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Reality better than Sturtze's dream

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 26, 2001

NEW YORK -- Tanyon Sturtze always wanted to pitch against Roger Clemens. Outpitching and beating him Tuesday night was even better.

"It's always been a lifetime dream for me to pitch against Roger Clemens," Sturtze said. "Being from Boston, and just seeing the way he came up and stuff like that in Boston, I tried to actually mimic him the way he goes after things.

"It was an honor for me to pitch tonight against him."

Sturtze didn't just pitch against Clemens, he pitched better.

In one of his best performances of the season, Sturtze held the potent Yankees to four hits over seven innings, leading the Rays to a 4-0 victory that marked the second loss of Clemens' spectacular season.

Even more impressive for a guy who got hit on the back of the head by a line drive in the sixth inning.

Sturtze was sore and shaken when the ball off Bernie Williams' bat hit him just behind the right ear and was caught in the air by shortstop Felix Martinez, but he wouldn't consider coming out of the game.

"I just knew it was coming real quick," Sturtze said. "It was real scary. I thought it was going to hit me in the side of the face. Luckily it hit me in the back and everything was all right. I have a little bit of a headache now, but it's not too bad."

PITCHING IN: In stringing together back-to-back shutouts for the first time in franchise history, Rays pitchers have gone a team-record 20 innings without allowing a run.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Aubrey Huff grounded into his 16th and 17th double plays of the season, breaking Fred McGriff's 2000 team record and placing Huff among the AL leaders, a remarkable feat considering Huff has played in 102 games.

VAUGHN REPORT: Greg Vaughn's left calf still is sore, so much so he likely won't play tonight as McRae had hoped. "If he's not 100 percent, he doesn't need to play," McRae said.

RIGHT PLACE, WRONG TIME: On July 5, 1998, Randy Winn earned a place in history when he became the 3,000th batter struck out by Clemens. Tuesday, Winn was in the on-deck circle when Clemens made history again, striking out Toby Hall to pass Bert Blyleven's total of 3,701 and move into third place on the all-time list.

WILSON WORKING: There was a time when McRae would watch Paul Wilson pitch and wonder what was going to happen. But Wilson, who pitches tonight, has been so good lately, going 5-1 in his past nine starts, that McRae can just enjoy the show. "Now I just watch," he said.

THANKS A LOT: McRae insists he has nothing against Martinez. Really. It just happens to work out that when Martinez gets a rare chance to start, it often is against a tough pitcher. Tuesday, it was Clemens. His three opposing starters before that: Oakland's Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder and Seattle's Freddy Garcia. That would be four of the top eight pitchers in the league in ERA.

RAYS BITS: The Rays are 4-3 with one game left on the road trip, guaranteeing just their second .500-or-better trip of the season. ... Hall didn't steal a base in his first 40 major-league games. Tuesday, the catcher stole two. ... If catcher John Flaherty (sidelined with a herniated disc in his neck) is feeling better, McRae said he would like to give him about three starts on the season-ending 11-game homestand.

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