By TOM JONES and MARC TOPKIN
Published June 25, 2003
ST. PETERSBURG - In this little chess match, it's Rocco Baldelli's turn to move.
The Devil Rays rookie centerfielder batted .364 during his first month in the big leagues. Major-league pitchers adjusted, found a few kinks in Baldelli's game, and Baldelli went through a dry spell.
After a few adjustments, Baldelli started swinging a hot bat again, forcing pitchers back to the drawing board to find ways to cool him.
They have, and once again, Baldelli is finding himself searching for ways to figure out pitchers.
"They're starting to adjust to him a little bit, and now he's going to have to readjust back," manager Lou Piniella said. "I think they've noticed him in the lineup now and now they're working him. That's what happens when you get off to the kind of start he has."
Baldelli came into Tuesday's game with a .200 batting average (7-for-35) in the past 11 games. He responded with a homer in his first at-bat, his first at the Trop, but went 1-for-5.
Work still has to be done.
"What he has got to do is be a little more selective and not chase bad pitches," Piniella said. "That's the big thing. It's hard enough to hit up here if you swing at strikes. So when you start chasing bad pitches, it becomes very difficult. You're always behind in the count. And that's not an easy thing to do. He needs to go back up the middle to right-centerfield. I think he has gotten away from that."
KENNEDY UPDATE: Pitcher Joe Kennedy, out since June 1 with left shoulder inflammation, could be back in the rotation by the end of next week. The plan is for Kennedy to throw Thursday, then pitch at Double-A Orlando on Sunday.
If all goes well, Kennedy will face the White Sox July 4 or 5.
HELP ON THE WAY: Don't be surprised if the Rays call up infielder Antonio Perez soon. With Rey Ordonez out for the season with a knee injury, Julio Lugo is on the only shortstop on the roster. Piniella said Perez, who is in Triple-A Durham, would spell Lugo from time to time, as well as play other infield positions.
Ordonez will have his knee surgery Monday in Miami.
SPECIAL FEELING: Damian Rolls celebrated Monday's two-homer night off Roger Clemens by relaxing with his wife, his two daughters and the TV.
"It was a great night, I'm not going to lie," Rolls said. "I watched ESPNEWS a bit, I had 17 voice mails on my phone that I haven't checked, but I'm sure my mom was about eight of those."
Rolls became the 11th player to hit two homers in a game off Clemens, joining Robin Yount, Eddie Murray, Carlton Fisk, Fred McGriff, Ivan Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Ken Griffey Jr., Albert Belle, Jim Thome, and Josh Phelps. Only Yount, Fisk and Rolls did it in consecutive at-bats.
Rolls, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, is the third player to get three extra-base hits in a game off Clemens, joining Thome and Edgar Martinez.
BELL-RINGER: Rob Bell's first start with the Rays (six runs, 31/3 innings vs. Pittsburgh) couldn't have gone much worse, and his second (one run, six innings vs. Florida) couldn't have gone much better.
"I got back to basics," Bell said. "I commanded my fastball, I had a good game plan, my mind wasn't cluttered with travel and fitting in. I was focused and took it one pitch at a time."
He makes his third tonight against a Yankees team that has battered him in three previous outings, scoring 18 on 10 home runs in 132/3 innings.
MISCELLANY: The Rays are 18-27 in a major league-high 45 games decided by one or two runs. ... Dewon Brazelton faced nine batters, the second shortest noninjury related start in team history. ... No. 4 draft pick Travis Schlicting, a third baseman from Round Rock (Texas) High signed and will report to rookie-level Princeton, W.Va.
[Last modified June 25, 2003, 09:34:20]
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