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Rupe renewed by extra rest

By MIKE READLING and MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 12, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- Rays manager Hal McRae gave pitcher Ryan Rupe 10 days between starts to rest the 26-year-old's arm and, he hoped, to get him back in the win column for the first time since June.

Turned out Rupe needed 10 days and one inning. The result, however, was exactly what McRae was looking for: a strong outing from one of his starting five and Rupe's first win in eight starts.

Rupe (5-9) pitched six innings Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits, walking one and striking out five. He threw 93 pitches, 61 for strikes.

"He pitched well and we're not going to try and figure out why," McRae said.

"He threw about his normal amount of pitches. I don't know if he had anything left, but six was about enough today. He didn't lose and he feels good. That's what we had hoped."

The day started ominously as Rupe gave up a single and a walk within the first three batters. Lacking life on his fastball, Rupe stuck with his changeup and managed to get out of the inning with a flyout to center and a popup to second.

"I started out real bad, the first inning I had nothing," Rupe said. "It seemed like my last 10 days off I felt like I could throw real good and then -- nothing. I knew it was going to be there, it was just a matter of getting it going."

NO. 2'S HERE: The Rays signed left-hander Jon Switzer, their second-round draft pick out of Arizona State. Switzer, who received a bonus of about $850,000, will join the Hudson Valley farm team Tuesday. "As an organization and as a scouting staff we got better today," scouting director Dan Jennings said. "He has a chance to be a solid left-handed starting pitcher and he's real durable."

NO. 1'S NOT: Jennings said the Rays have made a revised proposal to unsigned top pick Dewon Brazelton and are "moving closer" to a deal.

The Rays could lose the rights to Brazelton if he returns to Middle Tennessee State for the Aug. 20 start of classes, but Jennings sounded optimistic a deal would be made.

"It's still on and off," Jennings said. "We're having continual dialogue, which is a good thing. It's one of those deals where it could be in the next hour or it could be in the next week."

FIRST BLAST: Jared Sandberg hit his first major-league home run, drilling a Brad Thomas fastball 417 feet over the centerfield wall in the second inning. Sandberg, the Rays' all-time minor-league leader with 78 home runs, also got a standing ovation from eight family members in town to see him play.

"I knew I hit it good, but just as I was getting ready to touch first base (coach) Lee May was like, "Run, run,' so that put a little doubt in my mind," Sandberg said. "But seeing the ball going over the fence was outstanding. I gave a little look at (my family) and they put their hands in the air and were clapping. It was a good feeling."

LOCAL STAR: Former Land O'Lakes High standout Kurt Shafer played in the Gulf Coast League All-Star Game that followed the Rays' game.

TOOL BOYS: Rays players got considerable attention in the minor-league section of Baseball America's best tools edition. Catcher Toby Hall was named best batting prospect and best defensive catcher and Jesus Colome cited for the best fastball in the Triple-A International League. Outfielder Jason Conti was named the best defensive outfielder in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League; outfielder Carl Crawford the fastest baserunner and Joe Kennedy the best pitching prospect in the Double-A Southern League and Hans Smith the best reliever in the Class A California League. Seth McClung has the best fastball and shortstop Juan Salas the best infield arm in the Class A South Atlantic League.

Today: Rays vs. Twins, 1:15

WHERE: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg.

TV/RADIO: Ch. 32; WFLA-AM 970, WLCC-AM (Spanish).

TODAY'S PROMOTIONS: The first 7,500 fans receive a Double Wobble Raymond bobblehead doll. Today also is the Rays Wives fourth annual canned food drive. Fans can drop off cans of food at any stadium gate. Any fan bringing five or more cans will receive a free upper general admission ticket to any remaining home game. Also, St. Petersburg Times Family Funday features child-oriented activities and a coupon in the Times good for a lower outfield deck seat, hot dog and a Pepsi for $12 or an upper general admission ticket for $3.

The pitchers

TANYON STURTZE: Sturtze (7-9, 4.88) leads the staff in wins and is looking for his first three-game winning streak since late last season. The Rays are 5-2 in his past seven starts and he's 4-2, having won three of his past four decisions. Sturtze also leads the club with 1322/3 innings.

RICK REED: Reed is 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two games since being acquired from the Mets. He has given up 22 hits in 11 innings, allowing seven earned runs. Reed has struck out seven and walked one while allowing a .415 opponents batting average.

Outta leftfield

After almost two years of helping former Rays pitcher Albie Lopez and former catcher Mike DiFelice, Rays pitching coach Bill Fischer is looking for a little help from those two today. DiFelice and Lopez were traded to the Diamondbacks at the end of July, and both are expected to be in the lineup today against the Braves when pitcher Greg Maddux tries to continue his streak of innings without a walk. Maddux, who has 701/3 walkless innings, is 14 shy of the major-league record held by Fischer.

Attendance report

SATURDAY'S CROWD: 17,576

TROPICANA FIELD CAPACITY: 44,445

SEASON TOTAL: 901,913

PER-GAME AVERAGE: 16,105

2001 LARGEST CROWD: 41,546

2001 SMALLEST CROWD: 10,539

2000 PER-GAME AVERAGE: 19,368

1999 PER-GAME AVERAGE: 19,296

1998 PER-GAME AVERAGE: 30,939

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