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Starter Sonnanstine Not Sharp Enough

Tribune photo by MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER

The Rays' most-accomplished pitcher Scott Kazmir is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in the postseason.

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By TONY FABRIZIO

afabrizio@tampatrib.com

Published: October 27, 2008

Updated: 10/27/2008 12:56 am

PHILADELPHIA - Andy Sonnanstine did something he had never done in his career in Game 4 of the World Series: He walked in a run.

The right-hander found a lot more trouble than that in the Rays' 10-2 loss Sunday night, some of his own creation and some not. Much of it was rendered moot after Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard each hit two-run homers in the eighth inning off Tampa Bay relievers.

The Rays' No. 4 starter was victimized by a blown call at third base and two errors by second baseman Akinori Iwamura. He could only blame himself, though, for the pitch that Howard hit for a three-run homer in the fourth.

"I had pretty good command in the bullpen during warm-ups," Sonnanstine said about how he felt after a 12-day layoff. "I got out there and I think my ball was moving a little bit too much. I just tried to paddle through it and do my best with what I went out there with."

Sonnanstine suffered his first loss of the postseason after winning once in the division series against Chicago and once in the ALCS against Boston.

The problems started in the first with lead-off hitter Jimmy Rollins, who doubled to right for his first extra-base hit of the series.

With Rollins at third and Chase Utley at first after a walk, Howard hit a comebacker to the mound. Sonnanstine threw to third baseman Evan Longoria, who tagged Rollins before he got back to the bag.

But third-base umpire Tim Welke called Rollins safe - replays showed he was out - and the Phillies had the bases loaded. Sonnanstine then walked Pat Burrell to bring in the Phillies' first run.

"Burrell is a great hitter, and I was basically trying to get him to chase a slider in that situation," Sonnanstine said. "If I hang that pitch, that might be four runs. I was banking on him swinging, and he's a veteran guy. He saw it was out of the zone and he took the walk."

A rare boot by Iwamura in the fourth - the second baseman had only seven errors during the regular season and none in the preseason - put Utley on, and Pedro Feliz hit a two-out single to drive him in.

Iwamura's second error in the fourth put Rollins on. Sonnanstine then walked Werth before giving up the three-run shot to Howard.

"It was a curveball, down and away," Sonnanstine said of the pitch. "That's where I wanted it. It probably should have been lower, but he got some good wood on it and it traveled pretty well."

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