Delgado Hits 3 Homers in Devil Rays’ Victory

It figured that Carlos Delgado would eventually break through against Tampa Bay Devil Ray pitching.

Hitless in his first five at-bats against the Devil Rays and one for nine this season, the Toronto Blue Jay slugger homered his last three trips to the plate Wednesday night to drive in four runs and pace the Blue Jays to an 11-8 come-from-behind victory at St. Petersburg, Fla.

“It’s awesome. It’s a great feeling, but you don’t try to do that,” said Delgado, who signed a four-year, $68-million contract after hitting .344 with 41 homers and 137 runs batted in last season. “I think it’s impossible to plan to come out and hit three home runs. I just wanted to hit the ball hard.”

It was the third three-homer performance of Delgado’s career and overshadowed the longest home run in Tropicana Field history--a 478-foot drive by Tampa Bay’s Vinny Castilla, who went three for four and had four RBIs.

Devil Ray pitchers held Delgado hitless Tuesday night and he was 0 for 2 against starter Paul Wilson before going deep against Tanyon Sturtze, Doug Creek and Ken Hill as the Blue Jays homered five times and scored eight runs in the last four innings.

“That’s what this club can do,” Blue Jay Manager Buck Martinez said. “Anybody on the club can hit a home run and get you back in the game real quick.”

Still, no one has been harder on the Devil Rays than Delgado. He has homered 10 times against Tampa Bay, more than any other player.

New York 8, Kansas City 2--Royal right fielder Jermaine Dye and second baseman Carlos Febles were forced to leave after a frightening collision and David Justice hit a grand slam at New York.

In the sixth inning, Bernie Williams hit a soft fly down the right-field line. Dye, Febles and first baseman Dave McCarty gave chase at full speed.

McCarty veered off, but Febles kept going and Dye rushed in. As Dye got ready to make an off-balance, basket catch, Febles ran over him.

Febles’ chest hit Dye in the head, and both players went flying. Dye somehow managed to hold onto the ball for the second out, and handed it to McCarty before rolling back onto the ground.

Dye wound up with a mild concussion and a banged-up nose while Febles suffered a bruised right knee. Royal Manager Tony Muser said both probably could play today against the Yankees.

Cleveland 8, Chicago 4--Chuck Finley pitched into the seventh inning and Russell Branyan homered for the Indians in front of the first non-sellout crowd in nearly six years at Cleveland.

For the first time since June 7, 1995, Jacobs Field was not sold out as the Indians’ major league record of consecutive sellouts ended at 455 games. Cleveland had gone 2,122 days between non-sellouts.

Finley, who was the American League’s best pitcher last September, gave up four runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Seattle 10, Oakland 2--Aaron Sele pitched six strong innings and the Mariners used a seven-run sixth inning to romp at Seattle.

Edgar Martinez went three for four, including a two-run single. Martinez was eight for 10 in the three-game series with four walks and three RBIs.

Sele (1-0) gave up two runs on seven hits in six innings. The Mariners won two of the three games in the season-opening series against the defending American League West champions.