Braves dig the short ball

Atlanta scores two in the ninth without hitting the ball out of the infield, defeating the Devil Rays 6-4.

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 17, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- The differences between the Devil Rays and the Braves can be huge. Look at the history of the franchises, the talent on the rosters, the daily standings.

Sunday, the margin was ever so slim.

As slim as a good pitch by Jim Mecir that led to a ninth-inning infield chopper by Rafael Furcal that led to a high throw by Miguel Cairo that led to a frustrating 6-4 loss.

"Breaks are breaks, and whether they make them or they get them, they were on the other side of the diamond today," Rays catcher Mike DiFelice said.

What made the loss especially frustrating for the Rays was the circumstance. Down early after two home runs by Andruw Jones and another by Wally Joyner, the Rays scratched back against Kevin Millwood and tied the score at 4 in the seventh on a two-run homer by Gerald Williams before an announced Tropicana Field crowd of 41,066, second largest of the season.

"We came back, and that's a game you should win right there," manager Larry Rothschild said. "You come back in it, and you're at home, and you have every chance. Jim Mecir is in there, and that's a pretty good position to be in.

"We just didn't do things right after that. It ended up being a high chopper, and they had speed at both places, so it was going to be a rush play, and it just ended up being a high throw. We didn't make the play."

Actually, the breakdown started at the beginning of the inning when Mecir, one of the league's steadiest relievers, walked leadoff batter Joyner. By the time it ended, the Braves had scored two runs without hitting a ball out of the infield and the Rays were in the unusual position of bemoaning balls being hit too softly.

"Luck's turning around on me," Mecir said. "That's the way the game goes. They just happened to be hit perfectly."

With Trenidad Hubbard running for Joyner, Javy Lopez hit a ground ball just far enough in the hole that shortstop Ozzie Guillen had no play at second or first. A sacrifice bunt advanced the runners, and a walk to pinch-hitter Bobby Bonilla loaded the bases.

Furcal chopped at a 1-and-1 pitch, and the ball bounced high over the mound. Cairo charged in and fired home, but the throw was too high for DiFelice to make the play. "It was in time, but it was high," Rothschild said. "It's hard to tell, but I thought we had him."

Cairo said there was nothing more he could have done. "I did the best I could in that situation," he said. "I knew there was a fast runner at third, and I had to try to catch (the ball) and throw it. It was high, and I got it a little away from Mike DiFelice."

Making it worse, the next batter, Jones, did virtually the same thing, and the Braves got another run as Cairo hesitated for a split second and flipped to Guillen, whose relay to first was too late to complete the double play.

"They were probably hit a little soft," Mecir said. "The last two days I've been pitching, I haven't had my stuff, and I've been a little wild. I got some ground balls, but they just didn't work out."

Said Rothschild: "The leadoff walk was obviously his fault, but after that, I don't think the ball left the infield. There's not much he can do about that. He continues to be a cornerstone. He has good stuff. He knows how to pitch, and I'll trust any game with him."

Lost in the defeat was an improved showing by Rays starter Esteban Yan, who allowed three homers but minimized the damage with seven strikeouts in seven innings.

For the Braves, the victory was another step on the journey to likely another post-season berth. "This is a big win," Atlanta's Chipper Jones said. "This might be a game we look back upon later and say it was a good win for us."

For the Rays, it was a different story. They have lost all seven games they have played against the Braves, and the series hasn't always been competitive. The Braves have outscored them 49-21 and outhomered them 14-3, including 10-1 at the Trop.

"It's tough," DiFelice said. "No. 1, it's always tough to lose. No one wants to lose. But it's frustrating when you make some pitches and they beat you with nothing really: not a home run, not a double. But you've got to give those guys credit. They know what they're doing."

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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