The Boston Red Sox have the Tampa Bay Rays exactly where they want them on Monday night, as the team is up 2-0 in the American League Division Series and in position to sweep 3-0 in Game 3 at Tropicana Field, which will start up on TV on TBS at 6:07 pm.
The teams will be putting up a very solid pitching matchup, as Alex Cobb will throw for the Rays, while Clay Buchholz is heading to the mound for the Red Sox. The Rays need Cobb to continue pitching how he has been pitching this season, as he went 11-3 with a 2.76 ERA in his first full season in the majors and the Red Sox are hoping that they can counter him, as Cobb has gone 4-0 against the top teams in the AL over his past five starts, including Boston. In his career Cobb is just 2-2 against the Sox and Boston will be hoping for that history.
Check here for the Red Sox and Rays ALDS radio live stream coverage or for more on the MLB schedule in the postseason from Sports World Report.
Buchholz is pitching for the Sox at the right time, as he has been playing very well all year apart from when he was injured and the team will be looking for another strong game from David Ortiz, who is the last link back to their first World Series championship in years that they won back in 2004. Ortiz had himself a very nice season, leading the team with 30 home runs and over 100 RBIs and after hitting two homers in Game 2, he will be one to worry about for Cobb and the Rays.
The Sox won 97 games this season and finished over five games ahead of the Rays in the division and now Buchholz will get the chance to face off against Evan Longoria, a player he has done very well against over the years, striking him out over 10 times in 38 matchups. Jacoby Ellsbury has been a table setter for the team and he will need to do more of the same on Monday after the 7-4 on Saturday that saw him score three times in the victory and he is leading the team with four runs in the series. The Red Sox are in the playoffs after missing out last year when they had a disaster of a season and now the Rays are facing a series sweep against the Sox, a familiar place for the team, as they had to win a number of elimination games this year, including the wild card game against Texas that saw a fantastic game from Cobb.
The Red Sox and Rays have played against each other before in the playoffs, as the two teams matched up in the ALCS back in 2008 and after Boston won game one, the team lost Game 2 and then lost the series in seven games as Tampa went to their first World Series against the Phillies. The Red Sox have been in this position before and the Rays also know what it's like to play like it's life and death, as they had to come back to try and win against Texas in 2010 after losing the first two games, but that time they did not advance.
The red Sox have had success against the Rays this season, winning the season series 12-7, while Buchholz has been excellent against the team this year, winning two games and he already has a sub 2.50 ERA in his career against Tampa. The game will be live from the Trop in St. Petersburg for Game 3 at 6 pm and will be on TBS for American League Division Series coverage.
Check here for live coverage of the game and the MLB schedule.
