TORONTO -- Rocco Baldelli has made quite an impression in his rookie season.
Baldelli's two-run single and Toby Hall's two-run double highlighted a six-run second inning that sent the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to a 9-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.
Baldelli went 2-for-5, raising his average to .352. The 21-year-old rookie center fielder entered the day tied for the most hits in the majors with 55.
"He's a special kid, a special player," Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella said. "You start looking at Rocco and you say to yourself how many players in baseball would you trade him for, and I'm going to tell you what, there are not too many."
Baldelli didn't expect this much success so soon.
"I really didn't think coming into this year I would be doing as well as I have," he said.
Vernon Wells homered for the Blue Jays, who fell to 2-4 against Tampa Bay this season. Wells has a team-high 39 RBIs.
Jesus Colome (1-1) pitched 3 2-3 scoreless innings for the win.
"We had to play catch-up and we faced a tough pitcher in Colome," Toronto's Carlos Delgado said. "We just couldn't catch up. Colome was throwing hard. He has a good sinker. He was throwing strikes today."
Delgado grounded back to the mound for the final out, and the barrel of his broken bat flipped up and hit him in the helmet. He crouched down and put his hand on his head, looking a little woozy. He was fine after the game.
"There was a little ringing, it was no big deal," Delgado said. "I kind of lost it for a minute."
Travis Lee hit an RBI double off Toronto starter Doug Davis (1-2) in the first, scoring Baldelli, who reached on an infield single.
The Devil Rays sent 10 batters to the plate in the second.
Terry Shumpert hit an RBI single, Baldelli hit his two-run single to center, Shumpert scored on Davis' wild pitch and Hall added a two-run double.
Davis, claimed off waivers from Texas last month, was roughed up for seven runs on seven hits in just 1 2-3 innings.
"I thought I had pretty good stuff. I just couldn't find a pitch to put them away," Davis said.
The Blue Jays rallied with five runs off Tampa Bay starter Jim Parque in the third.
Wells hit a two-run homer, Josh Phelps scored on a wild pitch, Eric Hinkse hit an RBI single and Shannon Stewart's sacrifice fly cut the lead to 7-5.
Jared Sandberg's two-run double off Aquilino Lopez in the ninth made it 9-5.
Parque, who has missed most of the last two seasons with arm problems, allowed five runs on seven hits in 2 1-3 innings.
Notes: After the game, Blue Jays manager Carlos Tosca said right-hander Kelvim Escobar will replace RHP Tanyon Sturtze in the rotation. The Blue Jays also optioned fourth outfielder Jayson Werth to Triple-A Syracuse. ... New York Rangers forward Anson Carter threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Carter scored the game-winning goal for Canada in the final of the World Hockey Championships. ... Shumpert left in the third inning as a precaution after being hit on the elbow by a pitch. He is day-to-day. ... Toronto reliever Jeff Tam matched his career high with four strikeouts in two innings. ... Parque made his fourth start of the season.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2003, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
