Evan Longoria joins the celebration around Fernando Rodney after beating the Cleveland Indians. (Photo courtesy of Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
Evan Longoria joins the celebration around Fernando Rodney after beating the Cleveland Indians.
(Photo courtesy of Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Its been written, that no team is more battle tested on the road than the Tampa Bay Rays. And on the heels of a 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians in the AL Wild Card Play-In Game Wednesday, the Rays will partake in two more road games against the Red Sox before they come home to the Trop Monday.

Tampa Bay faced three consecutive road elimination games to close out the regular season, now they’ll take on their AL East rivals, the Boston Red Sox, in a best of five series that will begin at Fenway. Boston got the best of Tampa Bay during the regular season, winning 12-of-19, but the playoffs are a new opportunity — a clean slate of sorts.

What will it take for the Rays to be successful over the course of the next few days? Let’s take a look.

1. The Rays will have to negate the Red Sox running game by not allowing base runners. Suffice it to say, Boston is an incredibly patient team that will take advantage of pitchers’ mistakes early and often. The peripherals: They led the majors in OBP (.349) and OPS (.795), while drawing the second-most walks all season (581). We all know how dangerous Jacoby Ellsbury can be — he has an 87% success rate swiping bases. The Rays pitchers must throw strikes and get ahead of batters, ultimately keeping the Red Sox hitters off balance and behind in counts.

2. Get runners on for Longo. Over his last seven games of the regular season (including the one-game playoff against the Rangers) Evan Longoria has hit .414 (12-for-29) with five extra-base hits (three home runs) and 11 RBI. David DeJesus and Wil Myers struggled in the one and two-holes (2-for-14) against the Rangers and Indians, and the Rays need to have some production in the middle of the lineup.

3. Tampa Bay needs to get strong performances from its starters.

4. Swarm the starters early on. The Rays are at their best when they score early. Rattling the starters and outscoring the Red Sox is an important avenue for the Rays advancing this postseason. If the Rays can put up runs early and get inside the head of Lester, Lackey, Buchholz, or Peavy, their demons can derail the Sox staff.

5. Take a game at Fenway. Ben Stepansky of Bleacher Report put it best, “Losing a playoff game at home is demoralizing to both the team and its fanbase. If the Rays can take one (or both) games at Fenway, they’ll return to the Trop at least tied in the series.” The last time the AL East rivals met in the playoffs was for the 2008 ALCS, and the Rays won in seven games. The two teams split the four games at Tropicana Field, but the Rays won two of three games at Fenway Park, outscoring the Red Sox 29-13. If history indicates anything, the odds are good that all five games will be played.

Rays and Red Sox ALDS starters (the Rays third and fourth starters are still TBA)
Rays and Red Sox ALDS starters (the Rays third and fourth starters are still TBA).
Rays and Red Sox combined pitching numbers.
Rays and Red Sox combined pitching numbers.
Rays and Red Sox offensive production at home, away, and over the last seven days.
Rays and Red Sox offensive production at home, away, and over the last seven days.
Rays and Red Sox by the numbers.
Rays and Red Sox by the numbers.

Jon Lester: The Red Sox went 3-1 against the Rays this season with Lester on the mound. Key match-ups: Yunel Escobar (9-33, 2B, 2 RBI, 5 BB), Desmond Jennings (9-25, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, BB), Matt Joyce (4-11, 2 HR, 6 RBI, BB), James Loney (2-8, 2 RBI, BB), Jose molina (9-26, 2B, RBI, 3 BB), Wil Myers (2-3, 2B, HR, RBI).

John Lackey: Lackey has averaged five innings in two starts against the Rays this season, relinquishing nine earned runs overall. Key match-ups: David DeJesus (6-24, 2 RBI), Yunel Escobar (8-15, 2 2B, RBI, 3 BB), Matt Joyce (6-18, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB), Jose Lobaton (1-3), James Loney (4-16, 2B, HR, 3 RBI), Evan Longoria (10-31, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB), Sean Rodriguez (2-5), Luke Scott (7-21, 4 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, BB), Delmon Young (6-17, 2B, RBI, BB), Ben Zobrist (11-27, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 5 BB).

Clay Buchholz: The Red Sox RHP has been very good against the Rays this season, shutting out Tampa Bay in 13 innings of work, while allowing only 10 base runners (5 H, 5 BB). Key match-ups: David DeJesus (4-11, 2B, 3 BB), Sam Fuld (1-4, 2B, RBI, BB), Matt Joyce (6-22, 2B, 2 RBI, 4 BB), Jose Molina (7-22, 2B, 4 RBI, BB), Sean Rodriguez (3-10, 2B, RBI).

Jake Peavy: Tampa Bay was able to take down Peavy in his last start against the Rays, tagging him for three runs on four hits and five walks, including a homer. Key match-ups: James Loney (10-31, 5 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, BB), Wil Myers (1-2, RBI, BB), Sean Rodriguez (2-4), Luke Scott (4-12, 2 2B, HR, RBI), Ben Zobrist (4-13, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB).

Noteworthiness

  • Rotation update: Hellickson will start Game four unless he’s needed in relief in one of first three games.
  • There’s understandable frustration buying tickets for the weekday games without knowing the times. MLB decides on the time, with input from TV, based on the numbers of games. Could be at 4:00 Monday.
  • “Since #Rays are in Boston, naturally there is, per @weatherchannel, rain possible, 40 pct. chance starting around game time.” — Marc Topkin (via Twitter)
  • “Good omen?? Rays instructional league beat Boston’s instructional league team 17-0…low market team…we RAYS our players.” — David Price (via Twitter)

Rays ALDS Roster

11 Pitchers, 2 Catchers, 4 Infielders, 7 Outfielders, 1 DH

Pitchers
Moore
Price
Cobb
Hellickson
Archer
Rodney
Peralta
McGee
Torres
J. Wright
W. Wright

Infielders
Loney
Zobrist
Esocobar
Longoria
Johnson
Rodriguez

Outfielders
DeJesus
Jennings
Fuld
Joyce
Young
Myers

Catchers
Molina
Lobaton

DH
Young

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