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Harrison Silences Rays' Bats

AP Photo

The Rangers' Ian Kinsler turns a double play after forcing out Jason Bartlett during Satutrday night's game.

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By MARC LANCASTER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 17, 2008

ARLINGTON, Texas - The Rays ran out perhaps their least imposing lineup of the season Saturday night, and even against a Rangers pitching staff sporting the worst ERA in baseball by a wide margin, it was no contest.

Tampa Bay couldn't manage a sniff of home plate against rookie left-hander Matt Harrison, failing to collect an extra-base hit in a quiet 3-0 loss.

The Rays' depth can only carry them so far, and they were stretched awfully thin with B.J. Upton sitting out for disciplinary reasons, Dioner Navarro getting a day to rest and Cliff Floyd and Eric Hinske idled because a southpaw was on the mound. Still, it's safe to assume any lineup will have a fighting chance whenever the Rangers' pitchers are involved.

Harrison entered the game with a 7.07 ERA through his first seven big-league starts, and that number didn't look too outlandish considering his surroundings. Texas' rotation entered the evening with a collective 5.83 ERA, and Harrison became the first Rangers starter in a week to complete five innings, recording Texas' first quality start since Aug. 7.

This one qualified as a high-quality start. After allowing a couple of hits in the first inning that didn't hurt him, the 22-year-old suddenly morphed into Tom Glavine. He set down 22 of the final 23 batters he faced, with Jason Bartlett's single leading off the third inning the only blemish.

Harrison retired the Rays in order from the fourth through the eighth, didn't walk a batter and struck out eight. He had fanned just seven batters while walking 19 in his first seven starts combined.

"I believe, had we been able to just get a few early, we could have created a different thought in his head," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "But I just thought his confidence began to rise as the game was in progress, and he started to get more comfortable."

The Rays had one chance to get even, when Ben Zobrist got a fly ball in the air to center in the sixth and it kept carrying - farther than even he expected. But Josh Hamilton was there, leaping to pull the ball back into the park and steal a home run.

"I knew I hit it well, but I didn't think it was going to carry that far," Zobrist said. "But I saw it kept going and he kept going to the wall, and I got a little bit excited, but that quickly got taken away. It was a great catch - fantastic."

The Rays' inability to mount even the slightest challenge to Harrison laid waste to another fine effort from Edwin Jackson, who didn't allow anything in his final 100 pitches of the game.

Unfortunately for him, Ian Kinsler smashed his first pitch 411 feet, well over the high wall in left field, to give the Rangers an early lead. They would tack on a couple of unearned runs they didn't need later on against the Rays' bullpen, but Jackson was otherwise untouched - which has become the norm lately.

Jackson has allowed more than three earned runs just once in his last 10 starts, surrendering two runs total his last two times out.

Texas took advantage of a Bartlett error that opened the seventh to score a couple of runs at J.P. Howell's expense. The left-hander had allowed only one run in his previous 19 appearances, but he wasn't at his sharpest Saturday. Howell allowed three consecutive hits before Chad Bradford came on and walked in the final run.

This was the kind of game quickly brushed off by those on the losing end, and the Rays did so within about 20 minutes. They had more important matters to focus on, as the clubhouse quiet gave way to screams, shouts and cheers.

For who?

Michael Phelps, of course.

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227 or mlancaster@tampatrib.com.

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