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RED SOX 6, RAYS 3: Tanyon Sturtze loses his 16th game, setting team records in the process.
By MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 10, 2002
ST. PETERSBURG -- Just when it seemed there'd be nothing to remember about the Rays' September, the Red Sox came to town. Despite a 6-3 Tampa Bay loss before another small Tropicana Field crowd, an otherwise mundane Monday turned out be quite interesting.
There was enough concern by Major League Baseball officials about problems between the Rays and Red Sox that while neither team acknowledged hard feelings, home plate umpire Jerry Crawford took the unusual step of delivering a pregame warning that hit batters would not be tolerated.
"They said they got a memo about the bad blood with the teams," Rays bench coach Billy Hatcher said.
When Boston's Derek Lowe hit Felix Escalona for the second time -- even though the score was 4-3; even though Escalona, the No. 9 hitter, was leading off the seventh; even though it seemed obvious to personnel on both benches that it was not intentional -- Crawford tossed Lowe, Boston's 19-game winner, and manager Grady Little.
"His explanation was that in his judgment Derek Lowe was throwing at that kid and hitting him for the second time," Little said. "They're in charge and whatever their judgment is is what we go by and a lot of times we may disagree with their judgment, as we did in this case. I'm sure both teams disagreed with his judgment. We have to live with it. He was definitely wrong this time, that's all."
There was Boston slugger Manny Ramirez stepping into controversy and criticism by failing to take even a step toward first base after grounding a ball back to the mound in the third inning, then delivering a monstrous winning home run in the seventh.
"We were all a little disappointed," Little said. "He came in the dugout and he knew he was dead wrong. He apologized to every player in the dugout and me too. He knew he was wrong."
Little said he considered benching Ramirez, his most dangerous hitter, but decided against it since the Red Sox are fighting to keep faint postseason hopes alive.
"That's the only reason I left him in, to hit that home run," Little said.
And there was Tanyon Sturtze, the Rays' hard-luck loser, making the defensive play of the night and setting three team records, two he'd rather have no part of and one he was too beaten down to be very proud of.
Sturtze lost for the 16th time, the most by any Ray in a season, surpassing 15 by Tony Saunders in 1998 and Bobby Witt in 1999, and became the major-league loss leader. He also gave up 14 hits, the most by a Ray in a game, surpassing the 13 he'd allowed twice this season. For the season, he has allowed a major-league high 251 hits.
On the plus side, and there hasn't been much, the 72/3 innings Sturtze pitched gave him 2051/3 for the season, the most for a Ray, surpassing Rolando Arrojo's 202 in 1998.
"It's been pretty much good and bad all season," Sturtze said. "It's been a struggle this year. I don't know. It just seems like something always ends up happening."
Sturtze had gotten out of one no-out bases-loaded jam in the fourth, allowing one run, when the Sox filled them again to start the fifth. Cliff Floyd smashed a ball back at the mound that Sturtze -- somehow -- deflected with his glove, then recovered in time to throw home to start a double play."I thought it was going to take my head off," Sturtze said.
Despite the concern from the umpires, neither the Rays or the Red Sox seemed to be too worked up about the other team. Even Escalona, while acknowledging he'd be sore today, didn't have a problem.
"There has in the past, but I think that has come and gone," Rays catcher John Flaherty said. "When I go out there on the field I don't think there's bad blood, I just think this is a team we've had unfortunate incidents with, but not on purpose."