Alvarez improves to .500

RAYS 4, MARLINS 0: The veteran helps Tampa Bay stretch its win streak to three.

By KEVIN KELLY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published June 29, 2002

Those brash days are a memory for the 32-year-old, who lost not only the past two seasons but precious velocity after shoulder surgery in 1999.

"I'm just throwing the ball," Alvarez said after a 4-0 win against the Marlins on Friday. "I just go, 'Hey, here it is. Hopefully you'll hit it to somebody."'

Now living on location and experience, the left-hander became the only pitcher in the Rays starting rotation with a .500 record after he tossed seven scoreless innings before 10,831 at Tropicana Field.

Alvarez allowed four hits and threw a season-high 102 pitches for his first victory at home since August 1999. It was Tampa Bay's third consecutive win.

"We were talking about it in the dugout," said Marlins manager Jeff Torborg, who was managing the White Sox when Alvarez made his Chicago debut in 1991. "He doesn't throw as hard and the ball doesn't have as much action, but he knows how to pitch."

Rays third baseman Jared Sandberg provided most of the help offensively against Florida with a run-scoring single and his team-leading sixth home run this month.

The Rays bullpen again did its job as Travis Phelps and Esteban Yan pitched scoreless innings. Tampa Bay relievers haven't allowed a run in their past eight innings.

"Everything is clicking right now," Sandberg said. "I think as a team if we have the confidence that we can win some ballgames. Maybe we'll play to win and let all the other stats take care of themselves."

Though it doesn't carry the same throw-down intensity as a Lightning-Panthers hockey game, the Citrus Series has entertained with its competitiveness. The Rays have won three of the first four games against the Marlins by a combined 12-7. There are two games left in the season interleague series.

Alvarez is responsible for pitching 13 scoreless innings in two of those games.

"You've got to give him a lot of credit," Torborg said. "It's a long way back, and a lot of people with that kind of contract he had would just say 'The heck with it, I've got the money.' Give him credit for that."

Credit for giving the Rays more than they could have hoped from a pitcher in the final season of a five-year, $35-million contract. He is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA over his past three starts against Florida and Colorado.

"His command of the fastball sets up everything else," Rays manager Hal McRae said. "Some nights he has a good curveball. Some nights he has a good change-up.

"But the command of the fastball is really the reason he's been successful the last three times out. ... He hasn't had it all on a given night. But he finds a way to win because he knows how to pitch."

The Marlins got baserunners on in four of the seven innings Alvarez pitched, but only three of them touched third base.

Designated hitter Kevin Millar thought he had a home run in the seventh when he launched a fly ball onto the B-Ring catwalk. The ball did not fall to the ground and was ruled a double. It was the second time a ball has stuck on a catwalk, the first since Jose Canseco did it while with the Rays against the Tigers on May 2, 1999.

"That's the only one I've clearly seen," McRae said. "That one was coming down and was an out. I didn't see what happened once it hit ... but I knew exactly where that hit. Luckily the third base umpire saw it too."

As they did in the final two games of the Toronto series, the Rays gave their pitchers just enough cushion. Florida starter Ryan Dempster allowed three runs in the second, one in the seventh.

The Rays' second-inning rally began after leftfielder Jason Conti reached on a fielder's choice. Gomez and Sandberg followed with a run-scoring triple and single. Second baseman Brent Abernathy made it 3-0 with his run-scoring single to leftfield.

The Rays, who got their third shutout of the season, have won three straight for the first time since May 19-22, and three straight since management made 10 roster moves Tuesday.

"Tuesday was a rough day with the moves and then getting blown out (20-11)," Sandberg said. "I think it was a learning experience for everybody. Maybe that day the roster moves didn't look like they were going to make a difference, but maybe now they are.

"A shake-up of a team like that is supposed to help you in the long run. Maybe it's just what the team needed."

RAYS 4, MARLINS 0: The veteran helps Tampa Bay stretch its win streak to three.

ST. PETERSBURG -- In his younger days with the White Sox, Wilson Alvarez dared batters to swing at his fastball.