By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, September 24, 2011
ST. PETERSBURG — At this stage of the season, the specifics tend to be secondary.
Knowing the Red Sox had lost again, the Rays came out Saturday night needing a win over the Blue Jays, and they got it, 6-2, to pull back within 1½ games of the AL wild-card lead.
"We'll take it," centerfielder B.J. Upton said. "Regardless of how it was done, we've got to win, and that's all that matters."
But the details were what made Saturday so special, before a raucous Tropicana Field crowd of 27,773.
With starter Jeff Niemann pulled after one uncomfortable inning, unproven rookie Alex Torres stepped up to give the Rays five scoreless frames, and by the time rookie Brandon Gomes, Joel Peralta and recovered Kyle Farnsworth were done, they had a team-record eight zeroes from the bullpen.
Then there was the offense, which came from Ben Zobrist, whose fourth-inning homer put them ahead to stay, and from Johnny Damon, whose three-run homer in the eighth provided much-needed cushion. But it came as much from the Jays, who made three errors and a handful of misplays to give the Rays five unearned runs.
"It's one thing to get a perceived break," manager Joe Maddon said. "But then it's something different to actually do something about it."
The challenge for the Rays remains formidable, and the margin for a misstep slim to none, with only four games left to play.
But on the other hand, if the Rays (87-71) — who were nine games out on Sept. 2 — win today and the Red Sox get swept by the Yankees in a doubleheader, the teams would be tied by the end of the night. Conversely, if the Rays lose today and the Red Sox sweep, the Sox would need just one more win to oust the Rays. (If the teams finish tied, there would be a one-game playoff Thursday at the Trop.)
"They're leaving the door open right now," Zobrist said. "So we need to take advantage, and we did a good job of that tonight."
It certainly didn't look like that as Niemann — whose start was pushed back two days due to back soreness — struggled uncomfortably in a miserable 38-pitch first inning, fortunate to allow only two runs, on Jose Bautista's 43rd home run. His fastball wasn't very fast (only three above 90 mph) and his breaking balls weren't breaking, and Maddon, frankly, didn't think it would get better.
With limited options, the Rays turned to Torres, and the 23-year-old Venezuelan acquired in the Scott Kazmir trade made the most of his fourth big-league appearance.
"I never feel nervous; pitch by pitch I was just trying to concentrate," Torres said. "It feels great to help the team still be alive to make the playoffs."
It helped, of course, that the Rays got the two runs right back through a charitable, if not comedic, performance by the Jays.
Upton's popup was dropped by first baseman David Cooper, and Upton instead reached on a bloop single. Zobrist's grounder to short should have been the third out, but shortstop Mike McCoy threw wildly, allowing Upton to score. Then Damon's popup to center also should have been the third out, but it dropped between second baseman Kelly Johnson, centerfielder Colby Rasmus and McCoy as Zobrist scored.
"The first inning was a godsend to us," Damon said.
After Zobrist gave them the lead, Maddon stuck with Torres, who struck out five and allowed only three hits. Then Maddon managed to make it interesting by using Gomes and Peralta, two of his most dependable relievers, before turning to Farnsworth, who hadn't pitched since Sept. 10 due to a sore elbow.
"We normally do the tightrope routine on a daily basis," Maddon said. "And it's kind of comfortable for us now."
Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com