Rays undone in clutch

ANGELS 2, RAYS 1: Blown chances with men on waste a surprising start from Victor Zambrano.

ST. PETERSBURG - The Devil Rays deemed Thursday's first visit by the world champion Angels a discounted value night.

So it figures the storyline was how they failed to cash in.

An otherwise exciting and entertaining game ended up a 2-1 loss as much because of what the Rays did wrong as what they failed to do right, specifically taking advantage of repeated opportunities, leaving seven men in scoring position.

Manager Lou Piniella was so disgusted he refused to talk to the media, preferring to let the (adjective deleted) players explain what happened. They didn't have much to say either, most hurrying to leave the clubhouse and a few lingering in off-limit areas such as the players lounge.

"You could just recap the game by saying we didn't come through when we needed to," Rocco Baldelli said. "We got people on base the whole game, we just couldn't get anyone in. That was pretty much it. There's really nothing else you can say.

"It was a disappointing way to lose."

Except for a big hit by the home team, the game had a bit of everything else. Good pitching by Jarrod Washburn (no surprise: he's 6-1 against the Rays) and Victor Zambrano (surprise: he was only back in the rotation because the Rays didn't have anyone else). An exchange of bean balls. A dramatic play at the plate by Baldelli and Toby Hall, leading to the ejection of Anaheim's Brad Fullmer and a vigorous protest. Managerial maneuvering. And a close finish.

"It just seems like when we pitch good we don't hit, and when we hit good we can't pitch, or we do both well and we can't play defense," Aubrey Huff said. "It's been a vicious cycle. The last three years have been pretty frustrating."

The Rays left men on second and third in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings. But their most painful shortcoming came in the eighth.

Down 2-0 since the first, they rallied on a leadoff double by Huff, playing on a bruised right knee, and a single by Hall. A groundout by Ben Grieve scored one and moved pinch-runner Marlon Anderson to second.

But he got no further as substitute closer Brendan Donnelly, a former Rays minor-leaguer, struck out pinch-hitter Travis Lee looking and got Javier Valentin on a deep fly to right.

The Rays made one had one more chance to provide a happy ending for the paid crowd of 8,876.

Al Martin, their third pinch-hitter, walked to open the ninth. But Carl Crawford failed, for the second time in the game, to get down a bunt. Donnelly then struck out Julio Lugo and Baldelli to end the game.

"Just one of those nights," Hall said.

Baldelli left six men on base, Jared Sandberg four and Damion Easley three.

After a rough first inning, Zambrano got on a roll, retiring 13 of the next 15 before issuing two one-out walks in the sixth. But what trouble he got into, Baldelli and Hall got him out of, with Fullmer thrown out twice on the same play.

Fullmer tried to score on a bloop single, but Baldelli made a strong one-bounce throw home and Hall did an excellent job blocking the plate with his left foot, preventing Fullmer from getting his hand on it, then tagging him when he slid by the plate.

"I felt him tag my shinguard," Hall said. "I looked back to see if he was safe or out and then I went after him and tagged him."

Fullmer erupted at home-plate umpire Charlie Reliford's call, throwing his helmet. He was ejected before it bounced back, then had to be restrained by manager Mike Scioscia, who likened the maneuver to one he made in a high school football game.

Piniella's silence made for an eerie clubhouse. Several Rays said they didn't expect it to last.