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Upton hits for cycle as Rays drub Yankees

The Associated Press

B.J. Upton acknowledges teammates after his fifth-inning single Friday, making him the first Ray to hit for the cycle.

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By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 2, 2009

Updated: 10/02/2009 11:05 pm

With the notable exception of making spectacular over-the-shoulder catches in center field look routine, and, of course, that great month of June, B.J. Upton has had a forgettable 2009 season.

Friday night was anything but.

The demoted lead-off man became the first player in the Rays' 12-year history to hit for the cycle, delivering a three-run triple in the first inning, a double in the third, a two-run home run in the fourth and an RBI single in a 13-4 laugher against the Yankees.

That's right, he hit for the cycle in five innings - the quickest anyone in the majors has done so since Colorado's Mike Lansing pulled it off by the fourth inning on June 18, 2000, against Arizona.

When his night was done, Upton had collected a career-high five hits and six RBIs, helping the Rays (83-77) win for the 11th time in 17 games since an 11-game losing streak sealed their fate as postseason observers.

"Every one of those balls was just scorched," teammate Ben Zobrist said in admiration. "I mean, I don't think I've ever hit five balls hard like that in a row. He hit them all really hard, too."

Upton completed his cycle against three pitchers. His triple, giving the Rays a 4-0 lead, and his double came off CC Sabathia (19-8), whom the Rays kept from getting his 20th win.

The home run was off Jonathan Albaladejo, and the single - laced to ex-Ray Eric Hinske in right - came off David Robertson. That one gave the Rays a 12-1 lead, and as Upton stood at first base, the Tropicana Field crowd of 22,704 gave him a standing ovation and chanted his name.

His teammates cheered from in and around the dugout.

"It was definitely comforting, man," Upton said. "We're a family over here. We stick together. To get that kind of applause feels good."

About his mother being in attendance, Upton said, "Yeah, I might have to bring her back."

David Price (10-7) finished his rookie season by winning his fourth consecutive decision to reach double-digit wins. He held the Yankees to a run on two hits through seven innings, retiring the last 12 men he faced.

And the Rays put a hurting on Sabathia, pounding him for nine runs (five earned) on eight hits in only 22/3 innings. The five previous pitchers who had gone for their 20th win of the season against the Rays/Devil Rays had all succeed, the most recent of whom was Boston's Josh Beckett in 2007.

"I think part of the dynamic tonight is that they're (the Yankees) in, and they were not really playing for anything right now," Manager Joe Maddon said. "They're just trying to get ready, and I don't know exactly what the game meant for (Sabathia), although I know he probably wanted to win that 20th game."

Upton came to bat for a final time in the eighth against Phil Hughes and singled to right for his fifth hit, tying a club record set three times previously.

Perhaps more importantly, he is finally together a nice offensive run that he can take into the offseason. He's batting .400 in his past 11 games with 12 RBIs, a home run, a triple three doubles and four stolen bases.

Even with the late surge, though, and his .324 month of June, Upton is hitting .243. with 151 strikeouts, fifth most in the AL entering Friday.

"In a lot of ways, you can look at as a negative season, or not such a good season, and it has been," Maddon said. "But the positive aspects are, if he pulls out the right stuff from it, he was able to maintain through some very difficult times and then finish strong."

Upton wasn't the only hitter doing the damage. Zobrist went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, Gabe Kapler 2-for-4 with and three runs, Evan Longoria 1-for-2 with two walks and two RBIs, and Jason Bartlett 1-for-1 with two walks and three runs.

Carl Crawford and Kapler hit doubles. Reid Brignac, who replaced Bartlett, drove in Tampa Bay's 13th run in the eighth with a double off Hughes.

The Yankees had gotten two runs back in the eighth with a home run by Juan Miranda, his first in the majors. The towering shot to right off Dale Thayer gave the Yankees 242 home runs this season, tying a franchise mark they set in 2004.

Ramiro Pena's RBI single off Jeff Bennett in the ninth accounted for New York's other run.

Since the games are playoff tune-ups for the Yankees, manager Joe Girardi used 16 players and seven pitchers. Left fielder Jerry Hairston Jr. and DH Jose Molina were the only players who remained in the lineup the entire game.

Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached at 813-731-1227

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