Rays, Burrell push back after troublesome Texas trip

ST. PETERSBURG - No, Pat Burrell had not forgotten his home run trot, though it would have been understandable if he had.

The problem, as he saw it, was just how to approach that mob at home plate after his two-run walk-off homer beat the Blue Jays in the 11th inning Tuesday night at the Trop. His teammates waited on him.

"If you don't go in firm, you're going to be in some trouble," Burrell said. "I figure I'd go in firm and try to push the pile."

"He kind of came in like a linebacker," teammate B.J. Upton said. "Never seen that one before. It was a pretty good one. I liked it."

As for the pile …

"He moved it," Upton said.

"You get rib shots and all that other stuff. I just figured I'd punch back," Burrell said.

There was Burrell, who has been in a slump all season.

"It's not from lack of opportunity," he said. I've been up there plenty of times with the game on the line. As a matter of fact, last week in Toronto, bases loaded, one out, I had a chance to put us ahead. You know, you just keep going."
In the 11th, he finally struck.

"We all feel good for Pat tonight," Maddon said. "That ball was really loud."

Maybe it moved this season along. Face it: There hasn't been enough of the stuff that made 2008 special.



(tbo.com)