The Boston Red Sox have the Tampa Bay Rays on the ropes and are looking for the knockout blow in the AL Divisional Series Playoffs Game 3 today on TBS. The Rays are now tasked with winning three games in a row in order to advance to the ALCS, a tall order that they recently completed once already to reach this point. Watch MLB Baseball ALDS Game 3 online live streaming free on TBS: Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays is linked below.
Tampa Bay had to win three straight elimination games to get to this point and that process took them to five cities in only 12 days. Wear and tear on the Rays became evident as the reached Boston and got blown out by a combined score of 19-6 in the first two games of the series. A Rays offense that usually performs well with runners in scoring position did anything but. They needed a break and got one by returning home to Florida where games 3 and 4, if necessary, will be played.
Alex Cobb is the starting pitcher for the Rays today and will pitch in his second consecutive elimination game. Against the Indians in the Wild Card game, Cobb was solid in 6 2/3 innings of work in which he allowed eight hits, one walk and zero runs. Whenever the Indians got runners on base, Cobb was able to get out of jams including a bases-loaded double play that killed any potential momentum Cleveland might have been building.
Pitching for the Red Sox is Clay Buchholz who enters the game having completed the 2013 season with a 12-1 record after missing a large chunk of the season due to injury. When he did pitch, Buchholz was on fire in posting a 1.74 ERA and nearly three strikeouts to every one walk. Buchholz has the potential to dominate the Rays tonight and that’s exactly what the Red Sox will be looking for from him.
Today’s elimination game is the type of scenario where Evan Longoria loves to shine. The Rays will be looking for Longoria to crank up his bat and help get the Rays offense going after it sputtered in the first two games. Tampa Bay knows that historically the odds are stacked against them. The Red Sox won 14 of 21 meetings between the division foes this season, and only four of the last 22 teams in the AL to face an 0-2 hole in a best of five series have advanced.
This afternoon’s Game 3 of the 2013 MLB American League Divisional Playoff baseball series between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays will throw the first pitch at a start time of 6:07 pm EST / 3:07 pm PST on TV on TBS in high definition (HD). If the previous game between the Pirates and Cardinals runs long, this game will start on TNT and then move to TBS when the earlier game is complete. Cable or satellite subscribers with TBS and TNT as part of their channels package can alternately watch free live online streaming of today’s Divisional Playoff Game 3 from Florida here on TBS with their service provider’s login. The Red Sox are hot and I predict they finish off the Rays today to advance to the ALCS.
