Strong home run continues

RAYS 11, JAYS 7: Fourth win in five has Tampa Bay feeling benefits of playing relaxed.

By KEVIN KELLY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published September 21, 2002

ST. PETERSBURG -- They are hesitant to acknowledge the hint of momentum or bite on comparisons about last season's ending that generated so much optimism.

The Rays, still on pace to lose 107 games despite an 11-7 win against the Blue Jays in front of 12,682 on Friday at Tropicana Field, are opting to keep everything in perspective.

"It's good to be on the other end once in a while," shortstop Chris Gomez said.

Another win today would assure Tampa Bay, which has won four of five with nine games to go, its first back-to-back series victories since late June.

"It's always beneficial to win and to play good, to feel good about going to the ballpark, to have fun," manager Hal McRae said. "The game is intended to be fun, but it's tough to have fun and enjoy yourself and play relaxed when you're not experiencing some success."

Friday was a rare exhibition.

It was the eighth time this season the Rays have scored 10 or more runs and first since a 13-6 win against the Royals on Aug. 10 in Kansas City.

They are 6-2 in those games this season.

"We pitched well enough, but the story is the offense," McRae said. "We came out and put some runs on the board and bunched some base hits."

The Rays scored all their runs by the fourth inning, presenting starting pitcher Tanyon Sturtze a cushion he's rarely experienced this season. The right-hander responded by tying a career high with eight strikeouts in what was his fourth win in 32 starts this season.

"Tonight was the night of the guys on offense," said Sturtze, who entered with the lowest run support in the AL (3.55 per nine innings) and pitched eight innings. "It didn't really matter too much what I did. Those guys were awesome."

Arbitration eligible after this season, Sturtze might have been pitching in his last game in a Rays uniform at Tropicana Field.

That really didn't seem to matter.

"I didn't even think about that," said Sturtze, who had lost his four previous starts.

It's clear Toronto starter Esteban Loaiza never figured out the Rays this season.

"Some pitchers you hit well, some you don't," McRae said. "We saw him well last year and we saw him well this year. But I can't explain it."

In five starts covering 19 innings against the Rays, the right-hander was 1-3 with a 16.58 ERA. Loaiza was pulled Friday after allowing nine runs on seven hits in 21/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season.

"I don't know what it is," Loaiza said. "I guess they just own me."

Gomez gave the Rays a 3-2 with his bases-loaded triple in the second inning. Blue Jays rightfielder Jose Cruz attempted to make a sliding catch, but missed, allowing each runner to score.

The Rays sent 11 batters to the plate the next inning, grouping four hits together at one point before taking a 10-2 lead. All told, seven of nine Tampa Bay batters had at least one hit and scored at least one run during the game.

Sturtze allowed three runs in the fourth, but gave up one hit the rest of the way.

"I was just trying to get a win, trying to prevent a big inning and trying to get outs after the guys got that great lead," he said.

"I was just trying to play the out game after that."

The Rays have two more games against the Blue Jays before a season-ending seven-game road trip to New York and Boston.

With an injection of youth and enthusiasm late last season, the Rays won 14 of their final 27 games to create optimism that another 100-loss season could be avoided.

Could a similar end-of-the year run this time around help?

"When the guys are having success, we can teach," McRae said. "We can show them the way. Buying into your philosophy or buying into things that should be done requires some success.

"The players need to see the benefits of playing the game the correct way. It's important if you're going to play it the correct way for them to buy into the concept. But they've got to experience some success."