Positives nearly absent as Rays limp from rout
INDIANS 9, RAYS 4: Poor pen work, awful clutch hitting and another injury add up to an ugly loss.
By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published August 21, 2006
ST. PETERSBURG - Here is what passes as good news for the Devil Rays these days: Centerfielder Rocco Baldelli, he of the cranky hamstrings, survived a day game after a night game.
Other than that, there wasn't much to recommend in Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Indians at Tropicana Field.
Jae Seo's next start is in doubt after he aggravated an old groin injury. Reliever Brian Meadows continued a horrendous stretch by giving up five runs in one inning.
And Tampa Bay reaffirmed it is one of the majors' worst-hitting teams with runners in scoring position by going 2-for-14.
Heck, Cleveland slugger Travis Hafner, looking for a season-record seventh grand slam, didn't even get a chance to hit with the bases loaded.
No matter: Indians shortstop Jhonny Peralta took Meadows deep for a slam that highlighted a five-run sixth that turned a semitight 4-2 game into a 9-2 blowout.
"It's not fun," Meadows said.
The right-hander said he spoke for himself, but the sentiment could have been applied to any player in a silent and sullen Tampa Bay clubhouse.
The Rays, at 49-75, are a season-worst 26 games under .500 and have lost 10 of 12. Adding to the gloom: the status of Seo, who left with one out in the third inning and a 1-and-2 count on Kelly Shoppach and is scheduled to pitch Friday at Baltimore.
"We'll see what he feels like (today) and try to make a call after that," manager Joe Maddon said. "I want to respect his competitiveness."
The Rays are lucky Seo was the only addition to the ever-growing injury list.
Third baseman Tomas Perez went down after fouling a ball off his left knee but stayed in the game. And first baseman Travis Lee left in the eighth inning with a scraped left knee after running into the wall along the first-base line while catching a foul pop, though he said he expects to play today.
"It's just a bruise," he said.
The major hurt was from Peralta's grand slam, especially as the Rays intentionally walked Hafner three batters earlier to load the bases.
It seemed a sound strategy. Hafner homered in the third off Seo as the front end of back-to-back blows with Ryan Garko that gave Cleveland a 2-1 lead.
Garko's sixth-inning single drove in a run and left the bases loaded. After Meadows struck out Shin-Soo Choo, Peralta popped a 1-and-2 pitch 402 feet into the left-centerfield stands.
It was a brutal inning for Meadows, who allowed five runs on six hits and in 12 outings since the All-Star break has allowed a .435 (30-for-69) opponent batting average and has a 9.64 ERA.
"That's the way baseball is," said Meadows, who went 8-for-8 as a temporary closer after Tyler Walker's right elbow injury. "It humbles you. Right now it's putting me down."
Maddon said he might use Meadows more.
"His stuff is good but it's up," Maddon said. "He just might be too fresh.
"The fastball is up and because of that they're not chasing the breaking ball. Get the ball back down."
Whatever the strategy, Meadows said, "I'm not doing my job. I'm hurting the team."
As opposed to leftfielder Carl Crawford, who topped off a 14-for-23 week with three hits and two RBIs, and Baldelli, who had three hits including two doubles and made two terrific running catches.
"I'm feeling pretty good out there," Baldelli said.
So much for the good news.