TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Howell, Balfour Streak-Busters For Rays

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOE HENDERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 19, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Most of the time you wouldn't want to read lips too closely when Grant Balfour is on the mound. By his own admission, he can be guilty of "saying stuff I shouldn't say out there" but it's just his way of getting fully into the moment. Relief pitchers tend to be a little nutty anyway, and Balfour definitely fits the profile.

But there he was Friday night, blowing away three of the four Toronto hitters he faced to lock down the Rays' 2-1 victory. The guy who didn't make the club out of spring training now comes out of the bullpen throwing 95 mph and up with a Percival-like nasty streak about it all.

That was Balfour's fourth save since Troy Percival went on the disabled list with the bad hammy. The "closer by committee" that Joe Maddon promised to keep hope alive after Percival went out has pretty much become a committee of one. Balfour came on to get the last out in the eighth, and then went back out in the ninth even though Dan Wheeler was warm and ready.

"He has just turned into a strike-thrower," was how Maddon phrased it, and most of those strikes come in at Warp Factor II.

Balfour has been so effective, the question had to be posed to Maddon: Has Balfour been good enough that you might let Percival (cough, cough) recuperate a little longer from his hamstring injury? Not a chance. No controversy there.

"We want Percy back," Maddon said. "He is the closer. Percy is going to get that moment."

Then, bless him, Maddon gave us another Maddonism. He talked about having Balfour "stretching his mind" by closing and by meeting the mental challenge of working more than one full inning at the end of the game.

"A mind once stretched can never go back to its original form," Maddon said.

The scary part is, I think I understand what he means.

'Just Phenomenal'

The Rays offense Friday consisted of a check swing on a potential third strike by Eric Hinske that went their way, followed on the next pitch by a homer from Ben Zobrist. You're not going to get far in this league depending on two-run bombs from Ben Zobrist - no offense intended - unless you have extraordinary pitching.

Well, how's this for extraordinary: James Shields gave up four hits and one run in seven innings. J.P. Howell worked out of a mess that wasn't of his making, and Balfour kicked the door closed.

"This guy could be considered our MVP. Howell has been the bridge for the entire bullpen," Maddon said. "He is the one guy who permits everyone to stay in their role."

Howell's work tends to get lost on a night like this. He didn't get the win (that went to Shields) or the save (that went to Balfour), but after a throwing error by Zobrist put Toronto's leadoff hitter at second in the eighth, he got the next two guys to preserve the 2-1 lead.

"Howell, right after I made the error, he gave me a look and said, 'We're going to get it, don't worry about it,' and he came through for us and so did Balfour," Zobrist said. "Just phenomenal."

If that game gets tied, who knows what happens?

If the Jays pull out that game, it would have been the Rays' eighth loss in a row. Tonight they face a tough hombre named Roy Halladay. That "bump in the road" they talked about during the losing streak could have turned into a canyon.

Those are things that won't show up on the highlight reel if the Rays keep this thing going into October, but moments like the ones provided by Howell and Balfour are game-changers. Momentum-changers. Get enough of those and they become season-changers.

Breaking The Streak

It's hard to believe Balfour was designated for assignment at the end of spring training because the Rays chose to keep Scott Dohmann in the bullpen. He could have wound up just about anywhere else, but instead he went to Durham and simply blew hitters away.

He won't be going back there any time soon.

Percival has to get his job back, of course, but Balfour gives the Rays great comfort if Percival's balky legs buckle again.

And if he stays healthy, there are worse things than having Balfour available in the seventh or eighth. You can win a game in the seventh as easily as you can in the ninth.

"We've got something good going," Balfour said. "Everybody is feeding off each other."

That's how the Rays have gotten this far. It's how they'll stay in the race.

And on this night, it's how they broke a losing streak.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT