PHILADELPHIA — The worst-to-first Tampa Bay Rays didn't bedevil Philadelphia for long.

After a late rally to tie Game 5, Part I at 2-all before it was suspended for rain Monday night, the Rays couldn't sustain the momentum over the final three innings, losing 4-3 last night.

They bowed out graciously, saying the disappointing ending is the start of a promising future.

"We won't be a joke to everybody any more," left fielder Carl Crawford said. "We established ourselves as a real franchise."

Resilient all season during an improbable run to the AL pennant, the young Rays came up short in every possible way in losing on baseball's biggest stage to the Phillies four games to one.

Good pitching, solid defense and timely hitting were the recipe for success during the regular season. The Rays didn't get any of those ingredients against the Phillies, especially during the three memorable away games.

Game 3 started after 10 p.m. because of a rain delay, shoddy defense led to a loss in Game 4 and Game 5 came down to what manager Joe Maddon called a "3 1/2-inning sprint" that the speedy Rays were unable to win.

"It's reality TV at its best. Forget all those other (shows)," Maddon joked about resuming Game 5 two days later. "If you want to keep fans interested, just start games right there in the sixth inning."

Throughout the Series, Tampa made uncharacteristic mistakes on defense and was impatient at the plate, with Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena going 0-for-31 with 15 strikeouts before finally pulling out of their slides early in Game 5.

"Regardless of the outcome, I don't feel we have anything to be ashamed of," Longoria said. "Somebody's got to win, and somebody's got to lose. ... We were one of the last two teams playing. You can't ask for more than that."

He finished 1-for-20 with two RBIs and nine strikeouts. Pena was 2-for-17 with two RBIs and six strikeouts. Without the sluggers delivering their usual production, the Rays hit four homers after clubbing a record 16 against the Red Sox in the ALCS.

"We thought we would make it a better series," Crawford said.

"There's so much going on emotionally right now that all we want to do is just get out of here," added Cliff Floyd, one of the veterans signed last winter to bring leadership and stability to a young clubhouse.

The Rays, who had never won more than 70 games in a season before this year, held off Boston for the AL East title and rebuffed another challenge from the Red Sox when they took the AL Championship Series in seven games.

"It's tough to realize our season is over, but we feel like we're going to be back in this situation again," Pena said. "With the rain, the cold, the delays and everything else, this certainly was an unusual experience. But at least we were part of it."