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What A Waste: Homers Not Enough In Rays Defeat

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By TONY FABRIZIO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 19, 2008

Updated: 09/19/2008 12:11 am

ST. PETERSBURG - What are the odds of the Rays losing a game in which they have James Shields pitching and score five runs in the bottom of the first?

And get three home runs from Evan Longoria and one more each from Carlos Pena and Dioner Navarro?

And take a two-run lead into the top of the ninth?

Despite those odds, the Rays - who were 77-1 when leading after the eighth inning - lost to the Minnesota Twins 11-8 Thursday night in front of 17,296 fans at Tropicana Field.

"That was an oddity tonight," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "Normally, when we get to that point in the game, we figure out how to win it. They took it away from us tonight."

The loss keeps the Rays from definitely being able to clinch their first postseason berth tonight if they beat the Twins, but the champagne corks could still fly if the Rays win and the Yankees, Blue Jays and White Sox all lose.

So it's possible, but not likely.

"That's a good team, an exciting team," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We have got to figure out a way to keep the long balls in the park."

Longoria had a magical night, registering a couple of fine defensive plays and becoming the second Ray to hit three home runs in a game. Jonny Gomes, also a rookie at the time, did it on July 30, 2005 against Kansas City.

Longoria is the second rookie to hit three home runs in a game this season, along with Cincinnati's Joey Votto.

"Obviously, I'm pretty happy with my performance tonight," Longoria said. "But that's a tough way to go."

The Rays appeared to be in solid shape going into the top of the ninth. Troy Percival had pitched a scoreless eighth, and the generally dependable Dan Wheeler was coming on to face the top of the Minnesota order.

Disaster followed.

Tampa Catholic graduate Denard Span opened with a flare single to left. Alex Casilla, who entered the game hitting .188 on the Twins' road trip, followed with his seventh home run and the score was tied.

That brought up hot-hitting Joe Mauer, who began the night with a .324 average, third-best in the American League. He doubled to right center field on a ball misplayed by Fernando Perez to complete a 3-for-4 night in which he drove in three runs.

Wheeler (5-6) issued an intentional walk to AL RBI leader Justin Morneau to bring up a matchup of pinch-hitter Adam Everett against Trever Miller. Everett squared to bunt, pulled back and took a full swing, sending a shot to the left-field wall.

The Twins led 9-8.

Chad Bradford replaced Miller and promptly surrendered a run-scoring single to former Ray Delmon Young. Matt Tolbert's sacrifice fly brought in the final run.

"I made some pretty good pitches to Span," said Wheeler, who faced four batters without recording an out (including the intentional walk). "I guess you could say it was a little bad luck - a jam shot over Longo's head, just out of reach."

Wheeler's home run pitch to Casilla was a first-pitch fastball.

"I couldn't have put it in a better spot for him," he said.

Shields came within one inning of getting his 14th victory, but not because he was stellar. He allowed five earned runs, the highest total against him at home since July 12 of last year.

After one inning, the teams were on pace to put up a Western Athletic Conference football score.

The Twins tagged Shields for three runs in the first - on one swing by Jason Kubel - and the Rays answered with five, chasing lefthander Glen Perkins in two-thirds of an inning.

Longoria's first home run since Aug. 5 - before he missed 30 games with a wrist fracture - followed an Akinori Iwamura walk and a Jason Bartlett single. Two batters later, Navarro homered and Tampa Bay led 4-3.

Ben Zobrist and Gabe Gross hit consecutive doubles, and it was 5-3. All that damage came against Perkins, whose ERA climbed to 4.50.

But the Twins had plenty of punch in reserve. They cut it to 5-4 in the third on a run-scoring single by Mauer.

After Pena and Longoria tagged long reliever Philip Humber in the fourth with the eighth back-to-back homers by the Rays this year, the Twins fought back with two in the seventh to again make it a one-run game.

David Price, the USA Today Minor-League Pitcher of the Year and 2007 No. 1 overall pick, came on for Shields with one out in the seventh and runners at second and third.

Mauer beat him for a single up the middle, driving in the two runs, but Price rebounded nicely, striking out Morneau and Kubel.

Longoria's third homer - off Bobby Korecky - again gave the Rays breathing room, 8-6.

Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached at (813) 259-7994 or afabrizio@tampatrib.com.

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