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Kaz Settles Down After Rocky Start

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

Scott Kazmir throws a pitch in the first inning against the Phillies.

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By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 28, 2008

Updated: 10/28/2008 12:58 am

PHILADELPHIA - After another rocky postseason first inning, Scott Kazmir settled down and gave his team a chance in Monday night's World Series elimination game.

The game was suspended because of a steady rain after 51/2 innings with the Rays and Phillies tied at 2. Kazmir pitched two batters into the fifth inning and left with his team trailing 2-1.

Kazmir allowed two runs in the first inning, but no more while walking six - the most in a World Series game since Florida's Livan Hernandez walked eight in Game 5 of the 1997 series against Cleveland.

When Kazmir walked the first two batters in the bottom of the fifth, Manager Joe Maddon came out to take the ball.

Reliever Grant Balfour retired three batters in succession - Shane Victorino, Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz - as a moderate rain steadily increased in intensity.

After the Rays tied the game in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Carlos Pena, the umpiring crew called a delay.

Kazmir, pitching against Phillies ace Cole Hamels, gave up two runs on four hits while striking out five. He got no help from home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg, who called some close pitches balls.

As was the case in three of his four previous postseason starts, Kazmir had a difficult opening frame.

With his team trailing the Phillies 3-1 in the Series and knowing runs were going to be hard to come by, Kazmir loaded the bases by walking Jayson Werth and Pat Burrell and hitting Chase Utley.

Burrell's walk - on a full count - came with two outs, and Victorino followed by lining a two-run single down the left-field line.

In his four postseason starts, Kazmir has allowed eight runs in the first inning - accounting for two-thirds of the 12 runs he has allowed in 252/3 innings.

In three of the four games in which he surrendered two runs in the first inning - in Game 2 of the Division Series against Chicago (a 6-2 Rays win), Game 1 of the World Series (a 3-2 Rays loss) and Monday night - he did not allow another run.

The only postseason game in which he didn't find his range after a tough first inning was Game 2 of the ALCS against Boston, in which he surrendered five runs (three homers) in six innings. The Rays pulled out a 9-8 victory in 11 innings.

Kazmir faced eight batters in the first, but only four in the second and three in the third, as he began to gain control of his slider.

In the second, he got Utley to pop out to third baseman Evan Longoria after Werth singled, and in the third, he struck out dangerous Ryan Howard and Victorino around a fly-ball out by Burrell.

The fourth inning was more problematic. Carlos Ruiz opened with a single, and Hamels replaced him at first when he bunted and Kazmir was able to get the lead runner at second. Kazmir then walked Jimmy Rollins and Werth to load the bases.

With Utley coming up - the hard-hitting second baseman hit a two-run homer off Kazmir in the first inning of Game 1 - a discussion at the mound ensued. Kazmir worked to a full count against Utley, then got him to ground out to second to end the inning.

The AL leader in pitches per inning in each of the last three seasons, Kazmir threw 103 pitches through four-plus innings.

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