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Rays Lose Series Closer To Kansas City In 10th Inning

Tribune photo by JAY CONNER

Royals John Buck celebrates the winning home run in the 10th inning against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

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By BART O'CONNELL

Tribune correspondent

Published: July 8, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Joe Maddon felt the need several times after Monday's game to remind those talking with him that occasionally, not all good homestands come to a winning end.

Sometimes, Carl Crawford fields a ball too casually, costing the Rays a run.

Sometimes, a ninth-inning, game-tying homer by Carlos Pena off an All-Star closer does not lead to a game-winning hit in extra innings by Gabe Gross.

Sometimes, those little mistakes, those stranded runners, make all the difference.

Tampa Bay's 7-4, 10-inning loss to Kansas City on Monday afternoon, which snapped its seven-game winning streak, was chalked up by most of the team as simply an off day and forgotten as they dressed for a flight to New York to begin a six-game road trip - the next two games at Yankee Stadium - starting tonight.

"We're getting to the point now where we win six out of seven at home and we're disappointed. That's a good thing," Maddon said. "There's nothing to be upset about or leave a bad taste in your mouth."

Nonetheless, the Rays (55-33) had their share of sour moments Monday. The most noticeable may have been the back-to-back 10{+t}{+h}-inning homers from John Buck - on his birthday - and Mike Aviles surrendered by losing pitcher Dan Wheeler (2-4).

The first, a line-drive, three-run blast by Buck, probably took paint off the left-field foul pole before sending many in the Tropicana Field announced crowd of 16,293 to the exits. A sinker that didn't sink was to blame.

In actuality, the frustration started about two hours before game time, when Carl Crawford learned he was playing center field instead of his regular left field, to give B.J. Upton the day off.

He used the words "ambushed" to describe Maddon's decision, and "shaky" to grade his first action there since June 18, 2006, at Philadelphia. But after casually fielding a slow-rolling single by Ross Gload with two outs in the third that plated Mark Teahen all the way from first, giving the Royals a 3-2 lead, he blamed his own effort.

"I probably could have gotten to the ball quicker," he said.

Before that, Crawford appeared unaffected. In the first, he singled and stole his 300{+t}{+h} career base, becoming the ninth player in major-league history to reach the milestone before age 27, joining Rickey Henderson, Ty Cobb, Sherry Magee and five others.

Buck, in an attempt to throw Crawford out, misfired into center field, allowing leadoff man Akinori Iwamura to score. On the next pitch, Evan Longoria ripped a single through the left side to plate Crawford, and the Rays led 2-0. That was quickly negated by a two-run triple by David DeJesus in the third.

Rays starter Matt Garza, admittedly without his best stuff, battled into the seventh, threw 109 pitches and registered his fifth consecutive quality start despite the no-decision. But the Rays proceeded to go 1-for-19 with runners in scoring position and leave 12 runners on base, including the bases loaded with no outs in the second.

Royals starter Gil Meche, though not always sharp, made key pitches to get out of several jams, and reliever Ron Mahay thwarted another threat with two on in the sixth by striking out Crawford and Pena looking.

"We definitely pitched well enough to win this game," said Maddon, "but we had so many opportunities that we needed to take advantage of, and we did not."

Pena appeared to get his revenge on the Royals' lone All-Star, closer Joakim Soria, with a game-tying blast with one out in the ninth into the right-field seats. It snapped Soria's streak of 10 consecutive appearances with a save, and was just the third hit he allowed in that span. He got the win (1-1) despite allowing another homer - by Eric Hinske - in the 10th.

"There's a way to win, and a way to lose. And Monday we lost in a manner we normally don't lose in," Crawford said. "So it's kind of disappointing for us."

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