By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Rays were ready for a pajama party Wednesday night.
After blowing a three-run lead in the eighth, they rallied in the 10th and hung on for a 4-3 win, scoring their first-ever series sweep at Angel Stadium before heading out the door in their sleepwear for the overnight flight to Baltimore.
The winning rally wasn't much of one, but it was good enough. John Jaso walked, went to second on an infield dribbler by pinch-hitter Evan Longoria, brazenly stole third when Reid Brignac pulled back on a bunt attempt, then scored when Brignac perfectly pushed a bunt toward first. Kyle Farnsworth, after a one-out walk (just his second of the season) and needing a leaping catch at the centerfield wall by B.J. Upton, finished for his 13th save in 14 tries.
The Rays have been coming to Southern California for 14 years now, but never have they had a trip like this. Besides the stomach flu that floored a half-dozen players, and their unusual attire (beachwear into town, sleepwear on the way out), it was the first time in 21 tries they won all the games. Of the first 20, they were swept eight times, and lost 14 overall.
The Rays (33-29) stayed 2½ games behind the first-place Red Sox in the AL East, as they head next to Baltimore for the weekend and then a one-game makeup in Detroit on Monday.
The Rays looked to be in good position going to the eighth, as James Shields was sharp, scattering six hits and rising to the occasion to not allow a run, and they scored three off Angels ace Jered Weaver — on a home run by Brignac (who also made a dazzling diving catch at short), a double by Justin Ruggiano and a triple by Ben Zobrist.
But when Shields got in a jam in the eighth, loading the bases on a hit batter, a single and a walk on his 101st pitch, manager Joe Maddon didn't give him the chance to get out of it. Instead, with veteran Bobby Abreu at the plate, Maddon went to the bullpen, and lefty Cesar Ramos needed only two pitches to show that was the wrong move, allowing a three-run double that tied the score.
The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the third in unlikely fashion, on a home run by Brignac that just cleared the short wall in the rightfield corner.
That's the same Brignac who had only one extra-base hit (a double May 12 in Cleveland) in his first 122 at-bats, the fewest of any major-leaguer with 100 or more at-bats, and had the lowest slugging percentage (.189) to go along with the second lowest on-base percentage (.213) and seventh-lowest average (.180).
They doubled the margin in the seventh when Matt Joyce dropped a single into right and came around on Ruggiano's double off the rightfield wall.
They made it 3-0 when Johnny Damon, extending his on-base streak to 34 games, drew a walk and scored on a triple by Zobrist.
Longoria returned as a pinch-hitter in the 10th, having been out the previous two games with a severe version of the flu.
Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com.