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By MIKE READLING, JOHN ROMANO
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 30, 2000
ST. PETERSBURG -- One of Randy Winn's biggest assets is that he can bat from both sides of the plate.
The past three weeks, however, Winn has batted only from the right side because of a sore right wrist.
He injured the wrist swinging at a ball about three weeks ago while playing for Triple A Durham and hasn't been able to hit from the left side since.
He is 3-for-10 with two RBI and three strikeouts in two games since being called up Sunday.
"I guess I just jammed it," Winn said. "It's been getting better, but it's going to take time. I keep playing on it and if I have to dive or something that doesn't help it."
ON THE RISE: Entering Friday's game, Jose Guillen was batting .200 with two RBI and 10 strikeouts and having trouble focusing on the ball once it left the pitcher's hand.
Three games later, the outfielder has seen his average rise 71 points.
Sunday was his breakout day. He finished 3-for-5 with two doubles and four RBI. And the streak continued to Monday when Guillen singled in his first two at-bats.
"I'm seeing the ball better. I just have to keep swinging the bat," Guillen said. "If I keep swinging at strikes, everything will come along sooner or later."
After his two singles, Guillen flew to right, lined to second and grounded to second to end the game. But both balls to second were hit hard and the fly out was a pitch up in the zone.
"The pitcher made a good pitch," Guillen said. "This is baseball, you have good times and you have bad times. Some days you have a hit and some days you don't."
TURN BACK THE HAIRCUT: Greg Vaughn took a little time off from rehabilitating his strained hamstring during batting practice to do his best Jose Cardenal impersonation.
Vaughn, taking full advantage of Turn Back the Clock Day, put on a puffy, black wig, reminiscent of Cardenal's 1970s Afro, scrunched a hat over the top of it and then donned one of the first base coach's jerseys. All made up, Vaughn roamed around behind the batting cage, dragging his bat, mocking Cardenal's well-known laid-back style and drawing huge laughs from players on both teams.
"That was terrible. An insult for the game of baseball what he did today," a smiling Cardenal said. "The walk was my style, and I drag the bat. But the hair. ... I'll get him back. I promise you that."
HOT (BEHIND THE) PLATE: For the first time this season, Mike DiFelice started his second consecutive game behind the plate, leaving regular starter John Flaherty on the bench. But don't read too much into that, manager Larry Rothschild said.
Rothschild said his decision was based on DiFelice's big performance Sunday (3-for-4, home run) and the fact he needs as many hot bats in the lineup as he can get.
"Mike had a good day and he deserves the chance to play," Rothschild said. "I have to stay with the hot streak. John has done a fine job. I don't have any qualms with either one of them."
DiFelice finished 2-for-4.
MOVIN' ON UP: Tampa Bay's 1997 No. 1 draft pick Jason Standridge was promoted from Class A St. Petersburg to Double-A Orlando.
Standridge is 2-4 with a 3.38 ERA, 41 strikeouts and 31 walks through 10 games.
MEET DOUG CREEK: Doug Creek is one of the newest Devil Rays, added to the roster when Dwight Gooden and Kevin Stocker were released Thursday.
He debuted Sunday, pitching one inning, allowing one run on one hit and striking out one. He was inserted in the ninth with the Rays leading 14-3.
"There's not a better feeling in the world being up here," Creek said. "(Sunday) was a little icebreaker. Get the cobwebs out, get the jitterbugs out of my gut. I'm just going to do whatever it takes to help this team win."
At Triple A Durham, Creek appeared in 10 games, posting a 1.96 ERA and striking out 22 in 181/3 innings.