2004
In fact, the Rays became only the first team since 2004 to allow at least 20 batted balls to safety in a Major League baseball playoff game. At the time, the Red Sox were the ones who gave the New York Yankees 22 hits in a 19-8 loss to Fenway Park in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. The stinging setback, however, did not prevent the Red Sox from winning the World Series for the first time in 86 years that season.
The Rays must precisely erase the game of Friday completely and resume their journey towards the desired conquest.
To get there, the Florida team will have to contain JD Martinez, who highlighted his return to the game with four hits, including an important long three-point ball, Friday. Kike Hernandez did even better for the Red Sox with five hits in six batting appearances. One circuit, of course, but also three doubles, among others.
– Drew Rasmussen is the announced starter for the Rays on Sunday. In front of the crowd of Fenway Park, it is also Nathan Eovaldi who will go to the mound first, to the applause, in the uniform of the Red Sox.
