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Frightening finish goes Rays' way

Esteban Yan makes it interesting but doesn't blow it, this time, as Ryan Rupe and two rookies key a 4-3 victory over the Twins.

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 12, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays needed to escape a pair of tight spots to preserve Saturday's 4-3 win over the Twins.

One took place in the ninth inning, when Esteban Yan, on the verge of blowing another lead after giving up a home run and a double, recovered to record the final two outs.

The less obvious occurred an inning earlier, when second baseman Brent Abernathy's play to get the final out to kill a Minnesota rally included dislodging a ball that got stuck in the button flap of his jersey.

"I tried everything I could do to get it out," Abernathy said. "I had a few tense moments out there."

The win was the Rays' second straight against the Twins and, in a season scarred by a 40-77 record (the worst at this point in the season for any team in 10 years), furthered an impressive sidelight: The Rays have won nine of their past 16 games against first-place teams, 11 of 26 overall.

"I feel good about the way we are competing, especially against the first-place clubs," manager Hal McRae said. "Each time we've played a first-place club, they knew they had a fight on their hands. ... They knew that we were there."

The Rays won because Ryan Rupe pitched well for six innings, recording his first win since June 14; because rookies Abernathy and Jared Sandberg homered; because Aubrey Huff delivered a clutch hit in the sixth; because Travis Phelps did an impressive job getting out of a jam in the eighth.

But it was how they nearly lost that dominated conversation.

McRae has been adamant about sticking with Yan as his closer, accepting that the 27-year-old right-hander needs to grow into the job and that his seven blown saves, matching the major-league high, are part of the process.

But Yan seems destined to try McRae's patience.

"He has to figure some things out himself, how he's going to go about it and what he needs to do to get the opposition out," McRae said.

Yan came into the ninth with a two-run lead but quickly put the game in question. After getting the first out on a very close play at first after a bunt, he gave up a home run to Torii Hunter, then a well-struck double to Jacque Jones.

McRae thought Yan had "let up" in an attempt to get the ball over the plate after being behind in the count. Yan said it was more a matter of trying to challenge Hunter when he had a two-run lead and to avoid walking Jones.

With the tying run on second, Yan fell behind A.J. Pierzynski 2-and-0 but regrouped. He struck out Pierzynski on a 95 mph fastball for the second out, then retired Luis Rivas on a grounder to second, recording his 16th save.

As the Rays shook hands after the game, catcher John Flaherty made a point to give Yan a pat on the back, literally and figuratively.

"Basically the message was that he's going through a rough time right now, he's not throwing the ball the way we know he knows he can, and to stay tough and battle through it," Flaherty said.

"You can tell his confidence is a little shaken. I'm just trying to keep him as positive as possible, encouraging him to work through it. Eventually he'll make a pitch or have an inning where it turns around."

Yan, who had not been a closer before this season, said he feels comfortable in the role but admits he still is getting used to it. "I'm learning that I have to be more relaxed on the mound, everyone tells me that," Yan said. "Every day I learn something good."

Abernathy, 23, still is learning too. But nothing could have prepared him for what happened in the eighth inning, when the Twins had two on with two out and the tying run at the plate against Phelps.

Chad Allen hit a sharp grounder to the right side that was anything but routine.

"It was a real crucial situation and I knew I had to keep the ball in front and I just kind of tried to play goalie on it a little bit," Abernathy said. "The ball hit me in the chest and got stuck in between the buttons in my shirt and almost went all the way down my shirt.

"I was able to grab it out and get him out at first, but I don't know what I would have done if it had gone all the way in my shirt. Run to home plate and just stand there. I don't know."

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