Happy return for Gomez

RAYS 6, TIGERS 4: Shortstop who came up with Detroit homers and drives in four as Tampa Bay avoids a sweep.

[AP photos] Chris Gomez is greeted in the Rays dugout after homering in the eighth to pad the lead to 6-4 against his former team.

By KEVIN KELLY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 19, 2002

DETROIT -- The asphalt on the streets surrounding the old stadium is worn so badly the red brick beneath shows. The neighboring buildings are a picture of neglect with their boarded-up and broken windows.

But for the first 390 games of his major-league career, Tiger Stadium was just fine for Chris Gomez.

Gomez hits a solo home run in the eighth inning off Detroit Tigers pitcher Jose Paniagua.

"I have nothing but good thoughts, good memories of Detroit," the Rays shortstop said Thursday. "The teammates I had there, the veterans I played with. I tell stories every day about the guys I played with."

The Tigers now have a story about one the organization traded away.

Gomez, who was promoted to the big leagues when Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker still comprised the Tigers middle infield in 1993 and traded to the Padres in 1996, helped the Rays avoid a three-game sweep.

The 31-year-old went 3-for-4 with two doubles, four RBIs and a homer to leftfield in the eighth inning at the notorious pitcher's park as Tampa Bay beat the Tigers 6-4 before an announced 21,971.

"Anywhere else I just put my head down and go to the dugout," Gomez said of his homer. "I just hit it in a good spot in the park. That's about the only place I can hit it out here."

The Rays gladly took it.

Having lost eight of 10, including Detroit's first victories of the season Tuesday and Wednesday, Tampa Bay traveled home a happy ballclub.

"A much-needed win and a good win," said manager Hal McRae, victorious on the one-year anniversary of his hiring to improve his 162-game record as Rays manager to 64-98. "Hopefully this is the beginning of some kind of winning streak."

Ryan Rupe pitched 61/3 innings, and the bullpen held the Tigers through Dmitri Young's deep fly ball to Ben Grieve in right-centerfield to end it.

The right-handed Rupe allowed four runs, two each in the second and seventh, before being relieved by Doug Creek with one out and runners on second and third. He struck out three and walked one.

"I think I have more control of my pitches now than I did last year," Rupe said. "I'm still working on some things. But I still can throw a fastball in counts where in the past throwing a fastball was going out of the yard.

"I'll take a 2-1 record."

McRae turned the game over to Creek, who allowed a run-scoring single to Robert Fick to make it 5-4, then to rookie Jorge Sosa and closer Esteban Yan.

The bullpen had allowed 27 runs in its past 20 innings before Thursday but was not charged with a run.

"It was real big," Creek said. "We didn't come in exactly lights out, but we got the job done and that's what you've got to do.

"Everybody down there knows we can do the job. It's just a matter of everybody firing on all cylinders and getting it done that way. We're hoping everybody comes around and starts pitching the way we know how. I think we're going to be a lot better for our starters than we have been."

The Rays managed five hits off Detroit starter Jeff Weaver through five innings, then got that many in the sixth.

Grieve's leadoff hit to right was the first of four straight singles and five straight hits that gave Tampa Bay a 5-2 lead. The big hit was Gomez's two-run double down the leftfield line.

His homer came two innings later off reliever Jose Paniagua and capped a tremendous season series for Gomez against his former team.

He hit .319 with four doubles, two homers and five RBIs in six games against the Tigers.

"It's a total coincidence," Gomez said. "I just felt good at the plate. It's just coincidence."

Despite losing the first two games of the series, Tampa Bay finished its season series against the Tigers with four wins in six games thanks to a season-opening three-game sweep at Tropicana Field.

It outscored Detroit 35-29.

"The W is the biggest thing," Gomez said. "It's good to get the final one here. It's a much better flight going home with a W. Getting swept would've been bad. At least we got one."

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