Rays

Rays loss is another sore spot

ANGELS 6, RAYS 1: Starter Joe Kennedy is injured as struggles continue.

ST. PETERSBURG - Bad enough the Devil Rays lost another game, a 6-1 defeat that was their eighth in 11 outings. Worse, they lost for the eighth time in as many tries to Kevin Appier.

But worst, they lost supposed ace Joe Kennedy, who left after one inning with what was described as "tenderness, soreness," and "a little pinch" in his left shoulder.

The Rays said an initial exam by team orthopedist Koco Eaton did not indicate a serious problem, but they won't know exactly what's wrong, or how long Kennedy might be out, until Monday after a followup exam and possible MRI exam.

"It just tightened up a little," Kennedy said, emerging from the trainer's room an hour after the game. "It feels better already. Just give it a couple of days and go from there."

Kennedy caught his right cleat in the dirt and bounced his second pitch of the game, but said he didn't feel discomfort until three or four pitches later.

"It's just one of those freak things," Kennedy said. "It happened on one pitch. I tried to pitch through it and it just wouldn't go away."

Kennedy is the only pitcher to stay in the rotation through the season's first two months, though he struggled much of the time, allowing an American League-high 91 hits. Since his one-hit shutout of Detroit May 2, he is 1-3 with a 9.45 ERA in five starts.

The Rays gave him an extra two days before Saturday's start and said he had what may have been his best velocity of the season during his one inning.

"I thought he threw the ball as well as, or better than, any of his other starts," manager Lou Piniella said. "Let's just hope it's not serious."

Piniella had been hoping to keep intact a rotation that has been renovated weekly and featured 10 starters. If they have to make a change, they make look to a young pitcher at Double-A Orlando, such as Doug Waechter, Jon Switzer or Brian Stokes. Another possibility is Steve Parris, who is scheduled to come off the disabled list this week and go into the bullpen.

After Kennedy gave up one run, Nick Bierbrodt allowed four more during a five-inning outing that was his longest of the season, including four starts.

Bierbrodt allowed five hits, walked three, hit two batters, and threw two wild pitches, one scoring a run, though he improved as the game went on, especially after a brief but pointed visit from Piniella.

"He told me I better start pitching if I want to stay here," Bierbrodt said. "That about summed it up."

It just wasn't a good night. Outfielders Al Martin and Ben Grieve did their part, each botching fly balls that led to runs, and the offense managed eight hits but couldn't string together more than two.

The Rays should have known it would be a long night when Appier didn't get lost on the way to Tropicana Field. The 35-year-old journeyman has baffled them, going 8-0 while posting a 1.71 ERA, best by a Tampa Bay opponent.

"About the only explanation I have is that he out-thinks us," Piniella said. "He knows how to pitch, but to have that kind of domination and not strike out too many hitters, he must know what we're thinking going up to home plate."

The disappointing performance came before a paid Tropicana Field crowd of 14,546, largest since the first week of the season. About the only ones who left happy were the dozen friends and relatives of Anaheim's Chone Figgins, the 1997 Brandon High graduate who went 2-for-3 and scored three times.

"It wasn't one of our better games," Piniella said. "That's a shame because we had a decent crowd here."