While there are errors on the field, there are errors in.. the lineup?
The Tampa Bay Rays made a mistake in their lineup on Sunday that forced starting pitcher Andy Sonnanstine to bat.
Evan Longoria was supposed to be the Ray's designated hitter, instead the lineup card had two third baseman: Longoria and Ben Zobrist. No DH was listed.
Making sure the decision was correct, the game was delayed 13 minutes before the umpires declared that Sonnanstine would have to bat third and the Rays would lose a DH. Longoria would be available to come off the bench.
Sonnanstine didn't look like a pitcher at the plate. In the fourth inning, Sonnanstine smoked an RBI double to left. He also reached based on a failed sacrifice attempt. He became the first pitcher since Matt Garza in 2007 to get at least two plate appearances in an American League game.
"I knew something was up, but I didn't know exactly what was going to happen,"
Sonnanstine said. "They told me that I was going to have to hit, and I corrected
them and told them 'I get to hit.' I took it as an opportunity. That was one of
the craziest games I've ever been a part of."
On the mound, Sonnanstine allowed five runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings of work.
Maddon took the blame, but the players backed him up winning it 7-5. In the process of the win, benches cleared when Kerry Wood nearly hit B.J Upton twice. Victor Martinez, who almost was hit by a pitch earlier in the series, got into a verbal argument with somebody on the Rays bench until the dugouts emptied.
Troy Percival responded plunking Mark DeRosa in the ninth, but was likely unintentional as it was a save situation and DeRosa was buried in an 0-2 count.
Besides figuring out the DH situation and separating the players from each other, the umpires were busy. They appeared to have missed a call on Ryan Garko's fly ball to left field. Carl Crawford caught the ball against the wall, but the replay shows that the ball clearly hit the padding before entering Crawford's glove.
The outcome of the game may have been different if the Rays had their regular DH, Pat Burrell. Burrell was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 11. Burrell suffered a neck strain, but Joe Maddon doesn't expect it to be more than 15 days.
Ruben Amaro said that the Phillies would not know if Pedro Martinez passed his physical until Wednesday. Hours later, it was reported that Martinez passed his physical. Amaro declined to comment, however a press conference to introduce Martinez is expected tomorrow.
