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Upton's HR Lifts Rays

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By CARTER GADDIS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 9, 2007

Updated: 09/09/2007 12:33 am

ST. PETERSBURG - Two big things - ninth-inning home runs by Delmon Young and B.J. Upton - were the stuff of headlines in Tampa Bay's 5-4, come-from-behind victory Saturday against the Blue Jays.

But Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon gave just as much credence to the two little things that put Young and Upton in position to hit those stunning home runs off Toronto reliever Jeremy Accardo.
Carl Crawford used his speed to rattle the usually reliable John McDonald at shortstop, reaching on an infield error. And Jonny Gomes worked a two-out walk to get Upton to the plate as a pinch hitter on a night when his left ankle was too sore to run on.

'You can look at the home runs, and that was absolutely what we needed,' Maddon said. 'But Carl running hard to first base, putting all that pressure on McDonald at the beginning of that inning, was absolutely huge. Because McDonald doesn't make that mistake if he doesn't have a guy barreling down to first base like he was.

'And then Gomes' at-bat set up the potential for the win. The hustle play and the great at-bat. Of course the home runs, those are beautiful by both Delmon and B.J., but I loved those other two elements of that inning. That sometimes goes overlooked.'

So, consider the nuances of the game given their due.

Now, about those home runs ...

Upton's 23rd came on the first pitch he saw and went to dead right field. As he rounded third and headed toward the throbbing throng of ready-to-celebrate teammates at home plate, he didn't look like a player who had been a late scratch from the lineup a day after fouling a ball off his left ankle.

He threw aside his helmet, threw open his arms and leaped into the pile, giving the plate an emphatic stomp as he absorbed the traditional walk-off pounding by his mates.

'At that point,' Maddon said, 'I'm sure he's feeling no pain.'

In fact, Upton said afterward he thinks he'll be able to play today in the series finale after his relatively light - but extraordinarily rewarding - workload Saturday.

'That's the name of the game, having fun,' Upton said. 'And every day we go out there and try to have fun and at the same time, win. We got to do both tonight.'

Young's 12th homer was not as dramatic, but created some initial tension in a game that appeared to be virtually sealed away by the Blue Jays. Toronto starter A.J. Burnett certainly showed no sign of giving in during his eight innings, in which he struck out eight and allowed only one run (on Dioner Navarro's eighth homer, his seventh since the All-Star break).

Accardo even got a couple of ground balls to start the ninth. It was simply his misfortune that one of them was hit by Crawford, who might have been safe even if McDonald had fielded it cleanly.

'Crawford somehow finds a way,' Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. 'He's a nemesis.'

Rays starter Jason Hammel allowed two runs in six innings, both runs coming on Alex Rios' 23rd homer in the sixth. Until the dramatic ninth, Hammel was on the hook for what would've been a hard-luck loss.

Instead, on a day when Maddon had his two-year option exercised by the Rays, Tampa Bay's ninth walk-off victory of the season gave the manager even more reason to smile.

'It was a great ending,' Maddon said, 'to a very nice day.'

Reporter Carter Gaddis can be reached at (813) 259-8291 or igaddis@tampatrib.com.

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