It’s been twelve long years since Jason Bartlett stole a base to become a true American Hero and win everybody free tacos. Now, the Tampa Bay Rays look to win so much more.

It will be their second World Series appearance, the first they lost twelve seasons ago to the Philadelphia Phillies. That year, they rode the bat of Evan Longoria, a rookie who hit six homeruns in the postseason, which was a new Major League record. It stood until tonight, when Rays rookie Randy Arozarena hit his seventh to put them on the board in win or go home.

They played longball early, as this was followed later on by a Mike Zunino homerun.

Mike Zunino would drive in one more run, a sacrifice fly, and that would be it for the scoring until a Carlos Correa single in the eighth made it 4-2. By then, it was too late for a comeback to complete an historic comeback. Charlie Morton, former Astro? He was electric. He also joined 2008 Braves teammate and Hall of Famer John Smoltz in history.

The Tampa Bay Rays have capped off an absolutely incredible run that saw them win 40 games in the regular season to become the top American League seed and win their first AL East crown since 2010. They eliminated division rival Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees and got their redemption from last years Astros team when they lost in a win or go home game five. They had the most injuries in the American League, yet had the best record. They will have homefield if Atlanta wins Game 7 tomorrow against the Dodgers. They will be the away team in Arlington if LA advances.

The team who has outsmarted everybody built this team from trade robberies in deals such as the Chris Archer trade, bargain hunting for players such as Joey Wendle and Michael Brosseau, and trades from long ago such as the David Price deal that brought Willy Adames to the Rays. They have one big free agent acquisition: Charlie Morton, the man who was on the mound tonight and their horse. They have the game’s top bullpen for pennies on the dollar. The team with the third lowest payroll in baseball looks to finally get their ring.

For the Astros, it was a tremendous postseason after finishing under .500 and only making it due to expanded playoffs following their historic cheating scandal. Dusty Baker did great weathering the storm in his first year in Houston, and they eliminated both NL Central Champion Minnesota Twins and AL West Champion Oakland Athletics. They took the best team in the American League to a deciding Game 7. They went to Game 7 after being down 3-0 in the series, something only three teams before them had ever done.

In the bottom of the ninth, Peter Fairbanks K’d Kyle Tucker to start the inning on the high heat. Yulieski Gurriel singled to Manuel Margot in right on a 2-1 count. The next hitter, Josh Reddick, got ahead 2-1 in the count before Fairbanks laid a 99 mph pitch down the middle and Reddick took it. After fouling of a 90 mph slider, he swung right through the fastball for the second out of the inning. Aledmys Diaz on a first pitch slider ended the game on a fly out to Margot.

The Tampa Bay Rays are in the World Series, just a month after the Lightning won the Stanley Cup. Could Tampa become the new title town?

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