No breaks for Sturtze

INDIANS 6, RAYS 2: Poor defense sabotages starter, who loses No. 12.

By KEVIN KELLY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 8, 2002

CLEVELAND -- When Tanyon Sturtze has pitched his best this season, the Rays always seem to look their worst.

The right-hander pitched his second complete game against the Indians on Wednesday at Jacobs Field. For the second time, he lost despite doing so.

Mistaking the umpire for the catcher, doing little at the plate against a left-hander and getting a bad pitch from Sturtze in the second inning were some of things that contributed to the Rays' 6-2 loss, their 17th in their past 20 road games, before 37,888.

"Sturtze pitched well, threw the ball extremely well," Rays manager Hal McRae said. "But we didn't help ourselves from a defensive standpoint of view. Offensively we didn't do very much. It's tough to win only scoring a couple of runs."

The revamped lineup McRae implemented over the weekend -- Jason Conti in rightfield, Felix Escalona at second, Andy Sheets at shortstop and third baseman Jared Sandberg batting cleanup -- has fizzled the past three games.

Since scoring 10 against the White Sox on Sunday, the Rays have seven total. They've managed 13 hits and four runs in two games against the Indians.

"There's not many places to go (for help)," said McRae, whose team has scored two or fewer 39 times this season. "But I think it's too early to say it has run its course when there's no alternative. We don't have a lot of places to go.

"Guys that are playing are doing as well as the guys that are not playing from a statistical point of view."

The Indians used a pair of left-handers to stall the Rays for the second straight game.

Indians starter C.C. Sabathia tied a career high with nine strikeouts, allowing two runs on seven hits for his first win since late June. Reliever Terry Mulholland, 39, pitched two scoreless innings.

The only success the Rays had against Sabathia was a 417-foot homer to right-centerfield by DH Steve Cox in the second. First baseman Aubrey Huff scored on a wild pitch in the fourth.

"He throws hard, has a good slider and threw strikes tonight," Cox said. "The combination of those two is kind of tough."

Tampa Bay is 5-15 against left-handers.

"It's the first time I've seen him," Rays catcher John Flaherty said of Sabathia. "He's very impressive. He's got a fastball that you obviously have to get ready to try and hit because it's so firm. When he got you two strikes, you had to choose one or the other: try and hit that fastball or sit on the curveball."

Sturtze, meanwhile, allowed four earned runs on seven hits. He struck out five and walked four in his 12th loss in 24 starts.

"Tonight pretty much sums up my season," said Sturtze, who entered leading the American League in hits (186) and walks (67) while getting the worst run support in the league. "I pitched probably one of my better games tonight and I ended up giving up six runs. I don't know. It's just been really, really frustrating."

Cleveland scored all it needed in the second. Designated hitter Jim Thome led off with a double to right-centerfield, then scored on a sacrifice by centerfielder Milton Bradley, who was safe on Sturtze's first career throwing error.

Two batters later, rightfielder Karim Garcia homered on an 0-and-2 split-fingered fastball to put the Indians ahead 3-1. Cleveland scored two more in the sixth, but got some help.

With two on and one out, leftfielder Matt Lawton hit a grounder to first that Huff fielded cleanly. But when Huff faked like he was going to turn a double play, catcher John Flaherty took off down the first-base line to back up the throw from second.

The problem? Huff turned and threw home, where only umpire Bill Horn stood. The ball sailed to the backstop and two runs scored to give the Indians a 5-2 lead.

"I know what my responsibility is on that play," Flaherty said. "Unfortunately he kind of turned like he was going to throw to second and then changed his mind.

"I guess he thought the umpire was me and then ... it didn't look real good."