DELGADO BELTS 3 HRS, JAYS FALL TO RAYS
4-Run 8th Keys TB Victory

ST. PETERSBURG, Sept. 8 (AP) - Carlos Delgado hit three home runs but it wasn't enough as the Toronto Blue Jays lost to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 5-4 at Tropicana Field.  Delgado was a one-man wrecking crew, driving in all four of his team's runs and scoring three of them.  But the Devil Rays jumped on Blue Jays starter Corey Lidle for four sixth inning runs and held on for the win.

The Jays struck first, when Delgado led off the second inning with his 38th home run of the year, giving his team a 1-0 lead over Tampa Bay starter Doug Waechter.

The Devil Rays evened the game at one in the third when Carl Crawford doubled with two outs and then scored on Rocco Baldelli's base hit.

Delgado put Toronto back on top in the fourth with a home run just inside the right field foul pole leading off the inning.

But the Rays battered Lidle in the sixth.  Julio Lugo led off with a double off the base of the wall in left field.  Lidle retired Crawford on an infield pop up and fanned Baldelli, but couldn't get the elusive third out.  He fell behind Aubrey Huff 3-0 and then walked him intentionally.  Travis Lee followed by lining a single to center field, scoring Lugo to tie the game and advancing Huff to second.  Al Martin then singled to center himself, scoring Huff, with Lee advancing to third.  Center fielder Vernon Wells' attempt to gun down Lee at third was wild, allowing Lee to score and Martin to advance to second.  Damian Rolls' single through the box scored Martin to give the Rays a 5-2 lead.  A wild pitch allowed Rolls to take second and Lidle walked Marlon Anderson, ending his day.  Pete Walker replaced Lidle and struck out Toby Hall to finally end the inning.

After Delgado's home run in the fourth, Waechter held the Blue Jays scoreless into the eighth inning.  Frank Catalanotto singled with one out in the top of the eighth and Waechter induced a fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Wells, forcing Catalanotto at second.  With Delgado due up, Rays manager Lou Piniella called on left-hander Joe Kennedy, but Delgado foiled the strategy by depositing Kennedy's 2-0 offering deep into the stands in straight away right field for his 40th homer of the season.  Piniella then replaced Kennedy with Travis Harper who retired the final four Toronto hitters to end the game, earning his second save of the season.

Delgado's feat marks the 16th time this year that a player has hit at least three home runs in a single game and the first time a member of the Blue Jays has done so.  It's also the second time in the last three days that someone has homered three times in a contest; Frank Thomas of the Chicago White Sox turned the trick on September 7 against Cleveland.

9/9/2003, Tor03-TB03, Tropicana Field
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
2003 Blue Jays         0  1  0  1  0  0  0  2  0     4  8  2     4  0
2003 Devil Rays        0  0  1  0  0  4  0  0  x     5  8  0     5  1
 
Blue Jays            AB  R  H BI   AVG    Devil Rays           AB  R  H BI   AVG
Johnson,Re        rf  4  0  1  0  .337    Crawford          lf  3  1  1  0  .250
Catalanotto       lf  4  0  1  0  .314    Baldelli          cf  4  0  1  1  .289
Wells,V           cf  4  1  1  0  .317    Huff              rf  3  1  0  0  .329
Delgado,C         1b  4  3  3  4  .278    Lee,T             1b  3  1  2  1  .281
Phelps,J          dh  4  0  0  0  .310    Martin,A          dh  3  1  1  1  .285
Hinske            3b  4  0  1  0  .242     Sandberg         ph  1  0  0  0  .266
Hudson,O          2b  2  0  0  0  .265    Rolls             3b  4  0  1  1  .293
 Kielty           ph  1  0  0  0  .251     Shumpert         3b  0  0  0  0  .230
Woodward          ss  3  0  0  0  .289    Anderson,Mar      2b  3  0  0  0  .256
 Myers,G          ph  1  0  0  0  .274    Hall,T            c   3  0  0  0  .244
Cash              c   3  0  1  0  .151    Lugo              ss  3  1  2  0  .269
                     34  4  8  4                               30  5  8  4
 
Blue Jays                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Lidle            L 10-9          5.2  6  5  4  2  7  93  68  5.35
Walker,P                         1.1  1  0  0  1  1  17   8  8.50
Miller,T                         1.0  1  0  0  0  1  18  12  2.37
                                 8.0  8  5  4  3  9 128  88
 
Devil Rays                       INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Waechter         W 1-1           7.2  7  3  3  1  7 108  71  6.19
Kennedy,J                        0.0  1  1  1  0  0   3   1  6.66
Harper           S 2             1.1  0  0  0  0  3  18  11  2.49
                                 9.0  8  4  4  1 10 129  83
 
Tor: Kielty batted for Hudson,O in the 9th
     Myers,G batted for Woodward in the 9th
TB : Sandberg batted for Martin,A in the 8th
     Shumpert inserted at 3b in the 9th
 
E-Wells,V, Hinske. 2B-Wells,V(41), Hinske(42), Cash(3), Crawford(16),
Lugo(15). HR-Delgado,C 3(40). RBI-Delgado,C 4(102), Baldelli(82), Lee,T(97),
Martin,A(26), Rolls(39). CS-Baldelli, Lugo. K-Johnson,Re, Wells,V,
Phelps,J 2, Hinske 2, Hudson,O, Woodward, Kielty, Myers,G, Crawford,
Baldelli 2, Lee,T, Martin,A, Rolls, Anderson,Mar, Hall,T, Sandberg.
BB-Hudson,O, Crawford, Huff, Anderson,Mar. HBP-Lee,T. HB-Lidle. WP-Lidle.
GWRBI: Martin,A
Temperature: 70, Wind: none.
Attendance: 5,854
Game Time: 2:50