Sports: Strained ribs will cost Sturtze starts

Strained ribs will cost Sturtze starts

By BRUCE LOWITT and Times wires

BALTIMORE -- Devil Rays pitching took another hit Saturday when Tanyon Sturtze, one of the team's best starters the past month, strained the left side of his ribcage, an injury that could bench him as long as a month.

Sturtze was going after his fifth consecutive victory, which would have tied Wilson Alvarez and Ryan Rupe for the team record. But in the second inning, he said he felt a pop when he threw a split-fingered fastball to Chris Richard.

"Then when I threw over to first base (to shorten Albert Belle's lead), I felt it really bite. I tried to make one more pitch and thank God he hit it at Freddie" McGriff, who started an inning-ending double play.

"He strained an oblique muscle, which is not good," manager Larry Rothschild said. "It's normally three to four weeks."

Sturtze said it was particularly frustrating because he was establishing himself in the rotation. He had never experienced an injury that would sideline him for any length of time.

Dave Eiland replaced Sturtze in the third inning.

"When Sturtzie got in the dugout the (bullpen) phone rang," Eiland said. "They said, "Get up; you're in.' I probably threw eight to 10 pitches down there, came into the game and threw 12-15 more, then got after it.

"I've been primarily a starter my whole career (he was scheduled to start Tuesday against Boston), but when you're down in the bullpen it's a different frame of mind, something you've got to deal with the best you can."

It was, Eiland said, his first win as a reliever. "I've had a lot of them taken away from me as a starter."

TRYING TOO HARD: Rays shortstop Felix Martinez had the second two-error game of his career, the other one with the Royals on April 14, 1998.

In the fifth inning, following Greg Myers' two-out run-scoring single, Martinez dived and knocked down Jerry Hairston's grounder in the hole and, while seated, threw to second trying for the force on Myers. The ball skipped into rightfield and Myers continued to third. Luis Matos then grounded out. The seventh-inning error was more conventional -- he mishandled Belle's grounder -- but it led to the bases-loaded threat that reliever Esteban Yan put down.

"The thing Felix has to learn is that he can't make every play in the world," Rothschild said. "He goes about things with the right focus, but a lot of his errors have been after a play has developed and he tries to make an unbelievable play that doesn't exist.

"Those are just young mistakes. He's going to learn and get better."

ET CETERA: McGriff's ninth-inning home run was his first off a right-handed pitcher since he hit two off Ryan Dempster of the Marlins July 7 at Pro Player Stadium. McGriff's past four had been off left-handers. ... John Flaherty's run-scoring single in the opener was his third hit -- all singles -- and first RBI in 31 at-bats since hitting the three-run ninth-inning homer Aug. 20 to beat the White Sox at Tropicana Field. ... Paul Wilson is the 13th starter for the Devil Rays this season, matching last season's total. There were 12 in 1998. ... Second-game shortstop Ozzie Guillen's 15 years of major-league experience exceeded the total -- less than 14 -- of the Rays' eight other starters. ... A dozen youngsters from All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg and The Tampa Children's Hospital will attend today's game and meet the Devil Rays. It is the third year of the programs sponsored by the Devil Rays and Southwest Airlines.