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Revitalized pitching inspires the bats

By BRANT JAMES

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 14, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- The slugger's two-run homer in the eighth inning was the final salvo in the Rays' 5-3 win Wednesday night, but what did Greg Vaughn want to talk about?

"Pitching dictates everything," he said. "If you got it, you feel like you're in the flow, you keep battling, you have a chance.

"If you're out of the game in the second inning, it's tough. Our starting pitchers are doing a phenomenal job lately. They're getting us in the sixth, seventh, ninth."

That's precisely, Vaughn said, why he and the Rays have won five of seven, and the numbers support him.

Since the hot streak began June 7 in Toronto, Rays starters have produced a 3.43 ERA and have averaged six innings. In an amazing synergy, the relaxed Rays have scored five or more runs six times. Vaughn and Fred McGriff are batting a combined .411 with nine home runs in June.

THE CATCH: It kept the Phillies from taking a 1-0 lead and earned him a standing ovation. But centerfielder Jason Tyner didn't even watch replays of his superlative effort in the second inning, when he tracked Pat Burrell's smash to left-center, threw his wispy 6-foot-1 frame against the 9-foot-4 wall and came down with a catch that prevented Travis Lee from scoring from first.

"I took one quick look to see where the wall was and timed it pretty well and hit the wall right where I wanted to hit it," Tyner said. "I put my foot on the wall. I hope they don't bill me for ripping it."

QUIET: Gerald Williams remains quiet on his benching.

"For me to be able to speak on it, I would have to have some understanding," he said.

Manager Hal McRae did not mention Williams in his outfield plans for the conclusion of the Phillies series today or the three-game Marlins set that begins Friday in Miami.

McRae said Ben Grieve will start in right and Vaughn in left against the Marlins, with new starter Tyner and Randy Winn possibly splitting time in center.

Williams is batting .209 in 57 games.

PHIL-IN: Rumors of the Phillies' potential interest in Rays catcher John Flaherty persist with the struggles of Johnny Estrada, who was batting .232 before Wednesday's 1-for-4 performance.

Phillies general manager Ed Wade told the Philadelphia Daily News he would go with Estrada for now but "continue to assess our needs."

ROAD TRIP: Rays players aren't likely to be nostalgic for their minor-league days when they ride charter buses to Miami this weekend, but at least they'll have their families along to take their minds off the long trip.

The Rays have permitted players to take wives and children on trips before, but those younger than 5 were not allowed on charter flights.

RAYS BITS: Vaughn's two-run homer in the eighth moved him into 68th place all-time with 337. Don Baylor is next with 338. ... The Rays retracted their announcement that they had signed third-round selection Chris Flinn, 17th-rounder Michael Navaroli and 47th-rounder Eric Beattie (from Riverview High in Tampa). The Rays have signed 13 of 50 picks. ... Orlando Rays infielder Brooks Badeaux, outfielder Carl Crawford and pitcher Jim Magrane were named to the Southern League Eastern Division All-Star team.

Today: Phillies at Rays, 12:15

WHERE: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg.

TV/RADIO: FSN; WFLA-AM 970, WLCC-AM 760 (Spanish).

TODAY'S PROMOTION: Seniors can get a lower deck outfield seat, hot dog and Pepsi for $12 or an upper general admission ticket, hot dog and Pepsi for $7.

TICKETS: Available at stadium box office; through Ticketmaster phone and retail outlets; at team stores in WestShore Plaza, Brandon Town Center and BayWalk.

INFO: Call 1-888-FAN-RAYS.

The pitchers

RYAN RUPE: Rupe (3-5, 7.30) had his best outing of the season in his last start, setting season highs in innings (7) and strikeouts (7) in a 7-5 win over the Mets. The right-hander has allowed one or no runs in two of three starts since being recalled from Triple A.

RANDY WOLF: Wolf (4-6, 3.93) pitched his second career complete game with an eight-inning, 3-2 loss to Boston on Friday. All three runs came on home runs, breaking a five-game homerless streak. The left-hander is third in the NL with 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Outta leftfield

With road interleague play, and therefore at-bats, looming Friday, Rays pitchers took another round of batting practice Wednesday, and Albie Lopez proved himself a master of the 70 mph fastball.

Lopez, who starts Saturday in Miami, sprayed several hard liners to center and even hit a home run, but was an aberration in a session spiced with bad bunts and expletives from his mound mates.

Just after Ryan Rupe managed to smack a few fastballs to the outfield, Terry Collins brought him back to reality with a breaker that screwed him into the ground.

Rays manager Hal McRae perused the session from the dugout rail.

"It doesn't look like we'll use the squeeze play," he said. "Very risky."

Lopez, who is 0-for-8 with six strikeouts lifetime, isn't ready to proclaim himself a big-league hitter, and he didn't even know what model bat he uses.

"It's a black bat," he said. "I went over and got one of Damian Rolls' bats and liked the way it felt, so I got some of them.

"I want to use that bat Jose Guillen used in Triple A."

Guillen was ejected Tuesday for using a corked bat for Durham.

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