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Rays Return To Form

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By MARC LANCASTER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 19, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - The Rays have been saying since their first half ended in lethargic fashion with a seventh consecutive loss Sunday that they just needed a break to refocus and they'd be right back to the kind of baseball that got them here.

Friday night's game didn't necessarily prove them right, as it was only one game, but it did show they haven't lost the formula. Fantastic pitching supplemented by just enough offense - in this case, one swing of Ben Zobrist's bat - were sufficient to lift the Rays past Toronto 2-1 in the type of contest Tropicana Field has borne witness to time and again this season.

"More our style," was how Rays manager Joe Maddon put it.

The foundation was laid by James Shields, who continued his dominance at home on a night when he needed everything he had to keep pace with Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett. Zobrist then unexpectedly did the heavy lifting, smashing the first pitch he saw after Burnett walked Eric Hinske with two outs in the seventh down the right-field line for a two-run homer. And J.P. Howell and Grant Balfour continued their stellar work by working around a Zobrist error to nail down the final two innings.

"That was unbelievable," Zobrist said. "What a team win."

His starring role was evidence of that. Zobrist knows the hourglass is about to turn on him once again, as he likely will be sent back to Durham for the third time this season when Jason Bartlett is ready to come off the disabled list by the end of this homestand.

For now, he's in the lineup because he has to be, and he had five hits in 31 at-bats since being recalled from Triple-A on July 2 when he went to the plate in the seventh. The Rays had trailed 1-0 after Adam Lind smoked a Shields offering way out down the right-field line in the third inning, and Burnett hadn't allowed a runner past first base since wriggling out of jams in the first and second innings.

In fact, the Rays hadn't even managed a hit since Carl Crawford singled to lead off the third, snapping a career-worst 0-for-26 slump, and was immediately caught off first base for an out. But with two down in the seventh, Hinske worked Burnett hard and checked his swing on a full-count pitch. Third-base umpire Mike Everitt ruled that Hinske didn't break his wrists on the swing, and the Rays had an opening.

Zobrist figured Burnett would want to get the advantage back and was looking fastball all the way. He got one, and down the middle at that, and cranked it an estimated 395 feet. He made sure to credit Hinske for setting the table.

"I felt like he was half of that home run right there," said Zobrist, "because just to get up in that spot right there, you know Burnett's going to come right at you after a walk."

As Zobrist crossed the plate, a far more animated Hinske got in his face for some shouts of encouragement. Times have been tough for the Rays' hitters lately, but they have retained their knack for coming up big at the right time.

To Maddon, that tendency and the way his team responded Friday night served as yet another indication that the Rays are on the right track.

"I saw a very businesslike group tonight prior to the game," Maddon said. "I really believe our guys know what's at stake. I believe our guys want to continue on and we want to get to the playoffs. There's a strong sense of that among the group - it's not like you have to go out and motivate them every day. And if things don't turn out, it's not because they don't care - it just happens sometimes. Our guys are very motivated to get to the next level."

When the Rays were at their best in the first half, that desire manifested itself in just about everyone on the roster finding a way to contribute to one win or another. It's the kind of setup that keeps everyone engaged and invested in what's going on, and the Rays would like nothing more than to continue it.

"It was a great feeling to be the guy tonight," Zobrist said, "but it's going to be somebody else tomorrow night."

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

tampatrib.com.

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