Paul Hagen: Small ball comes up big for Maddon's Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - When the Angels won the 2002 World Series, a common observation was that manager Mike Scioscia played a National League style of baseball, emphasizing the details of small ball that seem to be overlooked in a league where teams have a designated hitter and often seem content to sit back and wait for a three-run homer.

Scioscia's bench coach then was Joe Maddon, who became manager of downtrodden Devil Rays before the 2006 season. And Maddon has brought the same approach to Tropicana Field.

The difference in Tampa Bay's 4-2 win in Game 2 of the World Series last night was pretty simple.

The Phillies still can't get a hit with runners in scoring position to save their lives.

The Rays, on the other hand, didn't even need to get a hit to score most of their runs.

"I can't tell you how happy I was with that," Maddon said. "This is just how I think. We were not a very good team to score runs with outs this year. We were horrid.

"I really want us to understand, it's being validated when you're playing at this time of year under these circumstances, to be able to have that in your arsenal is very important."

Tampa Bay put runners on second and third with nobody out in the bottom of the first. Just like that, Carlos Pena grounded out to second. Akinori Iwamura scored and B.J. Upton advanced to third. Evan Longoria followed by grounding out to shortstop. Upton scored and, that quickly, the Rays had a 2-0 lead.

Their fourth run came on a perfectly executed safety squeeze by shortstop Jason Bartlett in the fourth.

"Ground ball, ground ball, bunt, three points right there, that's beautiful," Maddon said.

The Phillies, meanwhile, are an incredible 1-for-28 (.036) with runners in scoring position so far in the World Series. And that lone hit, an infield single by Shane Victorino in the fourth inning last night, didn't even drive in a run.

It doesn't change the game when you miss as many opportunities and make as many mistakes as the Phillies did last night, but home-plate umpire Kerwin Danley was involved in two close calls that went against the Phillies.

In the second inning, starter Brett Myers appeared to have Rocco Baldelli struck out. Danley raised his arm, as if calling him out on the checked swing, then pointed to first. First base umpire Fieldin Culbreth ruled on the appeal that Baldelli didn't swing, and he trotted to first on the walk instead.

"I thought he called the guy out," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "But he said he was pointing to first."

With a runner on second and nobody out in the ninth, Rays lefthander David Price threw an inside pitch that appeared to brush the uniform of Jimmy Rollins. But Danley ruled that the ball hadn't hit him. Rollins eventually popped out and Price nailed down the save.

Rollins later said the ball hit him.

That Phillies manager Charlie Manuel had righthander Chad Durbin warming up behind starter Brett Myers in the fourth? For Durbin to be up that early says a lot about his recent struggles, a 6.94 earned run average in September and nine baserunners allowed in 2 2/3 innings during the playoffs.

15:

Years ago last night, at SkyDome in Toronto, Joe Carter hit the home run off Mitch Williams that broke Philadelphia's heart.

39: At-bats since Ryan Howard's last home run.

80: Years since a team went hitless in as many at-bats with runners in scoring position (13) as the Phillies did in Game 1 and still won a postseason game. The Yankees went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position in Game 4 of the 1928 World Series and still beat the Cardinals at Sportsman Park, 7-3. Research courtesy of Stats LLC and the Detroit Free Press.

Phillies closer Brad Lidge probably has just about as much chance outpolling Barack Obama and John McCain as he does becoming the third straight Phillie to win the National League's Most Valuable Player Award this year.

For one thing, first baseman Ryan Howard is sure to get some support because of his torrid September, diluting the Philly vote. For another, there's an innate prejudice against pitchers winning the MVP; some voters reason that they have the Cy Young.

However, it was learned behind the batting cage last night at least two of the 32 members of the Baseball Writers Association who will determine that award have cast their ballots for Lidge.

"If the Mets had him, they would have won," explained one.

Here's an interesting side note to that. Lidge has a clause in his contract that's worth $100,000 if he wins the Cy Young, or $75,000 if he finishes second or $50,000 for third. He would get $100,000 for being named the World Series MVP. The Phillies don't owe him a penny, though, if he's named Most Valuable Player of the entire season.

However . . . in the 3-year extension that he signed at midseason, beginning next year, he'd be rewarded on the same 100-75-50 sliding scale for winning the MVP as the Cy Young.

When Charlie Manuel started Chris Coste at designated hitter in Game 1, the Phillies manager was taking a chance that starter Carlos Ruiz wouldn't get hurt. Since Coste is the only backup catcher on the World Series roster, if Ruiz had to leave the game, the Phillies would have lost the DH and the pitcher would have had to bat.

It came a lot closer to happening than most people know.

"Chooch [Ruiz] was having dry heaves in about the sixth inning," Manuel revealed before last night's game. "He's fine now but somebody said he was coughing and I'd better check him out because he might be really sick."

As it turned out, Ruiz was able to stay in the game. "I don't know what happened," he said. "It's hard to explain. I was feeling something bad in my chest. I felt like I was going to throw up."

There still seems to be some confusion about the designated-hitter rule. Some seem to believe that Charlie Manuel could have simply had Chris Coste move to catcher and replaced Ruiz with a new DH. That's not how it works.

Section 6:10, 2 (b) reads: "The Designated Hitter may be used defensively, continuing to bat in the same position of the batting order, but the Pitcher must bat in the place of the substituted defensive player."

The Rays continued to utilize a radical shift against Phillies second baseman Chase Utley last night with third baseman Evan Longoria only a few feet from second and the other three infielders packed on the right side.

That's an alignment most teams use against Ryan Howard, but it's rare to see it employed against Utley.

"It's based on information, all the stuff [scouts] were able to acquire during the course of the year," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "We're very extensive. If you look at a . . . [spray] chart and notice that balls are not hit in a certain area, why do you cover it?" *

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