Sandberg's detour starts Rays trip right

RAYS 7, JAYS 5: 3B homers, doubles in first of 12 straight road games.

TORONTO - Jared Sandberg was so sure he wasn't going to get called up from Triple-A Durham anytime soon that when he packed for the Bulls' last road trip, he looked at his passport and decided to leave it in the dresser drawer.

He made it to Toronto to join the Devil Rays anyway Tuesday, though it took a while. He rode the bus with the Bulls on Monday night from Syracuse, N.Y., to Rochester, then Tuesday morning hired a car and driver for the three-hour trip across the border.

After he doubled and homered (and didn't strike out) in the 7-5 win over the Jays, the Rays are hoping it is a sign he has arrived.

"A good debut," manager Lou Piniella said. "Let's hope he swings the bat up here and gives us some offense. We need a little sock down there in the bottom part of the lineup. I'd like to see him swing the bat well enough so I can move him to the six-hole."

Sandberg wasn't the only reason the Rays got their season-high 12-game, 14-day road trip off to a good start.

Joe Kennedy again found the Blue Jays the perfect remedy, rebounding from the worst outing of his career to pitch six solid innings and improve his record against Toronto to 6-0.

"It might just be confidence," Kennedy said. "I don't think I have any better stuff when I go out there and I don't have some special pitch I throw to them that I don't throw to anybody else. I think it's just a matter that I've had some success against them."

There was more. Rookie Rocco Baldelli hit his second career homer on another two-hit night that raised his average to .353. Travis Lee hit a homer as the Rays had three for the second time this season. Travis Harper was sharp in middle relief. Lance Carter converted his third straight save, though he allowed a two-out homer.

"A good way to start the road trip," Piniella said.

Sandberg had reason to be surprised by the promotion as he was hitting .236 at Durham with five homers and 12 RBIs in 34 games. But he has been swinging better the past two weeks, the Rays desperately need right-handed power and they had what amounted to a free roster spot until pitcher Jeremi Gonzalez has to be called up to start Saturday.

"This is definitely a good opportunity for me," Sandberg said. "Maybe I'm not playing as well as I could have and deserving a callup, but now I have to make the most of it. Maybe they caught me at the right time and I can get hot and stay up here."

He certainly got off to a good start, though that's not unusual: Each of the three times he has been called up, he has had a hit in his first game. His double in the second was in the middle of a three-run rally and his two-run, two-out homer in the sixth stretched a 3-2 Tampa Bay lead to 5-2.

"I don't know what to say," Sandberg said. "I guess I'm still feeling kind of shocked at being called up."

The Rays hope he hits the ball far, hard and often. But what happens when he doesn't is equally important.

Sandberg's ratio of 139 strikeouts in 401 plate appearances last season was the seventh highest all time, and he put the ball in play on 29.1 percent of his swings, the lowest percentage in the majors.

Sandberg still is striking out too much (50 times in 123 at-bats) but said some recent adjustments suggested by minor-league hitting coordinator Steve Henderson, such as leveling his swing and tracking each pitch longer, have helped.

As for the passport, which he needs to get back into the United States after Thursday's game?

His wife Julie put it in overnight mail.