ESPN Analyst Compares Playing in Philly to SEC Football Stadium

Just over 19,000 fans showed up to see the 99 win Tampa Bay Rays in their American League Wild Card matchup with the Texas Rangers on Tuesday afternoon.

They lost the game 4-0, making three errors and barely showing a pulse inside the concrete mausoleum known as Tropicana Field.

Its a hideous baseball existence in general, but for a playoff game, its a downright disgrace.

Meanwhile, 1,058 miles north at Citizens Bank Park, Phillies fans packed the park and made a huge impact in the game.

“I got chills,” said Zack Wheeler after the game.

Wheeler was fueled by 45,662 screaming fans and ended up tossing 6.2 innings, allowing just one run, striking out eight Marlins giving the Phillies a 1-0 series lead.

So what was the atmosphere really like inside Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night?  ESPNMLB inside Jeff Passan compared it to a SEC Football stadium on a Saturday in the south, where football is essentially religion.

“It’s an SEC stadium in Baseball,” Passan explained on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt. You don't see these sorts of crowds that are up all game long.  That are cheering at the right time. That get in guys heads, or really in their ears."

Game 2 in Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park with first pitch at 8:08 on 97.3 ESPN and the free mobile app.