The Rays got a reminder that sometimes the dramatics never come, the big hit never happens and some nights are going to be like walking over a hot Cole.

But as they say in Grant Balfour’s Land of Oz, “No worries, mate.”

Views from the Cheap Seats of Game 1 of the World Series:

• I don’t think anyone gave this game more than a coin flip at best. Losing to their offensive kryptonite, the power lefty, was acceptable. Maybe even expectable.

• The Rays made the right choice in going with Scott Kazmir to start the series. He is after all the elder statesmen. Not by age but by suffering. Plus James Shields gives the Rays a better chance of a quality start, which would have been a shame to waste again going up against the other team’s ace.

• Tim Kurkjian is much smaller in person.

• Despite the tear that B.J. Upton has been on this postseason, the damage he has been inflicting has been largely superficial; usually coming in blowouts or in primarily hollow situations. Not many of his hits have been in impact situations and if they have, they have been wasted early. He grounded into two rally killing double plays tonight after taking ugly swings on even uglier breaking pitches.

• The prototypical mechanics of a Japanese hitter’s swing such as Aki’s is effective in counteracting pitches that change speed but are susceptible to ones that change planes.

• I could have paid my entire mortgage for the month for what it cost to bring a family of four to this game.

• FOX was cooking the numbers when it came to the JUGS gun. The numbers that were flashing on television were routinely 4-5 MPH faster than the radar speeds that were reported in the stadium. While it might make for good drama to see guys like Grant Balfour and Ryan Madson come out of the bullpen tossing 97-98 MPH bullets, is there anyone in the country that really believes Dan Wheeler was touching 93-94?

• The Rays pitching is good but it shouldn’t expect Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell to go a combined 0 for 12 again in this series. Alright, maybe Burrell will go hitless but not the other two.

• Did anyone else feel a little warm and fuzzy for Carl Crawford after he scored the first run in Rays World Series history with his solo shot in the fourth? It is only fitting for the guy who is the face of the franchise and has been for many years.  This guy is to the Rays what Robin Yount was to the Brewers or George Brett was to the Royals.

• Hey, Bartlett, thanks for the taco.

• Brad Lidge pitched a perfect ninth inning for the save but did so with very limited use of his fastball. It makes you wonder if he felt more comfortable with that slider* against the center of the Rays order or if he is feeling a little gun shy after the last time he appeared in a World Series. Could the ghost of Mitch Williams be lingering in the Phillies locker room?

*=in the original article I referred to Lidge’s pitch as a splitter because of the sharp downward break. I am not the only one to make this mistake.