Big bats come alive

ST. PETERSBURG - Carl Crawford didn't want to call it a breakout game because, well, the season is three games old.

And besides, the Devil Rays leftfielder said, "When you play 162 games, what, you think we weren't going to hit at all?"

Point taken. Still, Wednesday's 8-5 victory over the Blue Jays at Tropicana Field must have been reassuring because for the first time leadoff hitter Crawford and rightfielder Aubrey Huff were big parts of the offense.

Crawford, who entered the game batting .125, had an inside-the-park home run and a triple. Huff, who was 0-for-8, had three hits, including a timely two-run double.

"We need contributions one through nine, that's the kind of team we have," manager Lou Piniella said. "But, boy, your mainstays, those are the ones you expect to get you going, and that's exactly what they did."

Starting pitcher Mark Hendrickson put it more bluntly.

"What Aubrey has to understand is the more years he puts in, the less pitches he's going to see. And C.C., we go as he goes, so that was good," Hendrickson said. "The first couple of days we were looking for something to kind of kick-start us and we got it (Wednesday)."

Still, Crawford believes too much was made of their slow starts.

"There's going to be times when we're going to hit and when we won't hit," Crawford said. "But I guess it does feel good to hit like we did. We have been scuffling a little bit, and guys want to see us hit and try to get in a groove. Now we can continue to go forward and keep getting hits consistently."

EXTRA BASES: Jorge Cantu's three-run homer that capped Wednesday's six-run eighth inning gave the Rays four extra-base hits among their 11 hits. That is notable because Tampa Bay had just three extra-base hits in its previous two games.

"This is a quick field," Piniella said of the Trop. "You need to stay out of double plays and continue to put pressure on the other team. But there's no substitute for a three-run homer. For a manager, if it's on your side, it's the prettiest thing in baseball."

A WELCOMED BOOST: Piniella said he liked that Cantu told reporters when the Rays were 0-2 the team was playing "laid-back" and "passive." He didn't even mind that the second baseman the next day said he did not want to disrespect his teammates.

"That's okay," Piniella said. "Cantu is a good team player and sometimes you need to be woken up a little bit. You can start feeling a little sorry for yourself as an individual and a team. Sometimes it takes somebody other than the manager. I know he's a good kid, and I know he's a heck of a team player. I know he was just trying to, in his way, get us going a little bit."

SETTLE DOWN: For all his pregame talk about treating his first start like any other game, Hendrickson said he was "pretty fired up" in Wednesday's first inning.

Hendrickson calmed himself and allowed two earned runs on six hits in 62/3 innings but said he was disappointed he didn't get the victory.

"I feel good from a team standpoint that we got the win," he said. "Ultimately, though, you play the game to win, so even though you allow your team an opportunity to win, if it doesn't work out, it's kind of frustrating."

MISCELLANY: Piniella sent good thoughts to Red Sox manager Terry Francona, who was hospitalized Wednesday because of chest pains: "I hope he's resting comfortably and, at the same time, this is not serious. He's a good man." ... An expanded autograph schedule begins today. Four players will sign immediately after batting practice (5:45 p.m. today and 12:45 p.m. Sunday). Injured centerfielder Rocco Baldelli and catcher Kevin Cash will sign from 5:45-6:15 Saturday. ... Luis Ernesto, cousin of reliever Danys Baez, will perform the national anthem today on the saxophone.