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14-day road trip finally ends but losing doesn't for Rays

Tampa Bay ends its stint away from home with a 5-8 mark after falling to the White Sox 5-2.

By KEVIN KELLY and MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 7, 2001

CHICAGO -- Jason Tyner tugged one sock over his left foot, paused for a moment as if to muster some more energy, then reached down to pick the other off the clubhouse floor.

How long did the 14-day road trip the Rays capped Monday with 5-2 loss to the White Sox seem?

[AP photo] Chicago White Sox' Paul Konerko, left, crosses home plate behind Tampa Bay Devil Rays' catcher John Flaherty after his two-run homer in the third inning Monday.

"L-o-o-o-o-n-g," the Tampa Bay outfielder emphasized.

From California to Texas to Maryland and finally Illinois, the two-week trip was notable not only for the distances the Rays covered but for the events that altered the makeup of the franchise.

First baseman Fred McGriff reversed his position and accepted a trade to the Cubs. Starting pitcher Albie Lopez and catcher Mike DiFelice were shipped to Arizona.

Four new players -- catcher Toby Hall, shortstop Chris Gomez and pitchers Nick Bierbrodt and Jason Standridge -- took their places on the roster after trades or promotions from the minors.

"This trip was different from any other long trip because of the trade deadline (July 31) and the fact we brought a lot of new guys in and some guys took off," catcher John Flaherty said. "I think it's going to be good to get home and kind of regroup now that you know this is the club you're going to have."

Tampa Bay finished the trip 5-8.

And while the .385 winning percentage was 55 points better than the regular-season percentage, areas in need of improvement were exposed, particularly during the Rays' four-game series against the White Sox at Comiskey Park.

A pair of errors Saturday and Sunday led to nine runs and cost Tampa Bay one win.

"We should've won more games, and the reason we didn't win more games is because we didn't catch the ball," manager Hal McRae said. "I won't think about it going home because those games are over, and I hope we catch the ball in the future."

The Rays committed no errors Monday, but the White Sox got another solid performance from its starting pitcher before an announced 26,944.

Dan Wright had a no-hitter until Tampa Bay shortstop Chris Gomez doubled to left-centerfield with Randy Winn on and one out in the seventh. The right-hander (2-0) was taken out after Gomez's hit.

He walked seven, struck out four and threw 115 pitches.

Wright's performance mirrored Mark Buehrle's clinic on Friday. Buehrle pitched a complete game one-hitter in a 4-0 win. Sandwiched between those two performances, however, the Rays managed 29 hits in two games.

Much like Wright, Rays starter Jeff Wallace struggled with his control, but he paid for it. It was the left-hander's first start in more than five years.

Wallace (0-3) started in place of a resting Ryan Rupe.

"My control was a little bit all over the place," said Wallace, the Rays' most dependable long reliever this season.

Chicago scored two runs in the first and third innings and added one more in the fourth. Wallace was pulled after five innings. He had walked six and struck out a career-high seven.

"Six walks hurts more than having seven strikeouts," he said.

Winn's two-run single in the eighth provided the only runs for Tampa Bay, which was held to four hits.

The Rays are likely to see even better pitching in the next 13 days. They play the AL East-leading Yankees six times and the AL Central-leading Twins seven times. After Monday's game, however, players were focused more on getting home and sleeping in their own beds after being away for so long.

"I'm glad it's over," Tyner said.

Outfielder Greg Vaughn summed up the trip best: "It definitely didn't finish the way it started."

Japan for Brazelton?

ST. PETERSBURG -- If top pick Dewon Brazelton doesn't sign with the Rays in the next two weeks, he could go back to school at Middle Tennessee State. Or he could sign with an independent league team. Or he could go play in Japan.

Brazelton adviser Bo McKinnis was in contact with an American representative of a Japanese team Monday and an offer may be forthcoming.

"Dewon wants to sign with the Devil Rays, but this gives us another option if things can't be worked out with Tampa Bay," McKinnis said. "He enjoyed his time with the U.S. team and has no problem playing outside of the country."

Classes at MTSU start on Aug. 20. If Brazelton goes back to school, the Rays lose rights to him and he would go into the 2002 draft pool, as he would if he played in the independent league.

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