Rays/MLB

Walking strategy backfires on Rays

MARINERS 5, RAYS 1 (10): After Seth McClung intentionally loads the bases, Richie Sexson clears them with a grand slam.

By MARC TOPKIN
Published August 9, 2006

	[AP photo]
	Ben Broussard is safe at first as Travis Lee can't catch the throw from the plate in the seventh inning Tuesday in Seattle. Broussard advanced to second base on the play

SEATTLE - The Devil Rays wanted to make Richie Sexson beat them.

And the struggling Seattle slugger did - in grand fashion.

The Rays intentionally walked Adrian Beltre and Raul Ibanez to bring Sexson to the plate against Seth McClung with the score tied, the bases loaded and one out in the 10th inning. And Sexson drove a 1-and-0 pitch over the centerfield fence to give the Mariners a 5-1 victory Tuesday night.

"I have no problem with what (McClung) did. None," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "I put him in a tough spot by walking the two guys in front of (Sexson). I just felt it was the right thing to do under the circumstances and see how he would react, and he reacted great. The guy hit a home run -- big deal. He kept his composure and went after him aggressively. That's all you can ask for."

Maddon's strategy was to walk Beltre and Ibanez, who have been hot, and have McClung pitch to Sexson, who has 25 homers and 80 RBIs but a .224 average. McClung's plan was to throw a slider away "to move his eyes" then come inside with a fastball, hoping to jam him and get a ground ball.

"We had a plan, and it didn't work," McClung said. "The pitch was executed, and Richie Sexson executed it, too."

"Sexson hit a 96-mph fastball and he squared it up," Maddon said.

The rally started when Ichiro Suzuki, as he has done so often, laced a ball just inside the third-base line past a diving B.J. Upton, who was playing in on the grass against the speedy left-hander.

Carl Crawford raced to the ball and made a strong throw to second, but Ichiro got his left hand on the base ahead of Jorge Cantu's tag.

After Jose Lopez bunted him to third, the Rays intentionally loaded the bases. Sexson then hit his fourth grand slam of the season - the third after an opponent intentionally walked Ibanez - and the 13th of his career. In 14 at-bats after Ibanez has been intentionally walked, Sexson is 8-for-12 with four homers and two walks.

With Rocco Baldelli, who returned to the lineup after missing five games due to a sore right hamstring, knocking in a third-inning run on a groundout, the Rays carried a 1-0 lead into the seventh.

Starter Jae Seo has been pitching with a sore left groin and a cracked fingernail on his right index finger, but the way the lead slipped away might have been more painful.

Seo allowed only five hits while pitching into the eighth. But a wild pitch on a third strike to Ben Broussard to lead off the seventh led to an unearned run that tied the score.

It marked the 63rd time this season the Rays had blown a lead, the most in the American League and tied with the Giants for second most in the majors behind the Braves.

The Mariners tied it in the seventh, with help. Seo got leadoff man Broussard to swing at strike three, but the ball bounced from catcher Dioner Navarro up the third-base line.

Navarro scooted after it quickly but threw wildly past first, allowing Broussard to go to the second. Fittingly on Japan Night at Safeco Field, Japanese catcher Kenji Johjima came through with the RBI single.

Baldelli, who had not played since Wednesday, was hit on the left knee by a pitch in his first at-bat. Maddon said he will watch Baldelli closely and is not planning on playing him in today's game.

[Last modified August 9, 2006, 06:07:06]