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Lefty makes pitch to keep starting spot

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 30, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- More than two months after they traded Albie Lopez to Arizona and got rookie Nick Bierbrodt, it appears the Rays got a bargain.

Bierbrodt, who had struggled some since the July 25 deal, pitched magnificently for six innings Saturday for his second win with Tampa Bay.

"Nick gave us a good game, a solid game," manager Hal McRae said. "His fastball was especially explosive."

The rookie left-hander allowed one run and struck out seven in his bid to assure himself a spot in the rotation next season.

"You better get at it or you may not have a job next year," said Bierbrodt, who has a 5.04 ERA since coming to the Rays. "A couple guys are in spots where they're battling and maybe stepping it up a little more."

So what are the Rays missing in Lopez?

The club's former No. 1 will try to avoid becoming the first pitcher since Brian Kingman in 1980 to lose 20 games when he starts against Dodgers today.

INSTRUCTIONAL TIME: Dewon Brazelton, the Rays' No. 1 draft pick in June, will start for the club's instructional league team Monday at the Carpenter Complex in Clearwater.

Brazelton, who was added to the Rays' active roster on Sept. 1 and has been working out with the team since, will throw a maximum of 50 pitches against the Phillies.

"It's going to be a big day for me," he said. "I'm ready to get back to playing. ... It may be true or it may not be, but I feel that people are like, "He's getting so much money and he's sitting here.' "

BY THE NUMBERS: The Rays pitching staff is performing better than it has all season.

Here's the proof:

It has allowed seven earned run in the past six games for a 1.19 ERA.

Starters have gone 4-1 with a 1.15 ERA in 39 innings during those six.

The bullpen has a 1.35 ERA and held opponents to a .155 average in its past 33 innings, spanning 12 games.

DOUBLE TIME: Chris Gomez's run-scoring double in the second inning extended the Rays' streak of consecutive games with at least one double to 37.

The Rays had four doubles in the game.

One more today would match the A's mark of 38 games set this season.

ABERNATHY CLOSE: Second baseman Brent Abernathy missed his second game in a row with a severely bruised and swollen left ankle.

He took batting practice before the game and will field grounders today to test his mobility. While Abernathy, who fouled a pitch off the ankle during Thursday's game, could be available to pinch hit today, he said a Monday return is more likely.

"It's one of those things that you can't do much about," Abernathy said.

MAKING THE ROUNDS: Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell planned on buying a cheap ticket and watching the Rays game at Tropicana Field like any other fans would.

But the best friends from Buffalo, who are in the midst of seeing 121 different sports teams in 101 venues by November 2002, got an unexpected surprise when Rays officials asked them to read the lineups for both teams on the field before the game.

The Rays were the 30th and final major league baseball team and the 94th overall that they've watched. If you're interested in keeping up with the two, they maintain a comprehensive website devoted to their endeavor (www.thesportsroadtrip.com).

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