|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) –A utility player for most of his two
previous seasons in the majors, Russ Johnson is determined to make the most of an opportunity to be the regular second baseman for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
| |  | |
| Johnson |
Boosting his average to .407 on the club's current homestand,
Johnson hit a three-run double and Paul Wilson won for just the second time since 1996 Wednesday night as the Devil Rays held on for a 5-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
"This is what I've always wanted to do," said Johnson, who
moved into the lineup when Bobby Smith, the opening day starter, was designated for assignment after six games. "I'm getting a shot and I just want to contribute and do whatever I can to help the ballclub win in some shape, form or fashion."
Johnson went 2-for-4, and Wilson (1-2) continued his comeback
from shoulder and arm problems by allowing three runs on four hits
in five innings before a crowd of 11,119 -- second smallest to watch
the Devil Rays at Tropicana Field in the team's four-year history.
The Tampa Bay bullpen pitched four hitless innings with Esteban
Yan working the ninth for his fourth save in as many opportunities.
The Devil Rays won for the third time in four games and clinched
their first series victory.
"It seems like it was a long time coming," Johnson said. "But
it did come."
The Devil Rays built a 5-0 lead with one run in the first and
four in the second off Jeff Suppan (1-3).
Fred McGriff and John Flaherty had RBI singles before Johnson's bases-loaded double drove in three more. The second baseman, hitting .333 for the season, is 11-for-27 on the Devil Rays'
homestand with one homer, two doubles and seven RBI.
"I've never had enough at bats in a row to get comfortable and get in a groove," Johnson said. "You just want to ride the wave as long as you can because you know a bad day is coming."
Kansas City, limited to one hit through four innings, loaded the
bases with no outs in the fifth on singles by Mike Sweeney, Dee
Brown and Raul Ibanez. Two runs scored when Tampa Bay shortstop Felix Martinez threw wide of second base on an intended force play,
and Kansas City trimmed its deficit to 5-3 on Rey Sanchez's
sacrifice fly.
"In this league, you've got to stay out of the big inning and I
wasn't able to do that," said Suppan, who settled after walking Gerald Williams to load the bases for Johnson in the second inning.
"I wouldn't say it was the wrong pitch. It was poorly thrown," Suppan said of the ball Johnson smashed down the left field line. "It cost us the game."
The victory was the second for Wilson since Sept. 20, 1996, when
he was with the New York Mets. The right-hander missed parts of
1997 and '98 and all of '99 because of separate surgeries on his
pitching shoulder (Nov. 1996) and elbow (April 1999) and was
acquired from the Mets last July in a deal that sent Rick White and Bubba Trammell to New York.
Wilson appeared in four games out of the bullpen before moving into Tampa Bay's rotation in late August and remaining there the rest of the season. He won for the first time in more than four years when he beat Toronto last Sept. 25.
Wednesday night's victory was the third in four games for the
Devil Rays, who improved to 3-4 under new manager Hal McRae. Wilson
struck out two and walked one before being replaced by Doug Creek.
Suppan, 0-3 lifetime against Tampa Bay, allowed five runs, eight
hits, walked four and struck out five in six innings.
Game notes
All three of Suppan's losses this season have come on the
road, where the Royals are 2-9 and have scored three or less runs
in seven of the 11 games. ... Royals RF Jermaine Dye, listed as day
to day with a left knee bruise, did not play. Manager Tony Muser
said there's a 50-50 chance Dye will play in the series finale
Thursday. ... Wilson won for the first time in four decisions at
Tropicana Field. ... After homering in a club-record 15 consecutive
games, the Royals have gone two straight without one. ... The Devil
Rays have allowed 28 unearned runs in 21 games, a team record for
one month.
 Send this story to a friend
| |
RECAPS
Minnesota 6
Boston 4
Anaheim 3
Cleveland 1
Baltimore 6
Detroit 4
Seattle 7
NY Yankees 5
Toronto 8
Texas 5
Tampa Bay 5
Kansas City 3
Chi. White Sox 2
Oakland 1
Atlanta 11
Houston 3
Milwaukee 7
NY Mets 2
St. Louis 5
Montreal 2
Colorado 6
Chicago Cubs 5
Arizona 10
Florida 7
Philadelphia 5
San Diego 3
Cincinnati 7
San Francisco 5
Los Angeles 6
Pittsburgh 5
|
