Winn is having a record month

ST. PETERSBURG -- Fred McGriff phoned the other day, but Randy Winn had no idea why.

"He called to tell me that I was going to break some sort of record," Winn said. "I said, "What are you talking about?' He said, "My hit record."'

With three singles against the Blue Jays on Thursday, the Rays centerfielder passed McGriff's nearly 3-year-old club record for hits in a month and has 39 in June.

"Not really," Winn said when asked if he thought the record was significant. "Hopefully I can continue it."

Winn is batting .379 with 17 extra-base hits this month, one shy of another club record held by McGriff, but his stats improved dramatically after manager Hal McRae put him in the leadoff spot June 5.

He has hit .398 with 20 runs, 12 RBIs, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs and has a .487 on-base percentage since.

"I think I'm just making better contact," he said. "The biggest thing is not missing the pitcher's mistakes. If you leave something out over the plate, lately I've been putting it in play. When you foul that pitch off or you take it, you're in a hole."

BETTER BULLPEN: Throw out the 14-run nightmare against the Blue Jays on Tuesday and the Rays bullpen has performed as well as it has all season the past two games.

Three relievers -- Travis Phelps, Travis Harper and Esteban Yan -- have allowed one hit, walked none and struck out seven in six innings. The bullpen had a 13.00 ERA and two blown saves in six games before Wednesday.

"The past couple of days our feeling has been if we get the lead late in the game, all right the game is over," second baseman Brent Abernathy said. "They're coming in, they're throwing strikes, they're putting guys away, they're coming after guys and being aggressive and they're trusting their stuff. It's really good to see."

THE NUMBERS LIE: Starting pitcher Paul Wilson is winless in his past eight starts, but has allowed four runs or fewer in seven of those.

"The irony of the whole thing is my record is almost the same as it was last year," Wilson said. "The record might be close, but everything else is not."

He has a 4.22 ERA and has pitched into the seventh or beyond 11 times through his first 15 appearances this season. Through his first 15 appearances last season, three of which were out of the bullpen, Wilson was 2-7 with an 8.06 ERA in 63 2/3 innings and had pitched into the seventh once.

NATIONAL HONORS: According to USA Today, the Rays drafted the top prep prospect in the country. B.J. Upton, the second overall pick in the amateur draft, was named the USA Today high school player of the year. He batted .641 with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs this past season for Greenbrier Christian in Chesapeake, Va.

"A deserving honor for a deserving player because we felt he was the best high school player in the draft," scouting director Dan Jennings said.

Negotiations are ongoing. And while proposals have been exchanged no deal appears imminent.

KEEPING AN EYE ON: Draftee Matt Harrington continues to struggle with the Long Beach Breakers of the Independent Western League.

The right-handed pitcher, whom the Rays drafted in the 13th round, is 0-2 with a 5.93 ERA and a team-high nine wild pitches. He has struck out 23 and walked 24 in 27 1/3 innings.

The Rockies picked Harrington seventh in the 2000 draft. He turned down a $3.7-million offer and was drafted in the second round by the Padres last year and turned down their $1.25-million offer.

MINOR MATTER: Double-A Orlando first baseman Josh Pressley and pitcher Nathan Ruhl were chosen to play in the Double-A All-Star Game on July 10 in Norwich, Conn.