The Tampa Bay Rays just keep surprising America.
First, they were above .500 by the All-Star game. Then, they won 80 games. Then, they won the division.
And now, they won a playoff game. For the first time.
But it's not just about winning that playoff game. It's about that atmosphere, that emotion, that drive that makes playoffs of any sport wonderful. Watching a (finally) packed Tropicana Field was a great sight. The fans pumped up the players, and the players responded by giving the fans something to get excited about.
And it couldn't have come from anyone better than Evan Longoria. In his first playoff at-bat (the first pitch he saw, actually), he took Javier Vazquez deep to left field for the first run in Rays' playoff history. Then, he hit an identical shot off of Vazquez in the 3rd inning to give the Rays a lead they would never surrender. They held on to win 6-4, a huge first win for a franchise that has been in a famine of success since their beginning.
The 22-year old rookie became the 9th player in major league history to hit 2 home runs in first playoff game. He joins a list that includes Chipper Jones, Troy Glaus, Ken Griffey, Jr., and, of course, the legendary B.J. Surhoff.
Tampa Bay couldn't have asked for a better game out of their young third baseman. Let's just hope he can continue to power the team all the way to the World Series.
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