Crawford gets boot, then Pena strikes back

Without their All-Star, ejected after a questionable call, the Rays come back thanks to their slugger's team-record 35th home run.

By MARC TOPKIN
Published September 4, 2007

Carlos Pena (right) became the first Ray to hit 35 homers in a season with his two-run home run in the seventh inning of Monday's 9-7 win over Baltimore.
	[AP photo]

ADVERTISEMENT [AP photo] As first-base coach George Hendrick smartly got between Carl Crawford and umpire Paul Nauert (left), Crawford's anger reached greater heights as he jumped on Hendrick's back to argue an obviously bad call at first base. Another obvious call, Crawford was ejected from the game.

ST. PETERSBURG - Carl Crawford had good reason to be madder than he has ever been.

But the rest of the Devil Rays had plenty of reasons to be happy in Monday's 9-7 victory over the woeful Orioles.

Carlos Pena became the first Ray to hit 35 homers in a season, James Shields became the third to pitch 200 innings and the Rays continued their recent roll, overcoming a 4-0 deficit to win for the ninth time in their past 11 games.

"We're the comeback kids," Shields said.

And who better to lead them back than Pena, who has become the leading candidate for American League comeback player of the year honors. His two-run homer in the seventh - two innings after he was hit in the head by a 93 mph Rocky Cherry pitch - broke the 4-4 tie in majestic fashion, a blast that - he admitted later he "talked to" - soared over the B-ring catwalk in rightfield and hit the C-ring.

It was the 35th of his remarkable season, breaking the franchise record shared by Aubrey Huff and Jose Canseco.

"That's very cool," Pena said. "I'm extremely excited. ... It means a lot. It's truly an honor to be mentioned in that sentence - a record."

Even Huff, now with the Orioles, was moved. "He said, 'Congratulations on breaking the record. ... I thought no one would ever do that,'" Pena said. "We laughed obviously. He's a funny guy."

Shields wasn't laughing early, when some sloppy defense by shortstop Josh Wilson and a questionable call led to a four-run Orioles third inning.

But Shields, 25, kept his composure and kept the Rays in the game, and was rewarded with his 11th win and the seven innings he needed to reach 200 in his first full big-league season.

"That was one of my main goals this season," he said. "I think 200 innings is one of the best things for a starting pitcher. If you get to 200 innings I think you've had a pretty decent season."

Crawford was called out on an obviously bad call at first base by umpire Paul Nauert, who may have been the only person among the several thousand at the Trop who didn't notice that first baseman Kevin Millar was clearly off the base receiving shortstop Miguel Tejada's throw on what looked to a bases-loaded infield single.

Crawford leapt high in the air, raced toward Nauert and threw his helmet to the ground in violent disgust, earning an immediate ejection - and at least the possibility of a suspension.

As first-base coach George Hendrick smartly got between them, Crawford's anger reached greater heights as he jumped on Hendrick's back (forcing Hendrick to make contact with Nauert), and he continued jawing on the way to the dugout.

"To see him pump his fist out, it just shocked me," Crawford said. "My emotions were running high at the time. I'm not going to lie: I was p----- off. But I'm glad (Hendrick) was there. I probably would've done something I would have regretted later on."

Crawford said he'd never been more upset or felt more wronged, and usually on a questionable call he calms down when he sees from the replay it could have gone either way. "You go watch the tape of this and it makes you want to run back from the clubhouse outside again," he said.

Five weeks ago, the Rays (57-81) seemed destined for another 100-loss season, but they've gone 19-16 since July 29. Now they have to go only 6-18 in their final 24 games to avoid triple digits, and instead could make a run at the team record of 70 wins, needing to go 13-11. Plus they're within three games of catching Baltimore and escaping last place in the AL East.

"If we were able to finish the season kind of like this, to me that would create some momentum going into next year in a positive way," manager Joe Maddon said. "And the biggest point is the players would now believe - and I think they do believe - that what we're doing are the right things and totally buy into the program."

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com View his blog at blogs.tampabay.com/rays.

Rays 9

Orioles 7

[Last modified September 4, 2007, 01:17:35]