Rays walk over Yanks

In a nip-and-tuck contest, Tampa Bay scores twice in the eighth on bases-loaded walks to win 6-4.

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 1, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- Devil Rays managing general partner Vince Naimoli complained in April that the Yankees were infringing unfairly on his team's territory.

Friday night, the Rays dug in and defended their turf.

The Rays rallied to beat the defending world champions 6-4 before a vibrant Tropicana Field announced crowd of 30,323, capping the most successful month in their history while extending the Yankees' struggles.

"I guess the big thing is that it's the Tampa Yankees, a big crowd, a lot of Yankees fans here," Rays catcher Mike DiFelice said. "You've got to take it personal if you're the home team. You've always got to rise to the occasion and pick up your level of competition when you come in to your home stadium and it's a big crowd and it's a big crowd for the other team. It's good to come out with a win."

The Rays had to work for it. They took an early 4-2 lead behind strong pitching by Bryan Rekar and lost the advantage when Bernie Williams hit a two-out, two-run homer in the eighth off Jim Mecir. They came right back with two runs, the rally starting with a dome-field advantage bloop double and culminating with back-to-back bases-loaded walks.

And that was apart from a disputed catcher's interference call, a franchise-record 16 left on base by the Rays and a midbatter pitching change by the Yankees in the pivotal eighth.

"There were some crazy things in that game," Rays manager Larry Rothschild said.

For a while it appeared the game would follow a script that became refreshingly familiar during the Rays' June success. They got a solid seven innings from Rekar and big hits from some of their lesser-known, and lowest-paid, players, in this case Russ Johnson and Felix Martinez.

But that was before the red-hot Williams ran his RBI total to 76 by driving a first-pitch fastball from Mecir over the centerfield fence, just out of Randy Winn's reach, to tie the score in the eighth.

It was the first homer Mecir allowed to a lefty since Sept. 13, 1998, and just the second time he was scored on in his past 14 appearances. Still, he got his sixth win, tying Steve Trachsel for the team lead.

McGriff started the Rays' comeback with a lazy fly to short left that third baseman Scott Brosius lost against the Trop roof.

"It got up around all the catwalks, I guess, and when I turned my back and then looked up, I never saw it again," Brosius said.

Said McGriff: "Welcome to Tropicana Field. Never a dull moment."

From there, things got really wild. Reliever Jeff Nelson loaded the bases by walking Bobby Smith and, with two outs, DiFelice, then forced in the go-ahead run by walking Johnson on four pitches. It was Johnson's fourth walk of the night.

"Being 5-foot nothing, sometimes it's tough to throw to me," said Johnson, who is listed at 5-10.

Nelson threw two balls to Martinez, then was replaced by Todd Erdos, who finished what Nelson started by walking in another run. "I tried to be too fine with some guys, and it cost me," Nelson said.

"It's disappointing to lose the way we did," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "Basically, we gave it to them."

Rekar, who went four innings in each of his previous two starts, was impressive through seven, allowing four hits before leaving with a blister on his middle finger. "Bryan pitched his heart out," Rothschild said.

Said Rekar: "Any time you beat a team like the Yankees, it's a little more fun."

The Yankees have been in a funk for nearly two months. Starting with the May 11 game when Trachsel and the Rays beat them 1-0 at Yankee Stadium, they are 16-27. Of more immediate concern, have lost six of their past eight and 10 of 14. "We've covered all the bases," shortstop Derek Jeter said. "We've figured out every way to lose a game."

The Rays, meanwhile, wrapped up June with a 15-11 record, giving them a franchise-best .577 winning percentage for the month. It was only the second winning month in their history -- they were 16-12 (.571) last August.

"I guess you have to walk before you run and things like that," Rothschild said. "It's a start, especially considering what we've been through this year with all the injuries. Guys have come in and really stepped it up."

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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