By DAMIAN CRISTODERO and MARC TOPKIN
Published August 4, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - It was hard to say exactly how things went for the Devil Rays' new double-play combination of rookie B.J. Upton at shortstop and relocated veteran Julio Lugo at second base.
Upton, making his first big-league start in the field, said it didn't seem any different than playing in the minors. He handled three chances but failed to catch a foul ball at a key juncture. "It's the same game to me," he said.
Lugo, making his first start at second since Sept. 29, 2000, for Houston, didn't want to talk about his performance. "I've got nothing to say," he said. "Nothing." He made a couple of routine plays but did throw too softly to first after fielding a ball in the hole, allowing Jason Varitek what amounted to an infield single.
Manager Lou Piniella, meanwhile, declined to meet with reporters after the game. Tuesday afternoon, he said he planned to use Upton, 19, at shortstop on a regular basis.
"As long as the kid's performing, we'll let him play shortstop," he said.
BELL TOLLS: Rob Bell held the Red Sox to three runs through five innings but saw the lead expand to 5-0 when Bill Mueller battled back from an 0-and-2 count (after Upton's nonplay on his foul ball) with two outs to double in two runs.
"Overall, all's not lost for me. I don't feel like I hate myself right now," Bell said. "But I also know there was a situation there to put a guy away."
HOME BOY: Bronson Arroyo got plenty of attention for being at the center of the recent Red Sox-Yankees brawl, hitting Alex Rodriguez with the pitch that started the melee.
Tonight, he'll be the focus for a different reason. The former Hernando High star will have more than 50 friends and relatives in the stands to watch him pitch against the Rays.
As for hitting Rodriguez?
"It was two outs and nobody on," he said. "If I was going to hit the guy, I wouldn't have waited three pitches. I for sure would not have thrown the first pitch on the plate to give him an opportunity to hit the ball. I would have hit him with the first pitch.
"I don't know what he thinks about it. Looking back at it, I hope he sees it the way it is. If not, I could care less."
PITCHING PLAN: Pitcher Seth McClung, on the disabled list since May 23, 2003, was activated and optioned to Triple-A Durham. Piniella said he will work a couple of times in relief "every two or three days" to make sure his arm is sound after Tommy John surgery on his right elbow "with the idea of bringing him up after that."
Starter Doug Waechter, out since early June because of a strained tendon in his right middle finger, is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment that Piniella hopes will have him ready by the Aug. 20-22 series against the A's.
"As soon as Doug is ready to pitch, I want to put him back," Piniella said. "He's missed enough already. We've got to get him pitching."
MORE LINEUP CHANGES: First baseman Tino Martinez and rightfielder Jose Cruz had the night off with Aubrey Huff and Damian Rolls starting in their places and Geoff Blum taking Huff's spot at third.
Martinez is batting .158 (3-for-19) against Red Sox starter Curt Schilling. Cruz is at .071 (2-for-28).
"If we're going to rest them, we might as well rest them against people they struggle against," Piniella said.
WEBB GEM: After John Webb's major-league debut Monday, the Rays reliever said he had 17 messages on his cell phone. The most entertaining was from his former teammates at Double-A Montgomery who watched on ESPN and left play-by-play on his voice mail.
When Webb hit Kevin Millar with his second pitch after Millar took a big cut at the first, Webb said his former teammates were jubilant.
"They were yelling, like, "Yeah, hit him. That will teach him to swing at a fastball like that.' "
MISCELLANY: The Rays lost their first home series since late May, having gone 5-0-3. ... The 4.5 over-the-air rating for Monday's game on Pax was the highest since 2000, surpassing a 4.4 on July 19 against the Yankees. One ratings point equals about 16,440 homes.
