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Normally, losing Game 1 at home is a very large blow to a team's chances of winning the series. That's not really the case here; this was a tough loss for the Rays, but the way the series set up it was almost expected. The first game was much more vital for Philadelphia than for Tampa Bay, as a good portion of the Phillies' hopes lie on the shoulders of Cole Hamels, who was again excellent tonight.This loss does make Game 2 huge for the Rays though. And they have a favorable matchup, with James Shields going at home against Brett Myers. It's not a must win, but it's close, as going back to Philly down 2-0 would put the Rays in a tough spot, even with the pitching advantage in Games 3 and 4.
Scott Kazmir's start was typical for him, as he displayed good stuff but had some control issues and struggled early, giving up a two-run homer to Chase Utley in the first. Kazmir allowed three runs in six innings, and then four relievers combined to shut the Phillies down the rest of the way. Tampa Bay was actually fortunate that this game was so close, as Philadelphia left 11 men on base. Ryan Howard was a big part of that problem; he continued to struggle, with three strikeouts in four ABs.
Aside from Akinori Iwamura, Tampa Bay's offense didn't show much life with the rest of the lineup getting just two hits. B.J. Upton, one of the stars of the first two rounds, struggled mightily, hitting into two double plays and striking out once. The middle of the Rays' order also looked helpless against Brad Lidge's slider in the ninth, which could end up playing a big role in the rest of the series. They're not in terrible shape, but they need a big performance from Shields on Thursday night to tie things up.
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