Rays hitters still slumping as series starts to slip away

Oct 27, 2008 - 8:44 AM By Vince DiGregorio PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- The Tampa Bay Rays have to snap a big drought in the middle of the lineup if they hope to win this year's edition of the World Series.

The Rays were drubbed, 10-2, by the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Four, which put the National League winners in a commanding three-games-to-one lead in the best-of-seven series.

Philadelphia is now in a position to close out the series on Monday with ace Cole Hamels on the mound.

While the main focus during the first two games of the series was on the Phillies hitting 1-for-29 with runners in scoring position, the concern over performance has now shifted to the other dugout.

Two players are being scrutinized in particular for the Rays as Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria have gone a combined 0-for-29 with 15 strikeouts in the series.

Tampa Bay's No. 3 and 4 hitters respectively, Pena and Longoria played a large role in the club's American League Championship Series victory, combining for seven home runs in the seven games against the Boston Red Sox.

Longoria figures there's only one way out of his slump.

"My plan has just been to keep swinging - so hopefully, I come out of this thing," Longoria said. "You just can't go up there with the bat on those shoulders."

The struggles couldn't have been more apparent on Sunday as Pena and Longoria combined to strike out five times in eight at-bats. Both went down swinging in the top of the eighth as Tampa Bay was running out of chances.

"I just think that both guys are just out of their game a little bit right now," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

Longoria has been taunted mercilessly by the Phillies faithful at Citizens Bank Park with chants of "Eva" in order to mock him in reference to actress Eva Longoria - one of the stars of the ABC television series 'Desperate Housewives.'

"I don't know about (taking it as) a small town compliment," Longoria said. "It's a whole lot tougher to play on the road than it is at home."

Whether the taunts or the pressure of the big moment are finally catching up to Longoria and the rest of his teammates, the Rays are going to have to turn it around fast if the team hopes it can send the series back to Tampa Bay.