ATHLETICS 6, RAYS 5: Tampa Bay gives up six in the last two innings.
By PETE YOUNG
Published May 2, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - The Rays had several ignominious streaks on the brink of extinction Saturday.
Until the eighth inning.
Oakland erupted for six runs in the eighth and ninth to win 6-5 before 11,109 at Tropicana Field. The A's held on after Tampa Bay (7-15) scored four in the bottom of the ninth off former Ray Jim Mecir.
The late collapse/near-miss rally meant pitcher Jeremi Gonzalez's terrific effort - six scoreless innings - went for naught.
His losing streak remains at nine, the team's reached six, and the Rays' streak of allowing a home run extended to a team-record 12 straight games.
"When you're losing games, you find ways to lose 'em," Rays manager Lou Piniella said. "We had a good ballgame going, and they get two in the eighth and four in the ninth."
The Rays' four-run ninth was their second straight stirring comeback from a large deficit in the last inning that fell short; they scored both runs in the ninth in Friday's 4-2 loss. It's also the fourth time in 10 games they lost when leading in the seventh or later.
"At least we came back," said Piniella, whose team has lost 11 of 13. "At least they're not giving up. It's a good sign."
Entering the ninth Saturday, the Rays trailed 6-1 and had scored a paltry six runs in the previous 45 innings. A two-run triple by Carl Crawford and a two-run home run by Jose Cruz cut it to 6-5 with one out and No.3 and 4 hitters Aubrey Huff and Rocco Baldelli waiting.
Mecir induced both to ground out to second base to end it.
Gonzalez was superb, striking out six while allowing five hits and three walks and benefiting from excellent defense. Nonetheless, he hasn't won since Aug.19 and remains one loss shy of the club record 10 straight by Albie Lopez.
"He's getting sharper and sharper," Piniella said. "He threw the ball very well."
The pitching culprits were Lance Carter (0-1) in the eighth and Trever Miller in the ninth. With the Rays up 1-0, Carter yielded a leadoff homer to Eric Chavez, his sixth of the season.
"It was a changeup up," Carter said. "He did what he's supposed to do."
The A's then loaded the bases with no outs, and Piniella inserted Dicky Gonzalez, who made his first appearance as a Ray after getting called up Friday. He allowed a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1.
Erubiel Durazo hit a grand slam in the ninth, his third homer and eighth RBI in two games. With two outs, Miller walked Scott Hatteberg to load the bases, and Durazo stroked an 0-and-1 pitch over the rightfield wall.
"There's no reason for me to walk lefties," the left-handed Miller said of the base on balls to Hatteberg. "Then I ended up hanging a breaking ball."
The Rays rapped 11 hits but failed to capitalize on several scoring chances against A's starter Rich Harden (six innings, one run) and reliever Chris Hammond. The only opportunity they cashed in on before the ninth came when Crawford scored on a passed ball after belting a triple in the third.
One ignominious Rays streak ended: Cruz, hitless in a team-record 37 at-bats, lined a single in the eighth before cracking his third homer in the ninth. Baldelli and Crawford each had three hits, and Crawford's two triples tied a team record.
"One of these days this thing will turn around," Piniella said. "It's just a question of when."
