Turnin 2 SS 2b
06-16-2002, 10:12 PM
MIAMI - All the numbers were stacked against the Devil Rays heading into the "Citrus Series" except the final totals on the scoreboard.
Tampa Bay entered the weekend Interleague series against Florida with a 3-10 record at Pro Player Stadium.
All that changed in the course of three games.
Ben Grieve slapped an RBI double and Brent Abernathy had a two-run single as Tampa Bay rallied to a 4-1 victory Sunday in front of 9,380 at Pro Player Stadium.
The Devil Rays had lost six straight series before taking 2-of-3 from the Marlins, who blew a 1-0 lead in the eighth.
"It was a tough struggle but we finally broke through," Devil Rays manager Hal McRae said. "We finally got some key base hits.I'm happy that we won, but it was a tough game. It's like pulling teeth to score runs."
Florida's Luis Castillo did extend his hitting streak to 31 straight with a single to lead off the first. But Tampa Bay's Wilson Alvarez, Victor Zambrano and Esteban Yan limited the Marlins to just one run on six hits.
Zambrano (3-4) picked up the win and Yan worked the last inning for his ninth save.
"It hurts to lose to anybody, especially when you had the lead (in the eighth)," Marlins manager Jeff Torborg said. "They shut us down pretty well this weekend. We know this is the time to do something. We saw that Atlanta lost."
Tampa Bay, shut out 3-0 Saturday by A.J. Burnett, had gone 16 innings without a run before scoring twice with two outs in the eighth off reliever Armando Almanza (2-1), who took the loss.
The Marlins left-hander entered Sunday having given up one hit in nine at-bats to left-handed batters. But lefty Aubrey Huff opened the eighth with a double deep to center. Randy Winn followed with a sharp single to right, extending his hit streak to 11 games. With runners on the corners, Almanza picked up two quick outs. Brent Abernathy popped to short and Greg Vaughn struck out.
But left-handed batter Steve Cox delivered an RBI single to center, tying the game 1-1. Lefty-hitting Grieve then doubled into the right field corner, driving home Winn. But Cox, who was trying to score from first, was thrown out at the plate on a strong relay from Castillo to catcher Mike Redmond.
"As a team, overall, we haven't been hitting well," Grieve said. "Our pitching is what has kept us in these games. We've been struggling at the plate, but it's nice to come through in the key situations, which is what happened today."
The Marlins opened the scoring in the seventh on doubles by Preston Wilson and Charles Johnson, who picked up the RBI, to open the inning. But that's the only run Florida could scratch out against Zambrano.
Tampa Bay added a pair of runs in the ninth with a two-out rally off Vladimir Nunez. Abernathy, who was 0-for-3, delivered the key hit, a two-run single to center.
It took three pitches for Castillo to keep the streak alive in the bottom of the first inning.
Castillo swatted 1-1 fastball by Alvarez into left field for a single, extending the longest hitting streak in the league to 31 games.
His string is the most since Montreal's Vladimir Guerrero hit safely in 31 straight in 1999.
The only second baseman in history with a longer streak is Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby, who had a streak of 33 with the Cardinals in 1922.
"No, I don't feel that much (pressure)," Castillo said. "People tell me when I come to the ballpark that I have to do a good job with me. It's fun for me, 31 games. But that's hard."
The switch-hitting Castillo was batting right-handed against Alvarez, a lefty. The leadoff hit in the first made Castillo 18-for-37 against left-handers during the streak.
Putting Castillo's achievement into perspective, no hitting streak in the 1990s is longer than 31. In 1987, Benito Santiago hit in 34 straight and Paul Molitor hit safely in 39 consecutive games that year.
Both starting pitchers were removed after tossing six shutout innings.
Florida's Michael Tejera, who has appeared 24 times in relief, made his second start and gave up four hits and no runs. It was the left-hander's longest and most effective stint of the season. He struck out one and walked three.
Alvarez also wasn't involved in the decision, despite scattering four hits.
Tampa Bay only had runners in scoring position twice against Tejera, who entered with an ERA of 4.45. In the fourth, Grieve (who singled) was left stranded on second. Vaughn walked and was left on third when Grieve bounced into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.
Tampa Bay entered the weekend Interleague series against Florida with a 3-10 record at Pro Player Stadium.
All that changed in the course of three games.
Ben Grieve slapped an RBI double and Brent Abernathy had a two-run single as Tampa Bay rallied to a 4-1 victory Sunday in front of 9,380 at Pro Player Stadium.
The Devil Rays had lost six straight series before taking 2-of-3 from the Marlins, who blew a 1-0 lead in the eighth.
"It was a tough struggle but we finally broke through," Devil Rays manager Hal McRae said. "We finally got some key base hits.I'm happy that we won, but it was a tough game. It's like pulling teeth to score runs."
Florida's Luis Castillo did extend his hitting streak to 31 straight with a single to lead off the first. But Tampa Bay's Wilson Alvarez, Victor Zambrano and Esteban Yan limited the Marlins to just one run on six hits.
Zambrano (3-4) picked up the win and Yan worked the last inning for his ninth save.
"It hurts to lose to anybody, especially when you had the lead (in the eighth)," Marlins manager Jeff Torborg said. "They shut us down pretty well this weekend. We know this is the time to do something. We saw that Atlanta lost."
Tampa Bay, shut out 3-0 Saturday by A.J. Burnett, had gone 16 innings without a run before scoring twice with two outs in the eighth off reliever Armando Almanza (2-1), who took the loss.
The Marlins left-hander entered Sunday having given up one hit in nine at-bats to left-handed batters. But lefty Aubrey Huff opened the eighth with a double deep to center. Randy Winn followed with a sharp single to right, extending his hit streak to 11 games. With runners on the corners, Almanza picked up two quick outs. Brent Abernathy popped to short and Greg Vaughn struck out.
But left-handed batter Steve Cox delivered an RBI single to center, tying the game 1-1. Lefty-hitting Grieve then doubled into the right field corner, driving home Winn. But Cox, who was trying to score from first, was thrown out at the plate on a strong relay from Castillo to catcher Mike Redmond.
"As a team, overall, we haven't been hitting well," Grieve said. "Our pitching is what has kept us in these games. We've been struggling at the plate, but it's nice to come through in the key situations, which is what happened today."
The Marlins opened the scoring in the seventh on doubles by Preston Wilson and Charles Johnson, who picked up the RBI, to open the inning. But that's the only run Florida could scratch out against Zambrano.
Tampa Bay added a pair of runs in the ninth with a two-out rally off Vladimir Nunez. Abernathy, who was 0-for-3, delivered the key hit, a two-run single to center.
It took three pitches for Castillo to keep the streak alive in the bottom of the first inning.
Castillo swatted 1-1 fastball by Alvarez into left field for a single, extending the longest hitting streak in the league to 31 games.
His string is the most since Montreal's Vladimir Guerrero hit safely in 31 straight in 1999.
The only second baseman in history with a longer streak is Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby, who had a streak of 33 with the Cardinals in 1922.
"No, I don't feel that much (pressure)," Castillo said. "People tell me when I come to the ballpark that I have to do a good job with me. It's fun for me, 31 games. But that's hard."
The switch-hitting Castillo was batting right-handed against Alvarez, a lefty. The leadoff hit in the first made Castillo 18-for-37 against left-handers during the streak.
Putting Castillo's achievement into perspective, no hitting streak in the 1990s is longer than 31. In 1987, Benito Santiago hit in 34 straight and Paul Molitor hit safely in 39 consecutive games that year.
Both starting pitchers were removed after tossing six shutout innings.
Florida's Michael Tejera, who has appeared 24 times in relief, made his second start and gave up four hits and no runs. It was the left-hander's longest and most effective stint of the season. He struck out one and walked three.
Alvarez also wasn't involved in the decision, despite scattering four hits.
Tampa Bay only had runners in scoring position twice against Tejera, who entered with an ERA of 4.45. In the fourth, Grieve (who singled) was left stranded on second. Vaughn walked and was left on third when Grieve bounced into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.