RAYS 5, PADRES 2: Tampa Bay moves out of last place with sixth win in a row.
By MARC TOPKIN
Published June 16, 2004
[Getty Images - Donald Miralle]
Aubrey Huff gets a high-five from Rocco Baldelli after hitting a three-run homer in the fifth, giving the Rays a 5-0 lead.
SAN DIEGO - A moderate earthquake that rumbled through downtown San Diego on Tuesday afternoon may have shaken a few of the Devil Rays, but it didn't cool them down.
The Rays continued their rampage through the National League, beating the Padres 5-2 to extend their winning streak to a team record-tying six, longest since September 2000.
"We have modest things to shoot at here," manager Lou Piniella said. "Hopefully, we can add to it."
With Toronto's 4-3 loss at San Francisco, the Rays also moved out of last place for the first time since May 4. This is the latest in a season they've been out of the cellar since 1999, when they escaped for a day on Aug. 31. And with Baltimore's 5-1 loss at Los Angeles, the Rays could move into third place tonight with another win and an Orioles loss.
Piniella, however, is hardly scoreboard-watching.
"What matters is where we finish," he said. "Just let them play."
The Rays took two of three from the Giants and swept the Rockies at Tropicana Field last week, then took their act on the road against the Padres, who began the day tied with Los Angeles for the NL West lead.
They had their way with right-hander Brian Lawrence, who going into the game at 8-3 was being touted for All-Star consideration, knocking him out after five innings with five runs on eight hits. And Mark Hendrickson, who is 3-5 against AL opponents, dominated a Padres team that was feasting on NL left-handers, scattering six hits over 72/3 innings while throwing a season-high 109 pitches.
"San Diego's got a nice ballclub," Piniella said. "We've been playing very respectable baseball."
The Rays weren't sure exactly what to make of new Petco Park, what with the historic Western Metal Supply Co. Building hanging over the leftfield corner, the deep power alleys, the bleachers and grassy park beyond the see-through centerfield fence and the gimmicky porch in rightfield that juts out from the corner to create odd angles and increase the number of doubles and triples.
But they seemed to find the spacious field to their liking, hitting the ball in the gaps and using their speed to take extra bases and build a 5-0 lead.
Aubrey Huff hit a three-run homer in the fifth and took over the team RBI lead with 40, Rocco Baldelli returned to the lineup and knocked in two and Jose Cruz and Tino Martinez had three hits apiece.
They broke the game open in the fifth with a three-run homer by Huff, who has driven in 30 runs in his past 31 games.
The rally started with, of all things, a leadoff single by Hendrickson. Crawford grounded to first but prevented a double play by beating the relay back to the bag. Cruz singled for his third hit of the night. After Crawford was out at the plate on Baldelli's grounder to third, Huff reached down for a low 3-and-2 pitch and lofted it over the rightfield fence.
"Hendrickson made it stand," Piniella said. "He pitched well, really well."
Hendrickson has been on something of a June hot streak, going 2-0 in three starts with a 1.66 ERA, having allowed two, one and one runs. Since rejoining the rotation May 2, he is 4-3, 3.49.
"I felt like I had pretty good rhythm tonight," Hendrickson said. "A couple times I let my guard down."
The Rays continued a stunning turnaround. After going 3-19 in what was the worst stretch of 20-plus games in franchise history, they have gone 17-6, which is their best stretch of 20-plus games. Only the Yankees at 18-4 have been hotter. The Rays' 27-34 record is their best after 61 games in any of their seven seasons.
"A realistic goal for us when the season started was to play .500 ball," Huff said. "We wanted to come out here and play good solid baseball and not be a laughingstock in the league like we have been in the past. I think right now we're starting to get some respect from around the league that we're going to come in and we're not going to be a pushover."
