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Rays sting ChiSox in postseason debut

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10/02/2008 - St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Evan Longoria finished 3-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI as Tampa Bay made its postseason debut a winning one, with a 6-4 triumph over Chicago in Game 1 of the American League Division Series from Tropicana Field.

"Honestly, I wasn't surprised. He's always in the moment," said Rays manager Joe Maddon of Longoria. "He's not going to be overwhelmed by the situation, and that speaks beyond his skill level."

Akinori Iwamura was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Rays, who earned the first playoff berth in franchise history by winning the AL East with a 97-65 record.

Willy Aybar and Carl Crawford each knocked in a run, while Jason Bartlett added two hits and scored once.

James Shields (1-0) notched the win after allowing six hits and three runs over 6 1/3 innings. The young right-hander fanned four with a walk. Dan Wheeler allowed a run but recorded the final three outs to earn his first save.

Dewayne Wise hit a three-run homer and Paul Konerko added a solo shot for the White Sox, who had beaten Detroit and Minnesota on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, to reach the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2005.

"That's typical White Sox baseball, two minimum-base, home run, then slow down for a little while, and then another home run," noted Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.

Chicago starter Javier Vazquez (0-1) was tagged for eight hits and six runs over 4 1/3 innings in the loss.

Game 2 of this best-of-five series is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. (et) on Friday in St. Petersburg.

With the Rays ahead by three, Shields hastened his exit by loading the bases with one out in the seventh on a Konerko single, walk to Alexei Ramirez and by hitting A.J. Pierzynski. Grant Balfour entered and squashed the rally as he retired the next two batters on strikes.

J.P. Howell held Chicago off the scoreboard in the eighth, but Tampa squandered a chance to add to its lead with the bases loaded in the home half.

Konerko slammed a leadoff homer to left in the ninth off Wheeler which cut the visitors' deficit to two. However, the Rays closer got Ken Griffey Jr. on a fly out, struck out Ramirez, then induced a game-ending fly out from Pierzynski.

"We have to win tomorrow," Guillen said. "It's not a do-or-die thing, but I'd rather go home with one win than go against the wall."

Longoria's leadoff blast to left-center in the second put the Rays on the board, but the Sox countered with a big third inning.

Ramirez started with a single and Pierzynski followed with a base hit. Juan Uribe sacrificed both runners over, and after Orlando Cabrera popped out, Wise lined a pitch into the right-field seats for a 3-1 Chicago lead. Jermaine Dye doubled to deep center before Jim Thome's groundout ended the inning.

In the home half, Jason Bartlett led off with a base hit and scored on Iwamura's triple. Two batters later, Aybar's sacrifice fly tied the game, then Longoria followed with another solo homer to left for a 4-3 Rays edge.

"We got the lead, 1-0, and next thing you know we give up the lead, it goes 3-1, and we follow up the very next half inning with a rally of our own," Shields noted. "It just says a lot about this team."

Tampa tacked on two more in the fifth. Iwamura singled then B.J. Upton grounded into a force. Aybar singled before Longoria singled home Upton and Vazquez was pulled for Clayton Richard. He immediately surrendered an RBI single from Crawford before fanning Cliff Floyd and Dioner Navarro.

Game Notes

Longoria became just the second player in major league history to homer in his first two postseason at-bats, joining Gary Gaetti of Minnesota, who accomplished the feat back in 1987...Richard fanned five consecutive batters after allowing Crawford's run-scoring single...Veteran Sox sluggers Thome and Griffey finished a combined 0-for-8 with two strikeouts...Rays first baseman Carlos Pena left the game in the third inning after experiencing blurred vision in his left eye. He ccidentally scratched his eye at home on Wednesday night, but is expected to play Friday...Attendance was 35,041.