Rays win after blowing lead again

By MARC TOPKIN
Published June 13, 2005

PITTSBURGH - It looked like it was going to be the same old story.

The Devil Rays had the lead late when something happened, a tying homer with two outs in the ninth. Another game was about to get away.

But this time, there was a different ending. Alex Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the 13th inning, Franklin Nunez got his first major-league win and Chad Orvella his first save Sunday as the Rays snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 7-5 victory over the Pirates.

And after finishing a brutal 12-game, 14-day, cross-country road trip with a 2-10 mark that left their road record at 5-28 and their overall record a major-league worst 21-42, the Rays at least went home happy.

"Once they tied that game up with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with nobody on, it would have been easy just to chuck it and get on a plane," manager LouPiniella said. "But to their credit they hung in there and won a ballgame."

The Rays seemed headed to a 5-4 victory in the ninth when Lance Carter left a 1-0 pitch over too much of the plate and former Rays minor-leaguer Humberto Cota hit it just over the left-centerfield fence.

With their bullpen depleted and the Pirates threatening in the 10th, Piniella turned to Nunez, who was called up earlier Sunday, and he got Jose Castillo to hit into a double play to end the inning, and six straight batters over the next two. "Nunez did a heck of a job," Piniella said.

Nick Green walked to start the 13th, Toby Hall bunted him to second and Gonzalez crushed a 2-and-0 Brian Meadows pitch over the leftfield fence. He thought it was a fastball, maybe a bit high, but given the sizzling temperatures and 4-hour plus game, he wasn't sure of the specifics.

"I was a little delirious," he said. "I was beat."

Orvella made it interesting in the 13th, getting two out then putting two on, but Gonzalez snared Bobby Hill's grounder and threw to second for the forceout. The final out was so important, shortstop Julio Lugo raced over to take the throw rather than waiting for second baseman Jorge Cantu to cover.

"I just wanted to make sure somebody was there for the last out," Lugo said. "It's been hard for us to get the last out."

[Last modified June 13, 2005, 01:43:11]