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Rays Rally For Sweep Against Tigers, 6-5 In 10 Innings

Tribune photo by KELVIN MA

Rays catcher Shawn Riggans cringes in pain after being struck in the chest by a fastball from Tigers reliever Fernando Rodney.

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By MARC LANCASTER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 3, 2008

Updated: 08/03/2008 11:35 pm

ST. PETERSBURG - Carlos Pena was wrapping up a thought about driving home the winning run Sunday on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th inning when he stopped himself, as if to take it all in mentally.

"What a great game today," Pena said. "Way to pick each other up."

That was pretty much the story for the Rays in a wild 6-5 victory that gave them a sweep of the Tigers. Tampa Bay improved to 66-44, matching its win total from last season with 52 games remaining, and just about everyone on the roster had a hand in it.

The winning run was scored by the last position player off the Rays' bench, Shawn Riggans, and it was a wonder he was able to run the bases at all. Coming on mid-at-bat to replace Jason Bartlett, who took a fastball off his right index finger during a bunt attempt and had to leave the game, Riggans was drilled squarely in the right side of the chest by a 93-mph fastball, the first pitch he saw from Fernando Rodney.

"That wasn't the best way to get the runner over," Riggans said, "but it worked out, didn't it?"

It took a while, but it certainly did. First, Akinori Iwamura bunted Riggans and Willy Aybar, who had drawn a leadoff walk, into scoring position. B.J. Upton then walked to load the bases, with Rodney perhaps avoiding him a bit after he had slammed a go-ahead homer off Kyle Farnsworth his previous time up. Carl Crawford followed that with a single that tied the game, and Evan Longoria struck out on a 98-mph heater to ratchet up the drama.

That left the final heroics to Pena, who got in a 1-2 hole after flailing at a pair of nasty change-ups from the Tigers' newly anointed closer. But he kept his cool and made Rodney come to him, but the righty never got there. His full-count delivery was a change-up that tailed low and inside - not even close - and the Rays had another unlikely victory.

"Our guys did not cave in," Manager Joe Maddon said. "Nobody did."

Even Troy Percival, who had the most difficult day of anyone in a Rays uniform, kept his fire until the end. The Rays' closer gave away a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth when Curtis Granderson hit his first pitch for a home run, then saw the Tigers take a 5-4 lead in the 10th when Miguel Cabrera led off with a 432-foot rocket off the C-ring catwalk.

It was the first time this season Percival pitched longer than an inning, but he had a message when Maddon came to get him after back-to-back walks with one out in the 10th. He waited until Trever Miller got to the mound to replace him and ordered the lefty to hold down the fort.

"That was pretty impressive because if anything, he would be in the dumps," Pena said. "But he told Miller, 'Hold 'em right there because we're going to win,' and sure enough, look what happens."

Percival has blown three saves in 27 chances this season, but the Rays have found a way to win each time.

"That's the thing about this team, too," Percival said. "This bullpen has been so good, it's like every time we do stink it up, it's like they feel obligated to go out there and do something and they do. It's incredible."

The fact the Rays were even in position for Percival to blow a lead said something, because they spent most of the afternoon dead in the water offensively. While James Shields was good, allowing two runs in 6 1/3 innings, Tigers starter Armando Galarraga was all but untouchable.

The Rays' only hit through the first six innings came on a chopper to third base that Longoria hustled out to lead off the second inning. Nothing came of it, and Galarraga wrapped up the frame by retiring the first of 13 consecutive batters he would set down.

Tampa Bay finally got on the board in the seventh, when Pena singled home Upton with two outs after the center fielder had led off with a ground-rule double, but that momentum was negated by a Gary Sheffield homer off Grant Balfour.

Once Galarraga departed, though, the Rays were in business. Eric Hinske and Upton bashed homers off the Yankees castoff, Farnsworth, in the eighth, and the Rays suddenly had a feeling that has become familiar at Tropicana Field.

They had a couple chances to succumb to a loss that would have been very difficult to absorb, but Maddon said his team has come far enough that it could handle such a setback.

"I'd like to believe that, anyway," he said. "But to win today's game has got to be inspirational to the group."

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227 or mlancaster@tampatrib.com.

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