Categories: Posts

World Series Game 1 : Phillies At Rays

Game 1 : 2008 World Series
Philadelphia Phillies at Tampa Bay Rays
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

8:35 p.m. / 72, fair
Cole Hamels (14-10 3.09 ERA) vs. Scott Kazmir (12-8, 3.49 ERA)

It’s the start of the 2008 World Series, with Cole Hamels of the Phillies facing Scott Kazmir of the Rays.

News & Notes

Hamels owns a 1.23 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in three postseason starts. … Hamels was named NLCS MVP after winning two games against the Dodgers, including the clinching game five. … Kazmir owns a 4.02 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in three postseason starts. Kazmir has thrown an average of 102 pitches in the postseason, on par with the 102 average he has thrown in 2008, and in his career. … Of Rays hitters, only Carl Crawford has any real success against Hamels, with an RBI and two hits in three at bats. It’s a small sample size, otherwise. … Kazmir is practically the same against the Phillies. In his small sample, Jimmy Rollins is 1-for-2 and So Taguchi is 1-for-3. Pat Burrell does own two walks against him. … Chase Utley was an unsung hero of the NLCS, hitting .353 with a home run and three RBI. … Charlie Manuel has called on Chris Coste to be his designated hitter. … The Phillies will have played every American League East team in the World Series — Boston (1915), New York (1950), Baltimore (1983) and Toronto (1993). All series were losses. … The last time the final two digits of the calendar year were some combination of 0 and 8, the Phillies won the World Series.

The Lineup

Jimmy Rollins / SS
Jayson Werth / RF
Chase Utley / 2B
Ryan Howard / 1B
Pat Burrell / LF
Shane Victorino / CF
Pedro Feliz / 3B
Chris Coste / DH
Carlos Ruiz / C

Your Gamenight Beer

From Downingtown’s Victory Brewing Co. comes Hop Devil IPA. Why Hop Devil? Because tonight we need Cole Hamels to make the Rays look like the Devil Rays, that team that really, really sucked for a long, long time. The ace has to put them in their place. And watch him do such a thing by drinking a fantastic, hoppy beer. Do it at home, or at the bar, or outside, or in Tampa, or wherever the heck you’re watching. But you’re watching. Oh yes. It’s the World Series! Let’s do it!

Go Phillies!

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.