Not quite a power couple

He might never pass this way again. This might be his one shining moment, without the shining part.

Maybe the Tampa Bay Rays are a budding dynasty, and they’ll be back in the World Series. But maybe not, and that could leave a cruel asterisk on what should be the brilliant career of Evan Longoria.

This is a horribly awkward time for adversity to introduce itself to Longoria, but this is indeed that time. This is the first real slump of his major league career, with all of America as witnesses.

Four games into the World Series, Longoria has no hits. He has struck out more often than not -- nine strikeouts in 16 at-bats. He has hit one ball out of the infield.

If the Rays lose again tonight, the winter will be a long and cruel one for Longoria. The Philadelphia Phillies routed the Rays, 10-2, Sunday night to close to within one victory of the World Series championship. Cole Hamels, the Phillies’ ace, starts tonight.

Ryan Howard, the Phillies’ cleanup batter who’d been struggling at the plate for most of the postseason, hit two home runs and drove in five runs. It was almost as if Longoria, the Rays’ cleanup batter, was mocked by both starting pitchers.

The Phillies’ Joe Blanton hit a home run, his first since high school. The Rays’ Andy Sonnanstine singled, in his first at-bat since June.

Longoria vowed to go down swinging. He has not walked in this series, but he has swung and missed at bad pitch after bad pitch.

“Hopefully, I can come out of this thing,” he said. “You can’t go out there with your bat on your shoulder, just hoping you’re going to come out of a slump.”

In his major league career, which dates all the way back to April 12, 2008, he never had gone hitless in four consecutive games, or struck out nine times in four consecutive games.

Until now.

“It’s just one of those stages where I’m not locked in,” he said. “I’m getting one, maybe two pitches per at-bat to hit. When you’re locked in, you hit those pitches.”

We’ve never seen him in one of those stages. The Rays gave him $3 million to sign with them out of Long Beach State two years ago, and another $17.5 million in April, signing him to a six-year contract six days into his major league career.

In July, he played in the All-Star Game. In November, he’ll almost certainly win the American League rookie-of-the-year award.

“Very shortly,” teammate David Price said before Game 1, “he will be the best player in baseball.”

In the first round of the playoffs, he hit two home runs. In the AL Championship Series, he hit four, helping the Rays vanquish the mighty Boston Red Sox.

In the first two rounds of the National League playoffs, Howard hit no homers, but there were no lingering side effects because the Phillies won.

Cliff Floyd, in his first World Series in 11 years, said he gave Longoria one piece of advice.

“Enjoy this,” Floyd said. “It might sound crazy, but it might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. By trying to enjoy it, you can alleviate a little pressure. So much has happened so quick for him.”

Joe Maddon, the Rays’ manager, is convinced Longoria is destined for stardom even should he finish 0 for the Fall Classic.

“He’s really a novice,” Maddon said. “This guy has burst on the scene this year and accomplished a lot. Regardless of what happens the rest of the series, this guy is one of the finest young players in the game now, and he’ll be one of the finest players in the game for the next 10 to 15 years.”

The scar of October never heals on some players.

“I think it would serve as motivation for him,” Maddon said. “He’s handled so much already, so quickly and so well. He would take this experience and learn from it.”

The Rays have played 15 games in October, facing elimination in just one. They face elimination tonight, against Hamels. They must win, then face elimination again and win again, just to get this series to Game 7.

Longoria did not express himself in the most confident of sentences after Sunday’s game, discussing the 0-for-29 hole into which he and Carlos Pena -- the No. 3 and No. 4 hitters -- have dropped the Rays.

“We’ve had our struggles in the series,” he said. “We’ve got one more game to try to break out of it.”

We’ve seen all the slips at bat, and now a Freudian slip too?

“Actually,” he said in amending his comment, “we’ve got three more games.”

If he hits, they just might.

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bill.shaikin@latimes.com

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

How they scored

Phillies first: Rollins doubled to right. Werth flied out to right fielder Zobrist, Rollins to third. Utley walked on four pitches. Howard safe on failed fielder’s choice, Utley to second, Rollins staying at third. Burrell walked on a full count, Rollins scored, Utley to third, Howard to second. Victorino grounded into fielder’s choice, pitcher Sonnanstine to catcher Navarro, Utley out, Howard to third, Burrell to second. Feliz flied out to center fielder Upton.

One run, one hit, three left. Phillies 1, Rays 0.

Phillies third: Utley safe on Iwamura’s error. Howard singled to right, Utley to third. Burrell popped out to shortstop Bartlett. Victorino popped out to shortstop Bartlett. Feliz singled to left, Utley scored, Howard to second. Ruiz infield single to second, Howard to third, Feliz to second. Blanton fouled out to first baseman Pena.

One run (unearned), three hits, one error, three left. Phillies 2, Rays 0.

Rays fourth: Pena struck out. Longoria grounded out, shortstop Rollins to first baseman Howard. Crawford homered to right on a 1-and-2 count. Navarro grounded out, shortstop Rollins to first baseman Howard.

One run, one hit. Phillies 2, Rays 1.

Phillies fourth: Rollins safe on Iwamura’s error. Werth walked on a full count, Rollins to second. Utley struck out. Howard homered to left on a 2-and-1 count, Rollins scored, Werth scored. Burrell fouled out to catcher Navarro. Victorino popped out to third baseman Longoria.

Three runs (one unearned), one hit, one error. Phillies 5, Rays 1.

Rays fifth: Zobrist flied out to center fielder Victorino. Bartlett grounded out, pitcher Blanton to third baseman Feliz to first baseman Howard. Hinske, batting for Sonnanstine, homered to center on a 2-and-1 count. Iwamura grounded out, pitcher Blanton to first baseman Howard.

One run, one hit. Phillies 5, Rays 2.

Phillies fifth: Jackson pitching. Feliz fouled out to catcher Navarro. Ruiz grounded out, third baseman Longoria to first baseman Pena. Blanton homered to left on a 2-and-1 count. Rollins grounded out, second baseman Iwamura to first baseman Pena.

One run, one hit. Phillies 6, Rays 2.

Phillies eighth: Stairs, batting for Madson, struck out. Rollins doubled to right. Werth homered to center on a full count, Rollins scored. Miller pitching. Utley walked on four pitches. Howard homered to right on a 1-and-0 count, Utley scored. Bruntlett grounded out, shortstop Bartlett to first baseman Pena. Victorino flied out to center fielder Upton.

Four runs, three hits. Phillies 10, Rays 2.