Schedule and 2008 Results
Regular Season Records: Tampa Bay 97-65, Philadelphia 92-70
Game 1 on Wednesday, 22 October: Philadelphia wins at Tampa Bay, 3-runs-2
Game 2 on Thursday, 23 October: Philadelphia loses at Tampa Bay, 4-runs-2
Game 3 on Saturday, 25 October: Tampa Bay loses at Philadelphia, 5-runs-4
Game 4 on Sunday, 26 October: Tampa Bay loses at Philadelphia, 10-runs-2
Game 5 on Wednesday, 29 October: Tampa Bay loses at Philadelphia, 4-runs-3

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 5: In a game that started Monday 27 October and ended Wednesday 29 October, the Philadelphia Phillies hosted and defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-runs-3 for a 4-games-1 MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1055 win. With the series 1055 win, the Philadelphia Phillies improve their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record to 4-4 overall and 2-4 in the Finals round. With the series 1055 loss, the Tampa Bay Rays see their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record fall to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the Finals round. The 19 runs plated by the Phillies in Philadelphia are the second-most runs scored at home by a team in a best-of-7 MLB Finals series that lasted five games, next only to the Baltimore Orioles, which in series 231 scored a total of 23 runs in Baltimore during the 1970 MLB Finals. The victorious Philadelphia Phillies posted a win order of WLWWW in series 1055: Series 1055 thus becomes the tenth MLB Finals, the 14th MLB series overall, and the 69th MLB/NBA/NHL series overall to follow a WLWWW win order to completion.

After Game 4: Notching the most one-sided best-of-7 MLB Finals Game 4 victory ever by a home team, the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 10-runs-2 to take a 3-games-1 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1055. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-1, the Philadelphia Phillies have a 1-0 series record and a 1-0 Game 5 record. The Tampa Bay Rays trail a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-1 for the first time. The win order for the Philadelphia Phillies thus far in series 1055 is WLWW: In best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL Finals history, the last team to open such a series WLWW but lose the series was the Baltimore Orioles, in series 366 (the 1979 World Series); since then, MLB/NBA/NHL teams opening a best-of-7 Finals series WLWW have won nine straight Finals. The eight-run margin of victory by Philadelphia in series 1055 Game 4 is the largest ever in a best-of-7 MLB Finals Game 4 by the home team, breaking the old record of seven runs (set by the Cleveland Indians' 10-runs-3 win in Cleveland over the Florida Marlins in series 747 [1997 World Series] Game 4).

After Game 3: Scoring the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Philadelphia Phillies hosted and defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-runs-4 to take a 2-games-1 MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1055 lead. The Tampa Bay Rays thus trail a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 2-games-1 for the first time. When the Philadelphia Phillies lead a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 2-games-1, they have a perfect (if limited) 2-0 series record, having won series 381 (the 1980 MLB Finals) and series 1054 (the 2008 MLB Semifinals or "National League Championship Series") under such circumstances. Series 1055 Game 3 marks the 33rd best-of-7 MLB playoff game and the 23rd best-of-7 MLB Finals game to be won by the home team in the bottom of the ninth inning. The last team to accomplish this feat in a best-of-7 MLB Finals series: The Chicago White Sox, hosting the Houston Astros in series 956 Game 2 (in the 2005 World Series). Series 1055 Game 3 marks the first time that the Phillies won a best-of-7 MLB playoff game in Philadelphia in the bottom of the ninth; on three occasions did Philadelphia lose on the road in the bottom of the ninth (series 11, in Boston to the Red Sox in 1915 World Series Game 3 [the first time in a best-of-7 MLB playoff game that the home team won a game in the bottom of the ninth]; series 81, in New York to the Yankees in 1950 World Series Game 3; series 650, in Toronto to the Blue Jays in 1993 World Series Game 6). In the history of best-of-7 MLB playoff series, teams with a WLW win order and a VVH site order (such as Philadelphia in the 2008 World Series) have an 8-8 series record. Setting the most frequent favorable precedent for the Phillies in series 1055 are the St. Louis Cardinals, which thrice were WLW @ VVH after the first three games, and converted all three situations into best-of-7 MLB playoff series wins (in series 27, the 1934 World Series; in series 186, the 1967 World Series; in series 989, the 2006 World Series). Setting the most frequent favorable precedent for the Tampa Bay Rays, with their LWL @ HHV win/site order through three series 1055 games, are yet again the St. Louis Cardinals, which twice were LWL @ HHV after the first three games, and converted both situations into best-of-7 MLB playoff series wins (in series 51, the 1944 World Series, and in series 59, the 1946 World Series).

After Game 2: Tying MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1055 at 1-game-all, the Tampa Bay Rays hosted and bested the Philadelphia Phillies 4-runs-2 in 2008 World Series Game 2. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the Tampa Bay Rays have a 1-0 series record and a 1-0 Game 3 record, while the Philadelphia Phillies have a 1-3 series record and a perfect 0-4 Game 3 record. Series 1055 is the first best-of-7 MLB playoff series in which a team (such as Tampa Bay) lost Game 1 by a 3-runs-2 score and won Game 2 by a 4-runs-2 score. In six best-of-7 NHL playoff series did a team lose Game 1 by a 3-goals-2 score and win Game 2 by a 4-goals-2 score: In all six of those series, the team losing Game 1 and winning Game 2 also won Game 3 (for what that might be worth).

After Game 1: The Philadelphia Phillies visited and defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 3-runs-2 to take a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1055, the 2008 World Series. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 1-game-nil, the Philadelphia Phillies have a 3-2 series record and a 2-3 Game 2 record. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 1-game-nil, the Tampa Bay Rays have a 1-0 series record and a 1-0 Game 2 record (with both the series and Game 2 victories occurring in series 1054, the 2008 American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox just completed). Series 1055 Game 1 was the 66th best-of-7 MLB playoff series game in which the road team led from the top of the first inning through the end of the game; the last such World Series game was 2007 World Series Game 4, in which the Boston Red Sox defeated the Rockies in Colorado 4-runs-3 to win the 2007 MLB championship.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2008 regular season, the Tampa Bay Rays finished five games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. From 1905 through the 2008 MLB Semifinals, when MLB teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by five regular-season games, they have posted a 3-2 (.600) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1055 is the eighth best-of-7 playoff series for the Philadelphia Phillies, and the second for the Tampa Bay Rays. In best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the Philadelphia Phillies have a 3-4 series record, a 1-4 Finals-round series record, and a 5-2 Game 1 record, while the Tampa Bay Rays have a 1-0 series record, a 0-0 Finals-round record, and a 0-1 Game 1 record. Series 1055 is the first best-of-7 MLB playoff series meeting between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays. Series 1055 is the 100th best-of-7 format MLB Finals.