Sturtze still waiting for bad luck to end

© St. Petersburg Times
published June 20, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO -- Tanyon Sturtze doesn't know what his record should be. But given his relatively respectable 4.79 ERA, the 10 starts in which he has allowed four or fewer runs (and the five in which he has given up two or fewer), he knows this much:

It shouldn't be 0-7.

"It's frustrating and disappointing to hear a lot of people talk about how I don't have a win yet and I'm going on my 15th start without one," Sturtze said. "That's troubling, but I feel like I've kept this team in a lot of ballgames where we've had a chance to win.

"And that's all that I can really do. Hopefully at some point in the season the wins take care of themselves and they do start coming, and hopefully they come in bunches."

Sturtze has made his share of bad pitches. He has allowed more hits, walks and baserunners per nine innings than any pitcher in the league, and opponents have a hefty .305 average against him.

But he hasn't gotten much help, with the second-lowest run support in the league, 3.03 per nine innings.

Nor has he gotten many breaks. He pitched nine innings in his past two starts, allowed two runs both times and didn't get a win or even a complete game as the Rays won both in extra innings.

Sturtze has a better ERA than a dozen pitchers who have at least five wins, including Minnesota's Eric Milton, 8-5, 5.50; Anaheim's Aaron Sele, 6-3, 4.97; Cleveland's Ryan Drese, 7-4, 5.50; and Arizona's Rick Helling, 7-5, 4.80.

"I don't feel like I've pitched badly," Sturtze said.

HOMEBOY: Pitching against the Rays on Tuesday was a kick for Giants reliever Chad Zerbe, a product of Tampa's Citrus Park Little League, Gaither High and Hillsborough Community College.

Zerbe, 30, is a prime example of perseverance. He was a 17th-round pick of the Dodgers in 1991 but was released after six years in the low minors. He pitched briefly in 1997 for one of Arizona's Class A teams, then for Sonoma County in the independent Western League.

The Giants were impressed enough to give him another chance, and he worked his way from Class A to the majors in less than two years. He split last season between Triple A and the majors and has been a solid performer this season since being recalled April20.

"Making the majors was my goal when I was a kid, as it was for a lot of people," Zerbe said. "But I always knew if I had the opportunity, if I had the chance, I knew I could do it. I wanted one day in the big leagues. I wanted one out."

AND ANOTHER: New Giants first-base coach Joe Lefebvre was an All-American at Eckerd College and MVP of the Division II College World Series.

Lefebvre, 46, played nine seasons of pro ball, including parts of six in the majors, and was a minor-league coach for 15 years with the Phillies, Yankees and Giants before being promoted this season.

"It's been a great path," he said. "I've enjoyed the ride."

ROCCO ROCKING: It wasn't the most impressive display ever, but Rocco Baldelli was named MVP of Tuesday's Carolina-California League All-Star Game. Baldelli had one of the California League team's two hits, stole two bases and scored the first run in a tie at 3. Josh Hamilton, who has had back problems, did not participate, reportedly so he could avoid making consecutive cross-country flights. ... Jarod Matthews pitched a scoreless inning for the Southern Division team in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game.

MISCELLANY: Randy Winn extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games. ... The eight runs by the Rays Tuesday matched the most given up by the Giants at PacBell Park all season. ... Toby Hall has 18 RBIs in 18 games for Triple-A Durham. ... Rookie catcher Paul Hoover is scheduled to start today in place of John Flaherty.