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By GREG AUMAN
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 29, 2001
ST. PETERSBURG -- Shortstop Felix Martinez has been bothered by a sore left knee since diving for a ball in spring training, but the injury flared up Sunday after his first start in more than a week.
"My knee is feeling bad, every day a little bit more," said Martinez, who sat out Monday's loss to the Angels. "It bothers me a lot, makes it tough to play, but when they want you to play, it doesn't matter. You need to be ready."
Trainer Jamie Reed said Martinez is suffering from patellar tendinitis, an injury seen more commonly in basketball. Former Rays infielder Kevin Stocker played through the condition for two years, but Reed said the key is Martinez's comfort level.
"He hadn't played in a while, so he might have aggravated it some," Reed said. "Right now, he says he can play with it, and as long as he can play with it, you keep going."
Martinez had his first start in 10 games Sunday and scored two runs in the Rays' victory, but the knee flared up after the game. A trip to the disabled list could coincide with second baseman Russ Johnson's return from the DL Thursday, which will force the Rays to open up a roster spot.
"We'll have to see," manager Hal McRae said before the game. "He's been getting treatment daily. He had some discomfort, but he was able to finish the ballgame."
Martinez has three hits in his past 26 at-bats, dropping his average from .320 to .246, and his defensive play has lapsed through the season. After committing 14 errors in 2000, Martinez has 12 this season. His replacement, Andy Sheets, is batting .321 with one error in nine games.
TOUGH ROAD AHEAD: Today's game against Oakland is the Rays' first this season against a playoff team from last season, and despite the team's 14-36 record against non-playoff teams, McRae doesn't think of the road ahead as any more challenging than what the Rays already have faced.
"It's been tough here," McRae said of the recent 10-game homestand, which saw the Rays win three games. "I don't think we can look at a road trip as being tough. We've not beaten anyone. It can't get tougher than it's been."
The Rays have 11 games in June against current division leaders, three against Seattle and Philadelphia and five against the New York Yankees.
REHAB UPDATE: Injured starters Wilson Alvarez and Juan Guzman are expected to see action on the mound while the Rays are in Oakland. Alvarez pitches at 1 p.m. today in extended spring training against Toronto at the Naimoli Complex, and Guzman pitches Wednesday at the Phillies' Carpenter Complex in Clearwater.
HOO-RAYS: Ben Grieve walked in the third inning to reach base for the 35th game in a row, extending the longest streak in the majors this season. ... Oakland is 21-9 against the Rays, the second-best mark by an AL opponent, trailing only Cleveland (25-10). Oakland has won the past five meetings between the teams, outscoring the Rays 48-6. ... The Rays are 0-4 on Memorial Day.
WHERE: Oakland Coliseum.
RADIO: WFLA-AM 970, WLCC-AM 760 (Spanish).
TANYON STURTZE: Sturtze (1-4, 6.30) has a 13.02 ERA in his past two starts, both losses. The Rays won his first seven starts with the team. This is his fifth of 2001, matching last season's total. Last April, he faced the A's with the White Sox and gave up six runs in one inning.
CORY LIDLE: Lidle (0-3, 5.28) has lasted at least five innings in his past seven starts. He becomes the sixth former Ray to start against Tampa Bay. Dwight Gooden, Steve Trachsel, Jason Johnson, Dennis Springer and Rolando Arrojo are a combined 5-4 in 10 starts.
Anaheim's Troy Glaus crushed a seventh-inning pitch into leftfield Monday, and about 115 feet above the Tropicana Field turf the ball caromed off the "C" ring catwalk, actually dropping into Ben Grieve's glove.
By the Rays' ground rules, however, any ball that hits either of the two catwalks in fair territory is a home run. It's the sixth ball to hit the catwalk this season, and the second by an opponent.
The Rays' hard luck in leftfield continued in the seventh when Greg Vaughn's hit bounced into the picnic area for a ground-rule double. That forced Randy Winn to stop at third when he would have scored had the ball stayed in play.
"It's a bad break," manager Hal McRae said. "I know we would have scored a run. Today, I wish that barrier was higher, but you really can't complain. We play on the same field."