Rays/MLB

Rays lose another road game

ORIOLES 4, RAYS 0: Quiet bats mean the 16th loss in 17 games away from the Trop.

By MARC TOPKIN
Published August 26, 2006

BALTIMORE - The Devil Rays can't seem to play together enough to win a game on the road. So late Friday, they were planning to gather in a seventh-floor room at the Renaissance hotel to see if playing games together would help.

Manager Joe Maddon, looking for some way to solve the team's extreme road woes, had been dropping hints of trying something to get the players to relax. He apparently settled on a postgame social gathering designed for them to bond while talking, having refreshments and playing Xbox video games.

After Friday's 4-0 loss to the Orioles, their eighth straight away from home and 16th in 17 road games since the All-Star break, anything could help.

"You just keep working at it," Maddon said. "We're going to try something. I'll let you know if it works or not."

Statistically, the Rays are, indeed, a bit less efficient on the road. They hit less (.246 to .259), have a lower on-base percentage (.300 to .328) and don't score as much (251 runs in 64 road games, 304 in 65 games). And they don't pitch as well (5.17 ERA compared with a 4.65 ERA).

But that doesn't seem to be enough to explain the difference between a home record of 34-31 (.523) and a road mark of 18-46 (.281).

"Looking at the numbers, you look at batting average at home and on the road, there's a difference," Maddon said. "There's a difference in on-base percentage, but there's a small difference in runs scored. You look at the pitching. I think there's .60 difference in ERA road vs. home. So it almost looks like we haven't been pitching as well, but I don't know.

"I think it's the lack of the clutch hit or the clutch pitch on the road. It seems to not show up. At home, we seem to get the hit or get the pitch. That seems to be what's going on."

Friday, a clutch hit was certainly what was lacking.

Jason Hammel came up from Triple A and pitched much better than he did during two April appearances, showing improved command of his fastball, better utilization of his changeup and more confidence in his ability,

He wriggled out of some early trouble and worked into the sixth, allowing only a pair of runs, which scored on a ground ball out and a sacrifice fly. He walked four and allowed five hits, but it was a solid performance by the 23-year-old right-hander.

"I thought Jason did a great job," Maddon said. "He battled through some tough moments really well, and he showed great composure. He gave us a solid chance to win."

Hammel, presumably, was pleased, too. But perhaps showing his naivete about how things work in the big leagues, he showered, dressed and rushed out to meet his parents and left the clubhouse without talking to reporters, something his new teammates were lining up to tease him about today.

The Rays' lineup had a different look, too, with the addition of slugger Kevin Witt from Triple-A Durham, but he didn't have as much of an impact.

The Rays were held to seven singles - five by Daniel Cabrera over the first seven innings - and didn't do much with the chances they had. They led off an inning with a hit five times but couldn't get a run. They got five runners into scoring position but couldn't score, going 1-for-9. They were shut out for the sixth time.

"We couldn't get a clutch hit to save ourselves," Maddon said.

Add in a poorly executed rundown play ("We totally messed it up," Maddon said), a throwing error by Dioner Navarro that led to a run and some general malaise, and after Hammel's performance, there wasn't much good news to send home.

"We just have to keep getting after it," Maddon said.

[Last modified August 26, 2006, 02:22:15]