All the big bats belong to Rays
Wigginton ties a team record as Tampa Bay gets 16 hits and shuts down the Angels.
By MARC TOPKIN
Published July 18, 2007
ST. PETERSBURG - Hits were the primary topic of discussion on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field.
The three B.J. Upton got in his first night in the No. 3 spot in the Devil Rays order. The four more Ty Wigginton got to tie a team record with eight straight. The 16 overall the Rays got for the second consecutive game, suggesting an offensive resurgence.
And, just as importantly, the seven Rays starter James Shields held the Angels to over seven solid innings.
The result was a tidy 8-3 victory over an Angels team that ranks among the majors' best, an accomplishment for a Rays team that, at 36-56, remains the majors' worst.
"That's how you win a ballgame," Shields said.
Upton has had a significant impact since returning from the disabled list Friday, going 7-for-11 with five walks a .706 on-base percentage, and making others around him better.
Maddon moved him into the critical third spot, the eighth player the Rays have used there, and he has a chance to stay for a long time, with Akinori Iwamura and Carl Crawford ahead of him and Carlos Pena and Delmon Young behind him.
"He makes a big impact on the entire lineup and he allows us to do different things," Maddon said. "When one guy permits you to put other people in different spots that then augments you or makes you stronger in other ways - Wiggy hitting in the seventh and eighth hole right now, he's absolutely got on fire. We've often talked about the American League lineup being able to score runs one through nine, and I think we're back at that point once again."
The 16 hits were one off their season high and the five-run fifth inning was their biggest in more than three weeks.
Upton said he won't change anything, continuing to take his walks and hit the ball where it's pitched. He downplayed the significance of the promotion - "There's been a lot of great three-hole hitters" - but admitted he enjoys the responsibility.
"I like it there," Upton said. "I'm just going to go out and hit the way I know how regardless of the spot in the lineup."
Wigginton claims he, too, didn't change anything - spending mornings playing with his sons, driving the same way to the stadium, eating the same dietician-approved pregame food.
But after getting one hit in his previous 21 at-bats at the Trop, he has eight hits in his last eight plate appearances, matching Aubrey Huff's 2004 team record. (The major-league record is 12).
Maddon said Wigginton is being more patient and selective. But, also: "I think I've seen him sneaking some Snickers bars."
Shields (8-5, 3.91) noticed in video of his last start that his arm angle had dropped, and the adjustment to throwing more "downhill" was impressive as he allowed only two runs, and no homers for just the second time in his past nine outings.
"James really battles on a nightly basis," Maddon said. "He's quite a competitor and we really needed that type of performance tonight."
Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com