Nomo, Rays fall short in 'regrettable' loss to KC
ROYALS 6, DEVIL RAYS 5: Reliever Jesus Colome blows the Rays' 4-3 lead in the eighth.
By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published May 15, 2005
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - By now it is becoming an old story, even for Hideo Nomo, whose stoic demeanor rarely betrays his inner emotions.
The Devil Rays pitcher failed for the fifth time Saturday night to get victory No. 199 combined for his careers in the United States and Japan, and the 6-5 loss to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium had him scratching his head.
"I go in there thinking I'm going to have it," Nomo said through a translator. "Tonight I lost it. It is regrettable."
But Nomo did not lose so much as he had victory snatched away when Kansas City scored three runs in the eighth inning off reliever Jesus Colome to take a 6-4 lead.
The Rays cut the deficit to one on Alex Gonzalez's two-out, run-scoring single. But Royals leftfielder Terrence Long ended the game with a running, leaping grab of Jorge Cantu's line drive.
"He was playing deep, playing it safe so he would have a chance to catch it," Cantu said. "What are you going to do?"
Tampa Bay must win today to gain a split of its four-game series with a team whose 10 victories are tied with the Rockies for least in the majors and has played the first three games without its injured star, first baseman Mike Sweeney.
Nomo's 200th victory will automatically place him in an elite circle among Japanese athletes - the Meikyukai. Each time the right-hander pitches, Japanese media is there to watch.
Nomo, 2-3, gave them something to see, going six innings and allowing four hits with three strikeouts on 88 pitches.
He was staked to a 1-0 first-inning lead on Julio Lugo's home run, his first in 83 games including last season and second in 124. But he scuffled a bit in the second as two of his five walks, including one that forced in a run, helped the Royals take a 3-1 lead.
Nomo walked two batters to start the sixth, but got the next three on fly outs to escape without damage. That came after the Rays took a 4-3 lead in the sixth on Nick Green's run-scoring single and Chris Singleton's two-run double. But Colome couldn't hold it.
The hard-throwing right-hander, making his second appearance since coming off the disabled list, gave up two hits and a walk to open the eighth, including Emil Brown's two-run double that gave Kansas City a 5-4 lead.
The Royals scored again on Mark Teahen's fielder's choice ground ball. Trever Miller was pitching but the run was charged to Colome.
"I miss a lot of pitches," he said. "Ball was in the middle and the guy hit it."
"It's frustrating," Nomo said of his so-far failed quest. "I'm not satisfied."
Or any nearer to win No. 199.