Series Preview: Sox @ Rays

Tampa Bay Rays (49-32)
AL East: Up 1/2 gm
Streak: W1
Last 10: 7-3


3 game series at Tropicana Field
Game 1 Monday 7:10
Masterson (4-1, 3.43) vs. Shields (5-5, 3.76)
Game 2 Tuesday 7:10
Wakefield (5-5, 3.88) vs. Garza (6-4, 3.76)
Game 3 Wednesday 7:10 ESPN
Matsuzaka (9-1, 3.21) vs. Kazmir (7-3, 2.28)

Season Series: Bos leads 6-3

Preview:
In the words of the lyrical gang banger turned kiddie flick star Ice Cube:

Once again it's on!

The Sox and Rays will reprise their decade of dislike when the two American League East rivals kick off a three game set at the Trop tonight, and the interest in this series is at an all time high for many reasons, such as...

-the Rays overtook the Sox for the top spot in the division yesterday, the latest point (by far) in a season Tampa Bay has ever occupied first place

-the Raysbrawl at Fenway at the beginning of this month that resulted in 8 players being suspended, including tonight's Rays starter James Shields and instigator Coco Crisp, who will miss the series (altogether now - awwwwwwwww!)

-the history of violence between the clubs that dates back to the Pedro Martinez/Ice Williams incident in 2000 and includes about 400 hit batters

-a terrorist threat made against the Sox that will force MLB to provide extra security for Boston personnel to and from the stadium

-the Rays are finally good enough to earn the respect of the big bad Bosox.

These are just a few of the factors making this series the most talked about of the season.

Other than that it's just a standard, run-of-the-mill mid-season showdown.

Now I'm not going into in depth detail of all the past disagreements these teams have engaged in, or rehash the June 5th brawl, or go on and on about how the small market Rays are the surprise of the league with the best record in baseball despite having the second lowest payroll.

That's what the World Wide Leader is for.

What I am going to say is that for the first time since, scratch that for the first time ever a Red Sox/Rays series carries playoff implications, meaning this old fashioned (AL East) family feud has finally graduated to full-fledged rivalry status.

After all what was it that the Stanks fans used to say about The Rivalry? It's not a real rivalry as long as only one team keeps winning the meaningful games.

After taking three straight games in St. Pete in late April the Rays sent a message that they might finally be worthy of rival consideration. And even though they lost the next six contests, the animosity combined with the fact that the Rays have hung in all season and have reclaimed the top spot in the east makes this series the most important in franchise history.

Not that these three games will decide which team wins the division, makes the playoffs or sits home in October. But a series win by the Rays will go a long way towards earning them respect within the game and from the players on the opposite side of the field.

As for the field I don't expect there to be any hi jinks or beanbrawls happening this week. Both clubs are still recovering from the multiple suspensions handed down from the last skirmish, as evidenced by Coco having to sit this set out nearly a month after the brawl took place, and nobody wants to miss time with the division race so tight.

Plus the umps are going to be calling this series tighter than any in recent memory.

Terrorist threats aside it should be a fun three games in the cool, crowded environment of Tropicana Field, with fans from both sides cheering on their teams knowing that whoever comes out on top in this series will be sitting atop the standings this weekend.

May the best team win.

As long as its the Sox.