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Rays Rolling Right Along

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By TONY FABRIZIO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 2, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - They didn't get Jason Bay. They didn't get Adam Dunn, Xavier Nady, Damaso Marte or Pudge Rodriguez, either.

They didn't even talk to Brett Favre.

But the Rays kept rolling Friday night in the opening game of a six-game homestead, rallying past the Detroit Tigers 5-2 to match a club record with their 41st home victory.

Jason Bartlett tripled and scored from the ninth spot in the order, Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria hit their 19th and 20th home runs, respectively, and four relievers combined to hold the Tigers scoreless in the final 41/3 innings after starter Scott Kazmir needed 110 pitches to get through 42/3 innings.

The next few weeks will tell whether the Rays were too conservative in not pulling the trigger on a trade before Thursday's non-waiver deadline. But for now they lead the Boston Red Sox, winners against Oakland on Friday night, by three games, and the third-place New York Yankees, losers to Los Angeles, by 51/2.

"It's good to reaffirm that we can win without having to make a deal right now," Manager Joe Maddon said. "We played well tonight. Our bullpen was outstanding. The bullpen, several times over the last road trip and how this game ... tonight was pretty much flawless."

Dan Wheeler came on to get Tampa's Gary Sheffield to ground out. He pitched 11/3 innings and retired every batter he faced, three on strikeouts.

After J.P. Howell loaded the bases with two out in the seventh, Dan Wheeler came on to strike out Tampa's Gary Sheffield.

Closer Troy Percival issued a leadoff walk in the ninth, then retired three straight to earn his 24th save and 348th of his career, giving him sole possession of eighth place on the career list.

The Rays' slumbering offense managed only sparks, getting nine hits off Zach Miner (5-4) and two relievers. Two runs came home on a passed ball and wild pitch, but Maddon was quick to note, "we got the runner to third base, which allowed that to happen."

Of concern was that staff ace Kazmir failed to go more than five innings for the fifth time in his last seven games. Although the Rays are 12-5 in Kazmir's last 16 starts, the righty has won only twice in his last 10 starts.

"It all comes down to, I just need to be a little more aggressive," he said. "It seems like pitch count has always been on my mind this whole stretch right here. That's not how I pitch. I go out there and try to attack it, and it feels like I wasn't doing that."

The reigning American League strikeout champion couldn't find the strike zone early. Still, he made it through a 32-pitch, four-walk first inning giving up only one run. That came when he walked Sheffield on five pitches to score Curtis Granderson, who opened the game with a walk.

Kazmir regained his control in the second, retiring the side, but got off to a bad start in the third, walking leadoff batter Placido Polanco on four pitches. He struck out Carlos Guillen and Magglio Ordonez, but Miguel Cabrera drove a slider to the wall in left center. B.J. Upton appeared to misjudge the ball, and Cabrera had an RBI triple.

The Rays tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the inning. Bartlett, who entered batting .303 since June 13, led off with a triple to left center. He scored one pitch later when Akinori Iwamura ripped a curveball to right for a double.

An alert and hard-running Iwamura scored from third with two out when Brandon Inge couldn't handle a misfire from Miner.

Pena's 19th homer - an arcing shot to straightaway center - put the Rays up 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth. Cliff Floyd followed with a double, moved to third on a groundout by Dioner Navarro and scored on a wild pitch by hard-throwing Joel Zumaya, who came on to face Eric Hinske.

Longoria's two-out home run in the seventh, on a 1-0 pitch from Joel Zumaya, provided the final run.

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