TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Kazmir Gives Rays A Shot

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

Including the regular season, Kazmir has allowed 12 home runs in his last six outings, including three or more home runs in three starts.

ADVERTISEMENT

By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 23, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Scott Kazmir pitched well enough to give the Rays a chance to win Game 1 the World Series on Wednesday night.

As has often been the case in recent months, his effort was not a work of art.

The enigmatic left-hander, dominant when he's comfortable with his mechanics, gave up a two-run homer to Chase Utley in the first inning, loaded the bases in the second and allowed a run in the third after the first two batters singled.

He labored through some type of trouble in almost every one of his innings, but when he didn't return for the seventh inning, the Rays trailed only 3-2.

Kazmir was 1-0 with a 6.52 ERA in this postseason entering Wednesday's game. The Rays had won two of his three starts, taking one game in the ALCS in which he wasn't sharp and losing one in which he was stellar.

Wednesday, Kazmir wasn't nearly as zeroed in as he was in Game 6 of the ALCS last Thursday in Boston, when he held the Red Sox to two hits through six innings in a game the Red Sox mounted a historic rally to win 8-7.

That was evident in the first inning, when he walked the Phillies' second batter - Jayson Werth - and gave up a homer to the dangerous Utley to right on a 2-2 pitch.

Including the regular season, Kazmir has allowed 12 home runs in his last six outings, including three or more home runs in three starts.

The Phillies were on the verge of adding to their 2-0 lead in the second when speedy Shane Victorino reached on an infield single and Kazmir walked Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz to load the bases with one out.

But Kazmir coaxed a fly ball from leadoff man and 2007 National League MVP Jimmy Rollins to short center, and center fielder B.J. Upton fired a strike to catcher Dioner Navarro as Victorino was streaking home. Navarro applied the tag, and the Rays were out of the inning.

Kazmir found more trouble in the third, surrendering a leadoff double to Werth. But he followed by getting Utley to ground out and he struck out NL home run and RBI champion Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell.

The Phillies scored their third run in the fourth after Victorino and Feliz started the inning with singles. A groundout by designated hitter Chris Coste moved Victorino to third, and another groundout by Ruiz scored Victorino.

Kazmir looked stronger in the sixth inning than he did in his earlier innings, putting Coste, Ruiz and Rollins away in succession after allowing a soft leadoff single to Feliz.

In his six innings, Kazmir gave up six hits while walking four and striking out four.

Right-handers James Shields, Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine are scheduled to pitch the next three games for the Rays. Kazmir is scheduled to pitch a possible Game 5 on Monday in Philadelphia.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT