Kennedy fixes it, whatever 'it' was

ST. PETERSBURG -- Whatever caused the two subpar starts, be it a mechanical flaw, conditioning or preparation, Joe Kennedy appears to be over it.

The Rays left-hander had allowed nine earned runs and not lasted past the fourth inning in either of his two previous outings, but he looked refocused and refreshed in a complete-game performance Tuesday.

"I had two bad starts," Kennedy said. "I didn't want to make it a third because that's when it starts getting to you."

Helped by the Rays' six-run first inning, the biggest at Tropicana Field, Kennedy retired the first 11 batters. And he was visibly disappointed when Gary Matthews singled up the middle for Baltimore's first hit in the fourth inning.

"I'm not speculating that I'd throw a no-hitter in that situation," said Kennedy, who struck out seven and walked one, "but I thought my concentration might have stayed there and I might have been more focused in the fifth and sixth innings."

His only slipups were a homer in the fifth and a two-run shot in the sixth. Both came after the Rays had taken a 9-0 lead.

"I had to go out there and say, 'Listen, you're up 10 runs. You've got to treat it like two runs,' " catcher Toby Hall said. "He did relax a little bit, but he regained his focus."

It was Kennedy's fifth complete game of the season, a Rays single-season record and tied with Royals starter Paul Byrd for most in the American League.

"(A big lead) is good," Kennedy said. "But in that situation you've really got to bear down mentally, just focus and try not to lose concentration."

LOOK OUT BELOW: The only thing that might keep centerfield prospect Rocco Baldelli, now with Double-A Orlando, from getting to the major leagues this season is a work stoppage.

"If he continues to perform at his current pace I'll have to move him, or the (Southern) League will vote to move him," Rays general manager Chuck LaMar said.

Baldelli, the sixth overall selection in the 2000 draft, was promoted to Orlando on July 19 after batting .333 with 14 homers and 51 RBIs for Class A Bakersfield.

He had a .459 average with 17 hits in his first nine games for the O-Rays.

"If he continues to play well, we'll have to make a decision," LaMar said. "It would be exciting for us as a ballclub to look out there and see the athleticism of a Randy Winn and a Rocco Baldelli and a Carl Crawford. Then the fans will start to see, truly, some of the young players that they've heard about and the rest of baseball has been talking about."

If Baldelli is recalled and added to the 40-man roster, he would become a member of the player's union and would follow any action the union takes.

If the Rays don't call Baldelli up and there is an extended work stoppage, he could participate in spring training and play in the minors without facing penalty from the union.

TWO IS GOOD, BUT THREE ... : Designated hitter Aubrey Huff was swinging for the fences against Orioles reliever Jorge Julio in the eighth inning, and he had reason to do so.

Huff homered in the second and seventh innings and lined out to the leftfield wall against Julio. It was his first career multihomer game.

"But every day I'll take the two," he said.

ODDS AND ENDS: Pitcher Matt White, who last season had surgery on his right shoulder, was promoted from Class A Charleston to Orlando. ... LaMar said there was nothing new to report regarding infielder Russ Johnson, who was placed on the restricted list July 11 for personal reasons. ... A fielder's choice by Crawford in the fifth inning Monday was changed to an infield hit Tuesday. ... Ben Grieve's homer in the third was his first since July 3.