With Hamels out of the Way, Rays Far from Done

I refuse to believe this will end quickly.

Oh, the 104th World Series indeed could face an early demise if the Phillies beat the Rays again Thursday night and take a 2-0 lead heading to Philadelphia.

But the Phillies aren't that good, at least not when their starting pitcher is someone other than lefthander Cole Hamels.

And the Rays, well, they've been in this position before, losing the opener of the American League Championship Series, then winning the next three games and prevailing over the Red Sox in seven.

Still, Rays third baseman Evan Longoria minced no words when talking about Game Two at Tropicana Field (8:29 p.m. ET, FOX), saying, "It's obviously, in my opinion, a must-win for us."

Perhaps. But by now, no one should underestimate the Rays, who have met one challenge after another during their stunning worst-to-first turnaround.

Don't get me wrong—the Phillies made a huge statement with their 3-2 victory in Game One, overcoming their six-day layoff and a Tampa Bay team with the best home record in the majors.

The margin would have been far more lopsided if the Phillies had not gone 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position, but the Rays still should be mildly encouraged.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard again was awful, going 0-for-4 with a walk and striking out three times with runners in scoring position.

Leadoff man Jimmy Rollins wasn't much better, going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.

And the Phillies' next three starting pitchers—righty Brett Myers, lefty Jamie Moyer and righty Joe Blanton—are a significant dropoff from Hamels.

The Rays had their near-misses Wednesday night—B.J. Upton grounded sharply into an inning-ending, bases-loaded double play in the third, and plate umpire Tim Welke mistakenly failed to call a balk when Hamels picked off Carlos Pena in the sixth.

But mostly, this game was about Hamels and the Phillies' dynamic late-inning punch of Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge. The Rays didn't manage a hit after the fifth inning, didn't manage a baserunner against the Phillies' two relievers.

Hamels, 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA in four postseason starts, zoomed past the 250-inning mark Wednesday night, surpassing his previous career high by more than 70 innings. Yet, he was his usual dominant self, allowing seven baserunners in seven innings and just two runs.

The Rays figure to generate more offense against Myers, and they will need to be as aggressive as the Phillies were in Game One, stealing three bases, repeatedly setting runners in motion.

Thanks to Lidge, who has converted all 47 of his save opportunities, including six in the postseason, the Phillies are now 87-0 leading after eight innings. The emergence of Madson has made them nearly as invincible after seven.

The Rays' 2-3-4 hitters—Upton, Pena and Longoria—were a combined 0-for-12 with five strikeouts in Game One, with Upton twice grounding into double plays. Their lineup against the righthanded Myers will include Rocco Baldelli instead of Ben Zobrist in right field and Cliff Floyd instead of Willy Aybar at designated hitter. The more veteran presence might prove necessary.

I will not be surprised if Myers takes the same approach he did in the NLCS, buzzing the Rays inside, trying to intimidate their young hitters. Hamels doesn't pitch that way—doesn't need to—but scouts say that the Rays' hitters were too comfortable against the Red Sox, crushing 16 homers, an LCS record. Guarantee you Myers noticed.

The toughness of the Phillies is beyond dispute; they play with a distinctive edge. But then, so do the Rays. Before the game, at the batting cage, Upton told me, "They remind me of us."

Men against boys? Maybe. But the Rays lost by only one run to the Phillies' best pitcher on Wednesday night, got a good performance from their own starter, Scott Kazmir, and an even better performance from their bullpen, which pitched three scoreless innings.

No, they're not going away. Heck, even if the Rays fell behind, two games to none, they still would stand a reasonable chance with Matt Garza facing Moyer in Game Three and Andy Sonnanstine facing Joe Blanton in Game Four.

I refuse to believe this will end quickly.

We're about to be treated to the most competitive Series in years.

This article originally published on FOXSports.com.

Read more of Ken's columns here.