August 30, 2008

34K Gold: Rays show national audience they're for real, win 10-9

By Ted Fleming, Tampa Bay Sports Net

ST. PETERSBURG - At this time of the year it seems a day does not go by without the Tampa Bay Rays tying or setting new club marks. Yesterday they crossed the 81-win plateau making the 2008 team the first that will finish above the .500 mark.

Saturday, before a nationally televised audience, they spotted the visiting Orioles two and four run leads only to come back and win 10-9 in a Saturday matinee at Tropicana Field on a Rocco Baldelli walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth.

With the attendance being announced at 34,805, the Rays (83-51) improved their home record to 17-1 with crowds of 30,000 or more and 21-2 when 25,000+ come out to the park.

"I've seen a bunch of them this year, since April, sitting in the dugout" said Baldelli, who has missed most of the season with a genetic problem that saps his strength. "That's fun but it's a lot more fun to be involved, to actually contribute and be part of it. It's been something I've been waiting for a long time. It's awesome."

For the second straight start, Andy Sonnanstine failed to tie the franchise mark for wins by a pitcher, 14, set by Rolando Arrojo in the team's inaugural season. The right-hander lasted just one out into the fourth and was charged with six runs, five earned, and departed on the short end of a 7-3 score.

"Physically I felt great," he said. "I just wasn't sharp today. I didn't have any command or control."

"We didn't put enough zeros on the board," said losing manager Dave Trembley. Offensively, some real big hits and some real big performances … but we didn't get outs. It's just unexplainable. Give Tampa [Bay] credit, they took advantage of every opportunity they had. It was a tough one."

Baltimore (63-72) jumped out to a first inning lead on a Jay Payton's 7th homer with a man aboard but a wild Chris Waters allowed the Rays to climb back with one in the first and two more in the second.

Huff turned the O's fortunes around with a three-run blast in the third, his 30th of the season and Sonnanstine was touched up two more, solo runs in the fourth and fifth before departing.

J.P. Howell was effective in relief going 2.2 innings, the only blemish against his record a hustling double by Aubrey Huff and a ricochet RBI base hit off Howell into right field in the fifth, and was in line for the victory before Baltimore knotted the game at eight-all in the seventh, a sac fly from Ramon Hernandez.

"JP did it with the minimum number of pitches," said Rays' skipper Joe Maddon. "I didn't want to extend him too far, the next inning it would have been nice to bring him out to face [Jay] Payton but I didn't want him to sit around and have to bring him out one more time."

Tampa Bay forged ahead once again with a two-out rally using a base hit, hit batter and walk to load the bases bringing up Rocco Baldelli to face Alberto Castillo who drilled him in the back forcing home the go-ahead tally.

Dan Wheeler (3-5) came in for the save but after fanning the first two batters he served up a long solo homer to Nick Markakis tying the game at nine. The righty would get the win on Baldelli's clutch hit.

"Our guys are very aware of what's going on," said Maddon. "You can tell by the intensity. We are playing every night, we are not taking anything for granted and we are doing it the right way."