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Rays fail to make their lead big enough for Yan

The struggling closer gives up two homers in the ninth as the O's come back for a 6-5 win.

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 2, 2001

BALTIMORE -- There were times during Wednesday's game when it didn't seem the Rays were playing well enough to win. And by the end, they didn't.

Despite making two errors, despite allowing three unearned runs, despite leaving eight men on base (including four in scoring position), the Rays took a two-run lead into the bottom of the ninth.

Then Esteban Yan gave it all away.

Yan allowed two home runs, a one-out shot to Tony Batista and a two-run winner to Jerry Hairston, turning what would have been a pockmarked win into an ugly 6-5 loss to Baltimore.

"I thought we played well, and I thought we would win the ballgame going to the ninth with a two-run lead at the bottom of the order for the Orioles, especially after the first batter struck out," manager Hal McRae said. "But we didn't get it done."

Yan, who blew his sixth save in 19 opportunities, put it into much simpler terms: "The team did a good job. They got a two-run lead. I (messed) it up."

The Rays got to the ninth with the lead thanks to a decent start by Ryan Rupe, who allowed three hits and the three unearned runs over 52/3 innings, thanks to a modest offense generated primarily from the bottom of the order and thanks to another effective performance from their unheralded middle relievers.

They even overcame the reversal of a balk call against Baltimore starter Jason Johnson. The umpires first sent Ben Grieve from third base to home with what was the Rays' second run, then called him from the dugout and put him back on third, from where he eventually scored anyway.

McRae said the umpires changed the call because some of them thought Aubrey Huff had stepped out of the batter's box before Johnson stepped off the mound.

"I think it was a guess call, really," McRae said. "I don't think anybody knew what happened."

Yan seemed up to the task when first summoned, striking out Cal Ripken to open the inning. But he left a 1-and-2 fastball up and over the plate, and Batista hit it over the left-centerfield fence.

Bad things tend to happen in bunches for the Rays. Pinch-hitter Larry Bigbie's sharp grounder up the middle was gloved by shortstop Chris Gomez, who stumbled and fell, unable to make the anything but a late toss, allowing an infield single.

"I caught it, shuffled my feet and my left spike caught in the dirt," Gomez said. "It was kind of a helpless feeling."

That brought up Hairston, whom Yan retired on a liner to leftfield for the final out in Tampa Bay's 5-4 victory Tuesday.

Yan got ahead 0-and-1, but Hairston, who has hit four of his six homers against Tampa Bay, drove the next fastball into the leftfield seats.

"He's had my number; he was jamming me so much," Hairston said. "I felt terrible at the plate tonight before that at-bat. I made a little adjustment and it worked out."

Said Yan: "I got beat tonight. I beat him (Tuesday) night and he beat me tonight."

It was the third game the Rays lost on the final pitch this season, the last coming May 16 when Yan allowed a grand slam to Kansas City's Joe Randa, the only other homer Yan had given up this season. It was the first time in 60 games the Orioles won when trailing after eight innings.

Rupe, who couldn't get through the second inning in his last start, felt good about his effort. He allowed only one runner as far as third in the first five innings, and he said he made just one bad pitch, the one Jeff Conine hit to left-center for a two-run double.

"I did what I could do," said Rupe, who hasn't won since June 14. "After the last start, to battle back and throw some zeros up there, especially five in a row, was huge."

The Rays, who at this late date still are looking for a winning road series against an American League opponent, took a 4-0 lead against former teammate Johnson. The middle relievers kept it at 4-3 through the eighth, and when Greg Vaughn's infield single scored Jason Tyner in the ninth to extend the Tampa Bay lead to 5-3, a victory seemed likely.

"Este throws 95 and he doesn't walk many people," Grieve said. "You figure it's a safe bet."

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