Canseco fizzles after Beach trip

By BRANT JAMES

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 15, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- David Wells respected the battle. He respected the combatant, Jose Canseco. And he really respected that the Rays designated hitter did not stop to admire the second-inning fastball he hit 8 nautical miles against the upper-deck facade in leftfield.

Wells did not respect the battle enough to give his friend and former teammate another fastball remotely close the plate, however, and for Canseco that was very bad news.

Facing what he called "the best curveball I have ever seen in my life," Canseco looked helpless in striking out swinging in his next three at-bats.

"I was basically sitting on (the curveball) and I still couldn't hit it," Canseco said. "It seemed like they were dropping out of the sky.

[Times photo: Michael Rondou] Jose Canseco takes a short moment to admire his homerun blast.

"I give him a lot of credit, after (the homer) he never gave me another pitch in the same place. Every fastball was painting away or way in and he was working me with those curveballs. He threw like 12 or 13 curveballs in a row."

Canseco was onto the left-hander's plot, but was helpless nonetheless.

"I tried to slip one (fastball) in there," Wells said, "but he's so much on the dish it's ridiculous. He's like over it. His foot's behind it, so if you go in, you're going to hit him. I'm not going to hit him, but I'm going come in there because if he jumps sometimes it's a strike.

"But after that, I said, "You know ... hit the curveball.' "

Canseco's sixth homer of the season was credited as being the first to reach "The Beach" upper-deck area, although it did not make it all the way. The estimated 456-footer hit atop a sign affixed to the facade and caromed into the lower deck.

Wells could admire the shot, as long as Canseco didn't too much.

"I don't like the cheap ones," Wells said. "If you're going to give them up, give them up large.

"Just don't admire it. He's knows better than that too. It's gratifying enough when you hit it that far. Jose showed some class out there."

THE BAD NEWS: The Rays have lost nine consecutive games started by left-handed pitchers, and are 8-33 against them all-time. Even worse : They are scheduled to face at least two more in Texas (Darren Oliver and Kenny Rogers) and possibly a third if Doug Davis starts instead of Mark Clark on Wednesday.

Curiously, Tampa Bay bats .316 collectively against lefties.

"It's a combination of things," manager Larry Rothschild said. "In games where we do hit the ball we haven't pitched well ... and some of the better starters in this league are left-handed."

WELL-RESTED: Fatigue should not be a factor in Dave Eiland's start tonight in Texas. Eiland (1-1, 8.18 ERA) hasn't worked since May 5, and left that 5-3 loss after 31/3 innings with quadriceps tightness.

"Nine (days) is pushing it a little bit," he said.

Eiland threw off the mound for 8-10 minutes on Sunday "to get the feel back" for his breaking pitches, he said.

GOOD PROGRESS: Esteban Yan looked strong in pitching seven innings for the fourth time this season, but was removed after a career-high 112 pitches. Yan left with a 2-1 lead after striking out six batters and walking one. The converted reliever is 1-1 with a 5.29 ERA in eight starts.

"Everyone told me what I have to do -- spot my fastball and try to keep it down in good locations," he said. "That is what is working for me right now."

NEXT STEP: Tony Saunders threw in the bullpen and likely will throw batting practice within a week, Rothschild said.

MISCELLANY: When Fred McGriff flied out to center in the ninth, he completed an 0-for-4 day and ended his career-high hitting streak at 14 games. ... Toronto's Jim Fregosi managed in his 2,000th regular-season game. He is 966-1,034. ... Canseco is one homer behind Andre Dawson (438) for 24th on the all-time list. ... Canseco's strikeout in the sixth inning was the 1,800th of his career.

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