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ST. PETERSBURG - Before Monday's game, manager Lou Piniella was talking about how he had an excess of candidates for the three open rotation spots. After the Rays gave up three home runs in a 6-3 loss to the Reds, he said he was hoping a few would soon pitch well enough to earn the jobs.
"We're going to have to make some decisions not too far down the line," Piniella said. "The fifth spot can wait. But the third and fourth spots, we'd like to see someone step up in the next week to 10 days and grab them."
Though it's only the first week of exhibitions, the Rays don't have much time to sort things out. They leave for Japan on March 25, and Piniella said he'd like to have the rotation relatively in order the week before.
"I think by March 18 we'd like to put people in their spots," he said.
Piniella has endorsed veteran Paul Abbott for the No.4 spot, but Abbott wasn't particularly sharp Monday, allowing four hits, including two home runs, in three innings. Rob Bell, another rotation candidate, gave up a home run to the first batter he faced in a two-inning outing.
Abbott, feeling what he said was normal spring training fatigue, gave up homers to Austin Kearns and Corky Miller.
"I made a couple bad pitches when I had a guy 0-2 and 1-2," Abbott said. "That's what spring training is for. You've got to try and make your pitches, and sometimes because it's spring training, you don't."
With Victor Zambrano and Jeremi Gonzalez set, Piniella said he would like a left-hander, either Mark Hendrickson or Damian Moss, in the No.3 slot.
That leaves Abbott, Bell, Dewon Brazelton and Doug Waechter competing for the final two slots. Because of a light April schedule, it is possible, if not probable, the Rays will open with four starters. They won't need a fifth until April 24.
Hendrickson, who missed a start Sunday with soreness in his left side, threw at about 75 percent effort Monday. He is scheduled to throw again Wednesday at full speed, and if there are no problems he likely will make his first exhibition appearance this weekend. Waechter and Moss are scheduled to pitch today.
GAME DETAILS: Down 3-0 in the second, the Rays took advantage of an error and tied the score with a three-run third against former teammate Paul Wilson, with Carl Crawford, Julio Lugo and Aubrey Huff driving in runs in consecutive at-bats.
The Rays got only four hits after that in losing for the first time after two wins. "We didn't do much of anything," Piniella said.
Adam Dunn's homer off Bell made it 4-3 in the fourth, and the Reds added two runs in the sixth off Rule 5 draft pick Alec Zumwalt, who was admittedly nervous in facing big-league hitters for the first time. "I was a little bit excited," Zumwalt said. "It was memorable, I guess."
Speedster Joey Gathright stole a base but got caught later by Dane Sardinha.
ROCCO RED, AGAIN: Centerfielder Rocco Baldelli was hit by a pitch for the third time in a week when Wilson got him on the outside of his upper left thigh in the second. Baldelli was hit twice in the March 2 intrasquad game.
"You know no one's throwing at anyone right now, but it's not fun one way or another," Baldelli said.
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT: Piniella was glad to see Reds star Ken Griffey, and even more happy to see that the oft-injured outfielder was healthy.
"He's always been one of my favorites," Piniella said. "Great kid. And when I had him over there in Seattle, he was the best player in the game. He always had fun, played hard, played to win, played every day. And he was extremely productive.
"I think he's hungry to get back to as close to where he was as possible. And, quite frankly, I'd like to see him do it."
The Seattle Times reported Monday that the Mariners are may be giving "serious consideration" to bringing Griffey back.