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Rays Can't Manufacture A Comeback This Time

The Associated Press

The Rays finally got to Toronto's Roy Halladay with two runs in the sixth but couldn't capitalize after he departed.

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By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 27, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - It was set up just the way the Rays like it.

As Tuesday's game reached the latter stages, Tampa Bay's offense finally broke through on the previously untouchable Roy Halladay, cutting Toronto's lead to one and configuring the game for another one of those dazzling comebacks.

Not this time. The Rays couldn't do anything at the plate once Halladay departed, and some late Toronto runs sealed a 6-2 victory for the Blue Jays. Coupled with the defeat at the hands of the Angels that sent the Rays out on the road last week, Tampa Bay has lost two home games in a row for the first time since dropping three in a row in mid-April.

Tuesday's game was uncharacteristic of the Rays in more than one regard, and it certainly didn't feel like a pennant race with only 13,478 in attendance at Tropicana Field for a Halladay-James Shields matchup.

Joe Maddon said before the game that the key to the three victories the Rays already had racked up against Toronto's ace this season was pitching well against him. Shields didn't fare too badly on that count in the big picture, but the three runs he surrendered in the first three innings certainly helped Halladay settle in.

All three Toronto tallies came with two outs, on an infield single by Vernon Wells in the first and a two-run double by Lyle Overbay in the third.

"I got behind in the count the first three innings, and that kind of hurt me a little bit," Shields said. "I thought I pitched pretty well tonight, but when you're facing Halladay you've got to be on your 'A' game."

Halladay scattered three hits through the first five innings before the Rays finally got it going in the sixth. Tampa Bay loaded the bases with two outs on a pair of singles and a hit batter, and Eric Hinske came up with the big hit against his former teammate, singling over a leaping John McDonald into left-center. Akinori Iwamura and Carlos Pena came around to score, slicing the deficit to 3-2, and the Rays still had runners at the corners.

But they did not have Dioner Navarro at the plate as scheduled. Shawn Riggans came on to pinch-hit for the starting catcher after Navarro suffered cramping in both hamstrings. The problem first surfaced as he approached first base on a groundout in the fifth inning, and Navarro sent word from the training room through a team spokesman that he decided to leave the game rather than risk aggravating it. He wasn't sure if he would be able to play tonight.

Halladay fanned Riggans to keep the Blue Jays in the lead, but that was the end of his evening. Of course, with Toronto boasting a league-leading 2.94 bullpen ERA, getting past Halladay doesn't necessarily signify an opening. Sure enough, the Rays couldn't even produce a base-runner against four Toronto relievers in the final three innings.

More importantly, they allowed the Blue Jays to tack runs onto their lead in the seventh, eighth and ninth.

The first was charged to Shields, though it came on a two-out hit by Wells that trickled through the left side and probably should have been stopped by Willy Aybar. In the next two innings, J.P. Howell and Jason Hammel surrendered two-out solo homers to Rod Barajas and Wells, respectively.

"We snuck back into that game, and then we permitted them to score those three runs late and that pretty much put it out of reach," said Maddon.

Perhaps a fourth win against Halladay this season - something no team has ever achieved - was simply too much to ask.

"I honestly don't know how we beat him three times," Hinske said. "He's probably the best pitcher in baseball."

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

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