Wild World Series night in Philly: Phils beat Rays

PHILADELPHIA - First it was wet, then it got wild for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Carlos Ruiz finished off a madcap ninth inning with an infield single with the bases loaded, and the Phillies outlasted the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 early Sunday in Game 3 of the World Series for a 2-1 lead.

This was midnight madness and then some on a rainy night that pushed the start to 10:06 p.m. and it wrapped up at 1:47 a.m. Ruiz, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard homered for the Phils, but it took three kooky plays to win it on a bases-loaded trickler with no outs.

It all came down to this: Rays reliever J.P. Howell hit Eric Bruntlett with a pitch to start the ninth. Enter Grant Balfour, who threw a wild pitch that caromed off the backstop to catcher Dioner Navarro, whose throw trying to get Bruntlett skipped into center field.

With Bruntlett on third, the Rays issued two intentional walks and brought in right fielder Ben Zobrist for a five-man infield. Ruiz followed with a nubber down the line and third baseman Evan Longoria charged. He dived for the ball, and rushed an underhanded flip home that sailed over Navarro's head.

The single was just the Phils' second hit in 33 chances with runners in scoring position this Series.

The Phillies rushed from the dugout to congratulate Bruntlett at the plate and Ruiz at first base. The giant Liberty Bell in center field clanged in celebration - no cowbells here at Citizens Bank Park.

Game 4 is Sunday night and the weather forecast is fine for the matchup between the Phils' Joe Blanton and Andy Sonnanstine.

A 91-minute rain delay resulted in the latest start time in Series history, and most everyone in the sellout crowd was still at the park and standing when Philadelphia won.

The Phillies built a 4-1 lead for Jamie Moyer on an early home run by Ruiz and consecutive shots by Utley and Howard in the sixth. But it was the little hit that was the biggest of all.

J.C. Romero wound up with the win.

Minus Moyer, the Rays sped back to tie as B.J. Upton became the first AL player to steal three bases in a Series game.

Upton beat out an infield single to open the eighth, swiped second and third on consecutive pitches, and dashed home on a wild throw by Ruiz to make it 4-all.

Tampa Bay's rally dampened the moment Moyer waited for his whole life. The 45-year-old lefty finally got to pitch in the World Series and threw a game that defines his career, bedeviling the Rays with his slo-mo repertoire.

Moyer, already a pro before Rays stars Evan Longoria and Upton were born, demonstrated exactly how he's earned 246 major league victories. He struck out both All-Stars with 74 mph changeups, and made the entire lineup look foolish with tentative swings.

Moyer became the second-oldest player in Series history - Jack Quinn was 47 when he pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1930 - yet showed he was still spry. He belly-flopped along the first-base line to field Carl Crawford's bunt, and flipped the ball with his glove.

And while millions of people may have switched the TV channel to watch "Saturday Night Live" open with one of their popular political skits, surely baseball fans all over were laughing at watching Moyer pitch a game for the aged.

Hit hard in two losses in the NL playoffs, Moyer left in the seventh with a 4-2 lead after an RBI grounder by Gabe Gross. He tipped his cap toward plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth and then to the crowd that gave him a rousing standing ovation.

Chad Durbin relieved and gave up Jason Bartlett's RBI grounder that pulled the Rays within a run.

Steady rain and gusty wind threatened to postpone the first Series game at Citizens Bank Park. Fans huddled underneath the overhangs and crowded the concourses to watch No. 3 Penn State play No. 10 Ohio State.

Ruiz hit a solo home run in the second off Matt Garza that put the Phillies ahead 2-1.

Utley led off the sixth with his second home run of the Series and the slumping Howard followed with a drive into the right-field seats.

Garza, who beat Boston in Game 7 to win the MVP award of the ALCS, never seemed comfortable and kept fidgeting with the rubber.

Jimmy Rollins got his first hit of the Series, leading off the first with a single. He later scored on Utley's groundout.

Crawford doubled off the sliding Pat Burrell's glove in left field in the second and scored on Gross' sacrifice fly.

Notes: The previous latest starting time in the Series was 9:24 p.m. in 1993, also at Philadelphia, after a 72-minute rain delay. ... Phillies Hall of Famer Steve Carlton threw out the ceremonial first ball. In Moyer's major league debut with the Chicago Cubs in 1986, he beat Carlton.

Howard breaks postseason homer drought

PHILADELPHIA - Ryan Howard crossed the plate after circling the bases and pointed into the stands, a look of relief on his face.

Howard broke his postseason homer drought, Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz also connected and the Philadelphia Phillies used the long ball and just enough small ball to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in Game 3 of the World Series early Sunday.

Howard, who led the majors with 48 homers and 146 RBIs in the regular season, hadn't gone deep in 42 postseason at-bats before he drove one out in the sixth inning.

The slugger hasn't looked like the same guy who made a case for NL MVP by batting .352 with 11 homers and a club-record 32 RBIs in September. He's 0-for-5 with five strikeouts with runners in scoring position in three games.

Howard sure didn't miss Matt Garza's 2-2 pitch in his third at-bat. He turned on the hard-throwing righty's offspeed offering and sent it into the right-field seats. Howard broke a 13-game homerless streak dating to the regular season, and now has four postseason RBIs. Overall, he's batting .231 (3-for-13) with six strikeouts in the Series.

Before Howard homered, Utley hit a solo shot to put the Phillies ahead 3-1. Ruiz's solo shot in the second made it 2-1.

No surprise the Phillies got most of their runs on the long ball. They hit an NL-best 214 homers in the regular season, and they've got five against the Rays.

Situational hitting has been Philadelphia's biggest problem so far. They're only 2-for-33 with runners in scoring position.

The winning run scored on Ruiz's infield single with the bases loaded in the ninth. Eric Bruntlett was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. He stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. After the next two batters were intentionally walked, Ruiz hit a slow roller to third base. Evan Longoria charged and his underhanded throw sailed over the catcher's head.

Ruiz, a .219 hitter this season, is batting .500 (4-for-8) in the series with two doubles, one homer and three RBIs.

After going 1-for-28 with RISP in the first two games, the Phillies had a chance right away to snap that skid.

Jimmy Rollins led off the bottom of the first with a single to break an 0-for-10 slump. After Jayson Werth walked, both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Utley's groundout scored Rollins and moved Werth up. But Howard struck out and Pat Burrell flied out.

Burrell, who had 33 homers and 86 RBIs this season, is 0-for-9 with five strikeouts in the series.

Werth started the eighth with a walk and stole second. But Utley struck out and Werth was picked off.

-- Rob Maaddi

Phillies' Moyer shines in first World Series start

PHILADELPHIA - Jamie Moyer waited 45 years and 22 major league seasons to make his first World Series start. Then a 91-minute rain delay made the Phillies lefty with the 80 mph fastball wait some more.

Now, Moyer's still looking for his first World Series win.

He seemed to have it after baffling the Tampa Bay Rays through the first six innings of Game 3. He pitched perhaps the game of his career on baseball's biggest stage before it unraveled in the seventh inning. He came away with a no-decision in Philadelphia's 5-4 victory to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series.

"I went out and gave it my best," Moyer said.

Moyer's first pitch fastball - clocked at 80 mph - to Akinori Iwamura in the first inning made him the second-oldest player to appear in a Series. Jack Quinn was 47 when he pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1930.

Moyer threw like he might become the oldest pitcher to win a postseason game. The 82 mph "heater" didn't look much different from the 76 mph changeup, and he confused the young, tentative Rays lineup. He retired nine straight at one point and showed he still has plenty left.

He mixed his pitches and looked like the 16-game winner who helped the Phillies win the NL East title, not the pitcher with Philadelphia's only two postseason losses entering the World Series.

A flop against Milwaukee and Los Angeles with a 13.50 ERA in the first two games of this postseason, Moyer tried a belly flop to preserve Philadelphia's lead in the seventh.

Carl Crawford opened the inning with a perfect drag bunt that sent Moyer diving flat on his stomach. He swiped the ball with his glove and flipped it to first baseman Ryan Howard. The throw appeared to nip the speedy Crawford, but umpire Tom Hallion called him safe, even though replays showed Moyer's throw got him.

A double and a groundout made it 4-3 and chased Moyer. He tipped his cap to an appreciative crowd and walked to the dugout to a standing ovation after 6 1-3 innings.

"It's the top to be able to go out and pitch a World Series game in Philadelphia," Moyer said.

He played hooky from school in nearby Souderton, Pa., to attend Philadelphia's 1980 World Series championship parade.

Now, he's two wins away from riding in a float of his own.

-- Dan Gelston

Longoria's slump hurting Rays 

PHILADELPHIA - Evan Longoria is 0-for-the World Series and the Tampa Bay Rays are sinking without his big bat.

The All-Star rookie slugger was taunted by raucous Philadelphia fans chanting "Eva, Eva, Eva" and continued to struggle at the plate Saturday night in a 5-4 loss that left the AL champions trailing the Phillies two games to one.

Longoria struck out twice before he narrowly missed hitting a two-run homer that would have put Tampa Bay ahead 3-2 in the sixth.

Instead, the ball stalled in the wind, left fielder Pat Burrell made the catch, and Philly fans mocked Longoria even more with references to the Desperate Housewives star, who is not related to the 22-year-old third baseman.

Longoria homered six times and drove in 11 runs in the first two rounds of the playoffs, however he's 0-for-12 through the first three games of the World Series.

Although he drove in a run with a groundout in Tampa Bay's victory in Game 2, he's contributed little with his bat since homering against Boston in Games 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the AL championship series.

Longoria is not alone. He, Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford were 1-for-23 entering Game 3. And while Crawford went 2-for-4 Saturday night, Pena fanned twice to finish 0-for-3 with a walk and is 0-for-10 in the World Series.

Much was made before the game about how the Rays might react to Philadelphia fans who are notoriously tough on opposing teams. But manager Joe Maddon insisted that wasn't a concern because of the way his young team has handled other hostile environments, including Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium.

A bigger issue in his estimation was whether his hitters would have the patience necessary to be successful against Jamie Moyer, the Phillies' 45-year-old starting pitcher who entices batters to swing at pitches out of the strike zone.

For the most part, they didn't.

Moyer fanned Longoria twice and struck out Pena once, holding the Rays in check until the seventh inning when Crawford singled and Dioner Navarro doubled for just the fourth and fifth hits off the Philadelphia starter.

With the sluggers struggling, the Rays played small ball to overcome a 4-1 deficit. Crawford and Navarro scored on groundouts, then B.J. Upton tied it 4-all in the eighth when he reached on infield single and stole second and third before scoring on catcher Carlos Ruiz's throwing error.

-- Fred Goodall

Rapid Rays set postseason record for stolen bases

PHILADELPHIA - Carl Crawford dragged a bunt and zipped up the first-base line, trying to get Tampa Bay going with his sensational speed.

Close play at the bag. Safe! And then the television replay - he should have been called out.

Crawford's seventh-inning single and B.J. Upton's daring dash around the bases moments later helped the Rays rally early Sunday before losing 5-4 to Philadelphia in Game 3 of the World Series.

Despite a dazzling display of speed, Tampa Bay trails the Phillies two games to one.

Upton had three of Tampa Bay's four stolen bases, tying a World Series record. The young Rays have 22 steals in October, breaking the previous postseason mark of 20 held by the 1975 Cincinnati Reds and 1992 Atlanta Braves.

Of course, then there were two postseason rounds instead of three. And in 1975, the league championship series were best-of-five rather than best-of-seven.

So yes, the Rays have had more chances to run. But they sure are good at it.

Crawford opened the second inning with a bloop double, then stole third base and scored on a sacrifice fly. A four-time AL stolen-base champion, he is 7-for-7 on steal attempts this postseason.

Crawford's bunt single against Jamie Moyer in the seventh - with help from first base umpire Tom Hallion - led to a two-run rally that cut Philadelphia's cushion to 4-3.

That was the score when Upton beat out an infield single to shortstop to open the eighth. He stole second and third on consecutive pitches to slumping rookie Evan Longoria and scored when catcher Carlos Ruiz threw low to third for an error.

Upton also singled in the sixth and swiped second, but was stranded. In the eighth, he took matters into his own hands - with his lightning-fast legs.

He became the first player to steal three bases in a World Series game since Hall of Famer Lou Brock did it for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1968.

Upton is the fourth player overall to accomplish the feat and first in the American League.

-- Mike Fitzpatrick

World Series becomes late, late show

PHILADELPHIA - The World Series became the late, late show Saturday night.

How late?

By the time it ended early Sunday morning, the storm that delayed the start of the game 91 minutes was well on its way to New England, or maybe even England.

Boys and girls in Philadelphia and the Tampa Bay area likely were tucked in and asleep clutching their stuffed animals.

Shane Victorino's buddies in Hawaii got to watch him play in the evening.

A few more innings, and the Phillies and Rays would have been prime-time TV - in Samoa.

A little later than that, and it would have been prime time - Sunday! - in New Zealand.

Forgot taco promotions, every fan should have been given free espresso.

Jamie Moyer, the Phillies 45-year-old starter, didn't throw the first pitch until 10:06 p.m. No, he had not turned 46 by then.

"There were some jokes going around," Eric Bruntlett said. "The van back to the senior home was going to be running pretty soon. He wasn't going to make it all the way through the game."

Would anyone?

Bruntlett didn't come across the plate with the winning run on Carlos Ruiz's slow-rolling, ninth-inning single off Grant Balfour until 1:47 a.m. Sunday.

By the time the Phillies' 5-4 win over the Rays gave them a 2-1 World Series lead, the "Saturday Night Live" cast had left the studio and the TV competition on many networks was infomercials.

Sleeping Bag Night, anyone?

No-Doze Day?

It was the latest start in Series history, according to Major League Baseball, beating out the 9:24 p.m. first pitch when Philadelphia hosted Toronto for Game 3 in 1993 at Veterans Stadium. That one started following a 72-minute rain delay.

Games have ended later. Famously, there was the New York Mets 16-13, 19-inning Fourth of July victory at Atlanta in 1985 that ended at 3:55 a.m.

While only about 8,000 fans remained at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium for that one, Citizens Bank Park was filled with nearly all of the capacity crowd of 45,900 stayed for this one.

Fans huddled under the overhangs and crowded the concourses during the delay to watch No. 3 Penn State play No. 10 Ohio State on television. A few hardy souls sat in seats behind the dugout, covered by plastic sheeting that whipped wildly.

"People have been out tailgating here since 3 o'clock this afternoon," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said about a half-hour before the scheduled start. "If you called a game off every day starting April 6 because it rained sometime during the game, you'd play till Feb. 8. So people are used to it. And by the way, the parking lots are jammed, and people are here."

Colors from the ceremonial World Series logos bled onto the crushed brick warning track behind home plate. Puddles formed on the warning track around the outfield and pools collected on top of the tarp.

Once the game began, there was no more rain, and the crowd of 45,900 filled the seats, many waving white towels in support of the Phillies.

Rays manager Joe Maddon was happy the delay was in a ballpark that opened in 2004 and has modern facilities and space.

"If you're in Fenway, in that clubhouse, it gets kind of annoying," he said. "The clubhouse is, what, maybe half this size. And when you have all the amenities and you get yourself a nice cheesesteak while you're waiting or watch a game on the tube - J.P. Howell is up there watching Texas versus Oklahoma State right now - this kind of facility ameliorates that situation a bit and permits you to get through the moment."

His use of "ameliorates" brought laughter from a room of baseball reporters.

Maddon wondered how Rays starting pitcher Matt Garza would spend the time.

"Matt Garza is a different story. I don't know what he's going to do. If there's a padded room around here, I'd really like to know about, so he can go there and bounce around for a bit," he said.

-- Ronald Blum

Moyer making a difference off the field

PHILADELPHIA - Ask Jamie Moyer about Camp Erin and he loses it.

He gets teary and chokes up while talking about the bereavement camps he helped start for children who have lost loved ones.

Then listen to the kids themselves. It's easy to understand why the Philadelphia pitcher becomes so emotional.

Matthew Leist and his younger sister, Tristana, are among the thousands who have benefited from the network of 18 camps around the country set up by Moyer and his wife, Karen.

On July 4, 2003, the Leists lost their mother, Victoria, to cancer.

"After my mom died, I kind of went into a blank mode. Nothing else really mattered anymore," said Matthew, who was 9 at the time. "When I went to Camp Erin and I got a chance to meet other kids who can relate, it was amazing. It's like I was in this darkness and Camp Erin lit everything up."

Matthew, who lives near Seattle, celebrates his 15th birthday Saturday - the same night the 45-year-old Moyer was set to make his long-awaited debut in the World Series, starting against Tampa Bay in Game 3.

Leist knew exactly what to wish for.

"The Moyers have helped us out so much and they're such nice people that the best present for me would be for him to win that game and have him and his family celebrate," Matthew said.

Tristana called the experience at Camp Erin "practically indescribable."

"It opened my eyes and let me know I'm not the only person who lost a loved one," the 11-year-old said.

The camps were named for Erin Metcalf, a teenager the Moyers met through the Make-A-Wish Foundation in 1998 while Jamie played for the Seattle Mariners.

They spent a lot of time with the 15-year-old girl who had developed liver cancer before she died in 2000. Two years later, the first Camp Erin in 2002 in Washington state.

"Erin loved to help other kids," Karen Moyer said. "She's a special, special teenager who lost her life. We wanted to honor her memory. It's really empowering for the children to be around others who have gone through the same experience. Something magical always seems to happen at the camps and we truly feel Erin's presence in every camp."

Children and teens participate in traditional camp activities, meet with grief counselors and interact with peers experiencing similar sorrow at the weekend gatherings.

Matthew recalled canoeing and rock climbing, but one particular art activity stood out most. The children made stars out of Styrofoam to represent their loved one. They took the stars out to a lake, lit them and sat there reflecting on their loss.

"Of all the stars, mine and Tristana's were the only ones that stuck together," Matthew said. "We felt like that was our mom reaching out and touching us. It made us feel better."

Moyer spoke to waves of reporters for more than 20 minutes before the Phillies played the Rays in Game 2, answering questions mostly dealing with baseball.

Unflappable on the mound, he got a little wobbly talking about his first trip to the Series, and how much it meant to make it with the team he grew up rooting for in nearby Souderton, Pa.

Still, it was nothing like how he gets when the subject is Camp Erin.

"When you see the impact it can make on kids who haven't asked for what has happened in their life, knowing there is a support group out there that can help educate them and let them know that life will go on and they can remember their loved one in a positive way, it really makes it all worthwhile," Moyer said.

Camp Erin is the largest network of bereavement camps in the country for children.

There are in 12 states and a camp opened in Philadelphia last year and another started up in Tampa Bay this summer. The Moyers hope to eventually have one in each major league city and plan to expand to 12 new cities in 2009.

"Jamie has had a long journey in baseball and he's committed to every community he played in," Karen Moyer said. "Camp Erin means a lot to the both of us. There are so many children that grieve the loss of a loved one. It's a huge issue and it needs to be addressed."

Moyer won baseball's Roberto Clemente Award in 2003 given to a player who combines excellence on the field with community service. It's one of several honors he's received that recognize his work off the field.

Moyer turns 46 next month and would become the oldest pitcher to win a postseason game if he beats Tampa Bay.

"This is a great game and a great opportunity, but win or lose, life goes on," Moyer said. "When children have to deal with losing a loved one and they don't know where to go and how to handle it, it's proven that if they don't get the right guidance, they fall between the cracks.

"So, in our small way, helping to turn this into something big, we're trying to prevent kids from falling between those cracks and helping them grow and learn and maybe as they grow up, they'll help someone else."

--Rob Maaddi

Sonnanstine set to face Blanton in Game 4

PHILADELPHIA - Andy Sonnanstine is easy to overlook.

He doesn't throw hard, he's spent only two years in the major leagues and he's the No. 4 starter on a Tampa Bay pitching staff primed with power arms.

But he's reliable.

"The guy is a winner," Rays manager Joe Maddon said Saturday. "I've talked about him for years. A guy like this comes through the minor league system, or even gets drafted in the first place - a guy like Andy to get drafted in the first place takes excellent scouting as far as I'm concerned. You have to read into the guy's heart."

Sonnanstine is scheduled to face Philadelphia's Joe Blanton in Game 4 of the World Series on Sunday night. The right-hander was 13-9 with a 4.38 ERA for the Rays this season and is 2-0 with a 3.46 ERA in two playoff starts.

"I've had quite a few naysayers through my career," Sonnanstine said. "So I kind of take that as a chip on my shoulder and I feel like I have something to prove at every level, and I think that's helped me have success."

The Phillies acquired Blanton from Oakland in a July trade and he went 4-0 with a 4.20 ERA in 13 starts for the NL champions. He was effective during the playoffs, going 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two outings.

Blanton hasn't pitched since Oct. 13, and Sonnanstine's most recent outing was a day later.

"Well, mentally you just kind of relax on those days off," Blanton said. "But physically it's just, try to keep it as much routine as possible. I've thrown a lot of bullpens. I threw a simulated game just one day just to have hitters in there, and that feel of a batter standing in and throwing different pitches to him."

ROOTING FOR ROCCO

Jamie Smith is a die-hard Phillies fan and his parents are season ticket-holders.

For the World Series, though, Smith traded his Phillies shirt for one that reads "Root for Rocco!"

The 17-year-old Smith and Tampa Bay outfielder Rocco Baldelli both suffer from mitochondrial disorder, a condition that slows muscle recovery and causes extreme fatigue.

Smith, of Medford, N.J., wrote a letter to Baldelli this summer and the two finally got to meet Saturday night before Game 3 of the World Series. Baldelli spoke with Smith about baseball and living with the disorder in a lengthy conversation outside the Rays clubhouse.

"We're actually talking about how we're both alike in a lot of ways," said Smith, sitting in a wheelchair. "I was also giving him one of the best pieces of advice I give him. Pace yourself."

Baldelli gave Smith an autographed bat that read "To Jamie, best wishes, you are a true hero. Rocco."

Baldelli questioned in spring training whether he'd ever play again, but made it back and now plays an important - albeit limited - role for the AL champions.

He appeared in 28 of Tampa Bay's last 46 games, including 16 starts. He earned a spot on the postseason roster by showing he could hold up physically while hitting .263 with four homers and 13 RBIs, displaying flashes of his old self.

Smith said his muscles sometimes hurt so much he can't even open his eyes. He suffers from extreme exhaustion, has chronic pulmonary issues and requires supplemental feedings through a gastronomy tube.

He said he crosses his fingers and says a prayer before each of Baldelli's at-bats. Smith and others suffering from the disease have left messages of support for Baldelli on the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation Web site, www.umdf.org.

Smith and his parents have tickets for Game 5. He was hoping Baldelli would hit a World Series homer for everyone affected with Mito.

LEFT AND RIGHT

Left-handed hitting Gabe Gross was set to start in right field for Tampa Bay, even though the Rays were scheduled to face soft-tossing lefty Jamie Moyer in Game 3.

"I really was pondering that one a lot," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "I was not comfortable making that decision until I really let it stir a bit. The way Gabe swings, the swing path where Jamie likes to throw the ball, I felt Gabe was the best matchup with him even over our right-handed hitters tonight. So we chose to go in that direction."

Gross was 1-for-16 during the AL playoffs. He often struggles against lefties and was relegated to the bench against right-hander Brett Myers in Game 2.

"For those of you that have watched Jamie pitch in the past, sometimes it might be better left-handed," Maddon said.

STATUS QUO

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig opposes extending the first round of the playoffs from best-of-five series to best-of seven.

"I think that exacerbates the problem," he said. "If you add two more in the first round, it just makes the playoffs longer."

Next year, Game 7 of the World Series wouldn't be until Nov. 5 under the current format.

"I've been worrying about that all day today," Selig said.

Selig admits the length of the postseason increases the likelihood of playing in cold weather.

"I won't do what Bowie used to do, though," he said, referring to former commissioner Bowie Kuhn. "I will not sit outside without a coat."

Speaking Saturday night, Selig repeated that he doesn't envision playing World Series games in the daytime anytime soon because the television networks aren't interested and ratings are lower. There hasn't been a World Series day game since 1987.

"Someday I hope we can do that," he said.

AROUND THE HORN

Temperatures were expected to dip into the 40s and 30s over the next few days in Philadelphia, and that could be bad news for Tampa Bay. The AL champion Rays, who play in a dome back home, went 0-5 this season when the gametime temperature was below 50 degrees. They lost two games at Yankee Stadium from April 6-7 and three in Boston from May 2-4, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... If there is a World Series game Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers plan to shift the start of their home opener against the Toronto Raptors from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. so fans have a chance to attend the NBA game and watch the Phillies afterward. Game 6 between the Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays is scheduled for Wednesday night at 8:35 p.m., if necessary.

-- Mike Fitzpatrick