Rays opt for new look

PITTSBURGH -- Looking to change their fortunes, Rays starters have begun to sport facial hair.
Sunday's starter, Mark Hendrickson, has the stubble from several days' growth and he said of his hirsute appearance: "I'm just going to go with it."

Handicapping the rest of the starting rotation, Hendrickson noted that baby-faced Scott Kazmir was folically challenged in the facial hair department, Hideo Nomo could get something going and Casey Fossum could have a full beard by Sunday. As for Doug Waechter?

"He's got that fluff thing going," Hendrickson said.

Waechter had another view of his scruffy appearance.

"I'm going with the bad hygiene look," Waechter said.

While they're not exactly the House of David -- the fabled all-bearded team -- the Rays' starters are hoping the new look will bring a different karma with it.

The streak quietly passes: Billy Hatcher slipped out of Seattle and found his way home to see his son Derek graduate from Tampa's Berkley Prep on Monday.

Well, the Rays' first base coach might not be Cal Ripken when it comes to having a streak, but until he missed Sunday's game, Hatcher had been in uniform for every Rays game in the team's history, for a total of 1,886 games.

Hatcher missed only Sunday's game against Seattle and rejoined the team in Cincinnati to begin a new streak on Tuesday.

Good and bad: Mired in a terrific slump, the Rays have accomplished some good things to date and some not-so-good things. Here's a look:

The good:

• With a .278 team batting average, the Rays are tied with the Red Sox for the second-best average in the Major Leagues behind the Orioles (.286).

• The team is hitting .306 with runners in scoring position, tied with the Twins for best in the Major Leagues.

• The Rays own 59 stolen bases, second most in the Majors behind the White Sox (64).

• Rays pinch-hitters are batting .333 (15-45), third in the Majors behind the Mets (.347) and Blue Jays (.333); they also have two pinch-hit home runs (Eduardo Perez, Jonny Gomes). The White Sox also have two.

The bad:
• The team ranks 30th in ERA at 5.82.

• Rays starters have registered just 16 quality starts in 61 games, fewest in the Majors.

• Only the Yankees have allowed more unearned runs in the Major Leagues with 40; the Rays have allowed 34.

• Only the Rockies have issued more walks (270) than the Rays' 256.

• The team ranks last in the Majors in fielding (.975) while committing 53 errors, most in the Majors.

This and that: Danys Baez played catch on Saturday and plans to do a bullpen session on Sunday in advance of being ready to pitch again Monday. The Rays' closer said a flaw in his mechanics put undue stress on the biceps in his right arm, thereby causing a problem. ... The Rays' 20-41 (.328) record is their worst under Lou Piniella after 61 games; only Kansas City at 19-41 (.317) has a worse record currently in the Major Leagues. The Rays have had fewer victories only one other year in team history after 61 games (18 in 2001). ... The Rays signed No. 5 pick, third baseman Michael McCormick (Marist H.S., OR); No. 6 pick, right-hander Gregory Reinhard (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater); No. 11 pick, right-hander Jeffrey Kamrath (University of Virginia); and No. 13 pick, left-hander Ryan Morse (S.W. Minnesota State University).

On deck: The Rays will complete their 12-game road trip with a 1:35 p.m. ET contest on Sunday against the Pirates at PNC Park. Left-hander Mark Hendrickson (2-3, 6.05) will start for the Devil Rays and will be opposed by right-hander Josh Fogg. Hendrickson is looking for his first win on the road since July 6, when he won at Baltimore. He is 0-7 in 11 road starts since.

Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Source: http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/