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That's a perfect 10 . . . for the Red Sox

The Rays lose for the 10th time in 10 games against Boston. It's an old story, but this time there's a youthful touch.

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 26, 2001

BOSTON -- The way things are going, the future may as well be now.

[AP photo] Red Sox catcher Scott Hatteberg tags out the Rays' Steve Cox as Cox tries to score in the second inning of Monday night's game.

Having trouble winning much more than a game a week, the Rays have decided to go warp speed ahead with their youth movement, figuring the mistakes of today will lead to the successes of tomorrow.

But in the interim, there are going to be more -- many more -- nights like Monday, where the best things to come out of the 12-8 loss to Boston were the impressive play of Brent Abernathy, who made his first major-league hit a home run, and the pitching of Jesus Colome, who hit 99 mph on four consecutive pitches.

"It's nice to have a direction," manager Hal McRae said. "It's comforting to know what you're trying to do. Knowing that it's going to be difficult to achieve, but knowing what you're trying to do.

"If we're going young, then go young as quickly as possible. Everything is not going to pan out. Some players are not going to play as well as we hope. Some guys are going to play better than we hope. So we need to get some questions answered as quickly as possible. And the only way to get those answers is to play those guys and run them out there."

That's why they brought up Abernathy on Monday and made him the starting second baseman. That's why they're pitching Colome in key late-inning situations. That's why they're playing Jason Tyner and Aubrey Huff and starting Joe Kennedy every fifth day. That's why Toby Hall and Jason Standridge could be here soon.

The loss was the Rays' 10th straight to Boston, and it's been anything but a perfect 10. The Rays have been outscored 79-28, outhomered 18-7, outhit 104-68 and completely outclassed by the AL East leaders, who were staggering after being swept in a weekend series by Toronto.

But it didn't have to be that way on an otherwise splendid summer night at sold-out Fenway Park. The Rays jumped to an early lead. They hit four home runs. They staged a spunky comeback.

And they still lost.

"All we're trying to do is get a win," catcher Mike DiFelice said. "Any way we can."

Tampa Bay's lead was 4-1 after two innings, but Ryan Rupe gave it away with a dismal outing, allowing a season-high nine runs in 41/3 innings and needing 96 pitches to get that far.

The big blow was a third-inning grand slam by Dante Bichette, and that was set up by misplays from Greg Vaughn, who botched what should have been a routine flyout to left, and Huff, who made no play on what appeared to be a simple bouncer to third.

Down 10-5 after five innings, the Rays rallied for three runs, but the comeback stalled when they got the tying run to the plate four times and couldn't capitalize.

Then, any chance for a last-inning rally disappeared in the Boston eighth when DiFelice made a two-run mistake, missing a throw home from Huff for what should have been a forceout.

Abernathy, at least, made a memorable debut, driving a 3-1 fastball into the screen atop the Green Monster for a sixth-inning homer.

He was the fifth player this season to make his first major-league hit a home run, but it wasn't anything new to him. He hit one at Fenway in 1995 as a member of the U.S. Junior Olympic team.

"It's not fun when we're losing, but it's a good way to break in and get my first hit," he said. "It kind of lifts a weight off my shoulders."

The Rays know Colome can light up the radar guns, but they wanted to see how he does against tough competition and in tight situations. He got some of both Monday, and looked pretty good when he faced Manny Ramirez with the bases loaded in the eighth and got him to hit a ground ball.

"Colome was impressive," McRae said. "He shows a little moxie on the mound."

Colome, who didn't do much at Triple A, seems excited by the chance to pitch at the big-league level. "I like the challenge; I rise to it," he said through an interpreter. "My dream has come true, and I enjoy pitching with a big crowd. It makes me excited."

On some nights, those are the kind of moral victories the Rays are going to have to settle for.

"We're going to take our lumps, and we know that," McRae said. "But we're giving the young players an opportunity to play, and so far we like what we've seen."

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