News
Rays' woes continue in Cleveland
Tampa Bay drops its 16th straight at Progressive Field
By Steve Herrick / Special to MLB.com
05/28/09 2:08 AM ET
CLEVELAND -- No one would blame the Tampa Bay Rays for not considering Cleveland as the ideal vacation spot. Another big early lead turned into the Rays' 16th straight loss at Progressive Field, a 12-7 defeat, Wednesday night. Tampa Bay has lost a season-high four straight. The Rays led 10-0 in the fourth inning Monday night, but allowed seven runs in the ninth to lose 11-10. Tampa Bay hasn't won in Cleveland since Sept. 28, 2005. "We've given up two huge leads here," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "That's inappropriate. We were in a position to win two games here and we have not done that. We have to do a better job of pitching." Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine, handed a 5-0 lead in the first, allowed eight runs in three innings and didn't come out for the fourth. He threw 75 pitches, including 37 in the Indians' five-run second and 27 when Cleveland scored three times in the third. "I can't figure out why we can't win here," Sonnanstine said. Sonnanstine (3-5) continued to be tormented by Indians outfielder Ben Francisco, who hit home runs in four straight plate appearances against the right-hander, spanning from 2008 to his first at-bat on Wednesday. Franciso homered off Sonnanstine on July 10 of last season in Cleveland. Sonnanstine gave up two home runs to Francisco on May 17 at Tropicana Field before allowing a three-run homer in the second inning Wednesday. Francisco singled in another run in the third and is batting .889 (8-for-9) with five homers and 12 RBIs lifetime against Sonnanstine. "He's hitting everything I'm throwing right now," said Sonnanstine, who was born in nearby Wadsworth, Ohio and attended Kent State University. "I'm sure he never wants to see him again," Maddon said. "He's definitely not on his Christmas card list." The Rays sent 10 men to the plate in a five-run first. The first three hitters -- B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria -- all singled. Longoria's hit gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead.Willy Aybar singled with one out for another run before Ben Zobrist's double made it 3-0. After Joe Dillon walked in his first plate appearance as a Ray, Gabe Kapler doubled in two runs.
The Rays scored a run in the third on a throwing error by Jhonny Peralta and Longoria hit his 12th home run in the fourth. Down 8-7, the Rays were still in it, but the Indians scored four in the fifth off Joe Nelson, including Shin-Soo Choo's three-run homer. "Right now, we're not pitching up to our standards," Maddon said. Longoria, Aybar and Zobrist had two hit apiece for the Rays.Steve Herrick is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
