In a series like this one, the young and up-and-coming Rays vs. the been-there-done-that Red Sox, that starts with a win by the Red Sox, there are one of two things that can happen. The young team can stay overwhelmed and never really get a handle on the series, or they can rise to the occasion and challenge the more experienced team. Last night you could see the Rays awaken when Evan Longoria answered Jason Bay's two-run first inning double with a two-run homer to tie the game up. This Rays team was not going to let this series slip away before they got to Boston.

The outward meaning of this win for the Rays is obvious and it's just what Andrew said it was earlier this morning -- Tampa doesn't head to Fenway down two games to none and facing the red-hot Jon Lester. In the Tampa locker room last night, I have to think this win went a little further than that. The Red Sox pitched Josh Beckett, hit four home runs, and got 5 2/3 shutdown innings from their bullpen, and the Rays still won.

In the end, the playoffs have shown time and time again that momentum only lasts until the first pitch of the next game. With Lester going for the Red Sox at Fenway, the sting of losing Game 2 might not last nearly as long as people think. Still, the Rays have shown America, and more importantly themselves, that they can go toe-to-toe with the Red Sox. They were tentative in Game 1 and it cost them. I don't think that will happen again.