Bullpen
Rays: RHP Dan Wheeler (3.12 ERA, 13 saves), RHP Grant Balfour (1.54), LHP J.P. Howell (2.22), LHP Trever Miller (4.15), RHP Chad Bradford (2.12), LHP David Price (1.93)
Red Sox: RHP Jonathan Papelbon (2.34, 40 saves), LHP Hideki Okajima (2.61), RHP Justin Masterson (3.16), RHP Manny Delcarmen (3.27), LHP Javier Lopez (2.43)
Give the Rays the edge in middle relief, with Balfour and Howell the biggest cogs in a dramatic reversal for the Rays who had a bullpen ERA of 6.29 last year (worst in baseball) and now are one of the best at 3.55. Price could be called on to be the designated David Ortiz slayer in the middle innings. But Boston has Papelbon, who always seems to come through in the postseason.
Managers
Rays: Joe Maddon (281-286 in career)
Red Sox: Terry Francona (755-703 in career)
What Maddon has done in Tampa Bay is just short of miraculous, a 31-game improvement from 2007 to 2008. Francona has two World Series titles in his career. Both are on top of their games and are effective leaders.
