Rays Close Disney Run With Dramatic Win
September 1, 2003 - Southern League (SL1)
Orlando Rays News Release
ORLANDO -In an unconscious bid to delay the inevitable, the Orlando Rays prolonged their final game as long as possible, dropping the Carolina Mudcats 2-1 in the 12th inning of the second game of Monday's doubleheader in front of 3,105 at Cracker Jack Stadium.
The game, scheduled as a seven-inning contest as part of a doubleheader to close out the regular season, lasted three hours and five minutes as the O-Rays attempted to leave Disney's Wide World of Sports on a high note. They did just that when major leaguer Terry Shumpert, making his second rehab start for the O-Rays, singled to left to drive in catcher Danny Massiatte with the winning - and final - run for Orlando at Cracker Jack Stadium.
Orlando used seven pitchers in the second game, with all pitching at least one full inning. Travis Minix (W, 5-3) earned the win after tossing a scoreless 12th inning. Fernando Cortez, who had a 15-game hit streak snapped in the opener, went 2-4 with a double and a triple in the nightcap. B.J. Barns went 3-5 with a double and run scored for the Rays, who finished the second half of the season at 33-35 and were 65-71 overall.
Carolina took game one 3-1 as Pat Magness went 2-3 with a homer, two RBI and one run scored. Scott Autrey (5-4) took the loss after allowing three runs - all earned - on eight hits over 6.1 innings pitched. The Rays were held to six hits in the opener, with Amado German going 2-3 and B.J. Upton driving in Shumpert with the Rays only run. Carolina's win in the opener coupled with the Tennessee Smokies 2-1 loss to Jacksonville clinched the second half division title for the Mudcats, who will face the Smokies in the opening round of the Southern League playoffs on Wednesday.
RAYS NOTES
· The 2003 season (and particularly the second half) was easily the most productive in the Rays short history at Disney's Wide World of Sports® complex:
· Monday's crowd of 3,105 pushed the Orlando Rays season attendance to 150,051, their highest total since moving to Disney from Tinker Field following the 1999 season.
· Orlando's 65-71 record on the year tied their best overall season record at Disney. They went 65-71 in 2000. Their 33-35 2nd-half finish is their best 2nd-half finish since moving to Disney; the team had not cracked the 30-win plateau in the second half in their previous three season at Cracker Jack Stadium.
· They also finished just 4.0 games behind the division-winning Mudcats, the closest they have been to a second-half division title in their time at Disney. Their previous best finish was 2000, when they finished the 2nd half in 4th place in the East at 29-37, a full 9.0 games out of first.
· The team will move in the off-season to Montgomery, Ala. and continue to play in the Southern League as the Montgomery Biscuits.
Southern League Stories from September 1, 2003
- BayBears close out season with a win - Mobile BayBears
- Stars Drop Final Post-season Tune-up - Huntsville Stars
- Rays Close Disney Run With Dramatic Win - Orlando Rays
- Braves Shutout Barons, 5-0 - Birmingham Barons
- Smokies Lose Season Finale, Shot At Division Crown - Knoxville Smokies
- Suns close season with win, 2-1 - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Stars Win Second in a Row, 9-7 - Huntsville Stars
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