McClung to pursue elusive combination

By MARC TOPKIN
Published August 7, 2005

ANAHEIM, Calif. - As a goal, it is relatively modest.

But Seth McClung's plan for today's start against the Angels is simple: to pitch better than he did last time.

McClung picked up his second victory of the season by beating the Rangers on Tuesday, but it wasn't pretty as he allowed seven runs on six hits and three walks in 51/3 innings. "Let's see if I can pitch well and win a game," McClung said. "I really haven't done it all year."

What's cruel is McClung has pitched well several times but not won primarily because of a lack of support. In four of his starts, the Rays scored one or no runs.

When he has lost, it is usually because he makes a mistake at a critical juncture and gives up a big hit.

"I give up that one big pitch," he said. "It puts me in bad situations."

Another issue for McClung is stamina. He has pitched more innings this season (61 in the majors, 181/3 at Triple A) than he did the past two years, before and after his June 2003 Tommy John elbow surgery.

"I felt kind of dead the last time out," McClung said. "I think I hit a little wall.

"Hopefully, I'll get through that."

BIG SWINGER: Aubrey Huff said the seven home runs he hit in a 19-game stretch were not the result of any changes to his swing or any extra work.

Actually, he said they might be the result of doing less.

"It seems like the less video I've watched, the less work I've done, the better I've done," he said. "If I had an answer for (the poor) first half, I'd tell you. Just keep swinging."

Among American League hitters, only Jason Giambi, Richie Sexson and Manny Ramirez have more homers since the All-Star break.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Seminole High's Casey Kotchman isn't the type to make a big deal out of his first major-league home run Friday, even if it helped beat his hometown team and came off fellow Pinellas County product Doug Waechter.

But Kotchman did get to share some excitement in phone calls with his mother and sister, who listened to the nontelevised game at their Seminole home, and his dad, Tom, who is managing the Angels' rookie league team in Orem, Utah.

The Angels retrieved the ball for their rookie first baseman, and he plans to eventually give it to his father.

"He'd probably get a kick out of it," Casey Kotchman said.

DOUG'S DEAL: The two pitches the Angels knocked over the fence in the seventh decided Waechter's fate in Friday's 5-4 loss.

But he doesn't want to let them define what was otherwise a good outing, including a stretch in which he retired 11 straight.

"It's a good team that I was going against. I tried to battle my whole way, and I felt like it was a solid outing for me except for the last couple pitches," Waechter said.

"I'll learn from it and take it out into the next outing."

OOPS: With three errors on Friday, the Rays reclaimed the major-league lead with 89. Their catchers have allowed 13 passed balls, matching Pittsburgh for most in the majors. Toby Hall has been charged with eight, which is most in the majors.

MISCELLANY: Top 2004 draft pick Jeff Niemann made his second appearance since a three-month absence because of shoulder soreness, pitching a one-hit inning for Double-A Montgomery. ... Second baseman Nick Green, who is in a 5-for-37 slump with 12 strikeouts, was not in the lineup. ... Manager Lou Piniella is toying with dropping Carl Crawford to third in the order against right-handed starters. ... The Rays had noticed on video that Angels starter Paul Byrd was behind the rubber when throwing his changeup, a way to make it a tad slower. So when he did it Friday, they complained to the umpires, who made Byrd get back in contact with the rubber. ... Former radio broadcaster Paul Olden, who moved to California and does photography (pauloldenphotography.com) and commercial voice-over work, visited the Rays before the game. ... Hall, a big Lightning fan, said the team will miss departed goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin but " John Grahame deserves the opportunity."

[Last modified August 7, 2005, 01:31:12]