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Rays Walk To Win

The Associated Press

Akinori Iwamura, left, is congratulated by starting pitcher Andy Sonnanstine, right, after Iwamura hit a two-run home run in the third inning.

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By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 25, 2008

MIAMI - Both the Rays and Marlins entered Tuesday night's showdown trailing their respective division leader by one game in the standings, but the quality of play that got them to that point wasn't evident on the field.

The Rays ultimately prevailed 6-4 in a game that came down to who would screw up last. Tampa Bay's tying and go-ahead runs scored on bases-loaded walks in the eighth, just an inning after the Marlins had taken a lead on a ball that was mishandled three times by two Rays outfielders. Three innings before that, the Marlins had tied the game on an apparent inning-ending pop-up that fell to the ground after Evan Longoria lost it in the lights.

"We did not play well at all tonight," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We made way too many mistakes. If we're going to get to the promised land, we cannot make those kind of mistakes. We cannot. We have to be more aware in situations and we have to react to situations better, pure and simple."

An instructional video it was not, but the Rays came away with a victory that allowed them to keep pace with the Red Sox. It was a good thing, too, because there might have been some property destroyed in the visiting dugout or clubhouse at Dolphin Stadium had the Rays not come through after their first three batters in the eighth chalked up singles to load the bases - and for a while there it appeared that was exactly what was going to happen.

After Akinori Iwamura, Willy Aybar and Carl Crawford set the table with singles - the last two of the infield variety - the Marlins recorded two quick force-outs at the plate to maintain their 3-2 lead. B.J. Upton grounded to third, where Jorge Cantu forced out Iwamura at home, and a jam shot to first by Longoria set Aybar up for the same fate.

Dioner Navarro finally got the job done, however, drawing ball four from the second Florida pitcher of the inning, Joe Nelson, to tie the game.

"I was saying, 'No strikeouts - just try to put the ball in play,'" Navarro said. "I battled and I battled and I got the walk."

Eric Hinske then pinch-hit for Jonny Gomes and went ahead 3-0 in the count before waiting Nelson out for another walk on a full-count offering to make it 4-3 Rays.

The Rays tacked on a couple of runs in more conventional fashion in the ninth as Longoria went the other way for a double off Justin Miller with the bases loaded. They needed them, too, as Troy Percival lost the strike zone in the bottom of the inning.

The closer fanned pinch-hitter Luis Gonzalez to start ninth, then walked the next two batters, prompting a mound visit from Maddon and assistant trainer Paul Harker. Percival quickly convinced them he was fine, then walked Cantu on four pitches to load the bases. Josh Willingham then grounded one toward the hole, but a diving Longoria came up with it and went to second for the second out as a run came home.

Percival then walked Dan Uggla to reload the bases before Iwamura (whose two-run homer in the third first put the Rays on top) scrambled into right field to track down a Mike Jacobs grounder and end the game. The Rays couldn't be sure it was over until that final out was secure in Aybar's glove because much of what transpired before that defied explanation.

In the fourth, Longoria suddenly lost all ability to see pop-ups headed in his general direction, completely losing sight of a pair of balls in succession. The first one cost the Rays a run, as a pop off the bat of Marlins pitcher Scott Olsen dropped in despite a last-ditch effort by Jason Bartlett to grab it, trying the game at 2. On the next pitch from Andy Sonnanstine, Hanley Ramirez popped one up over the third-base coach's box that Longoria didn't see, either, but that didn't end up hurting the Rays.

The Marlins then grabbed the lead in the seventh when Cantu sent what should have been a single past Bartlett into left-center. Crawford couldn't get a glove on it, though, and it rolled by him to Upton. He, too, had trouble coming up with the ball - twice - as Jeremy Hermida motored all the way around from first to score. The play was initially deemed a double and an earned run charged to J.P. Howell, but later changed to an unearned tally with an error charged to Crawford.

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

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