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Rays Regain Swagger, Hold Off Yankees, 7-5

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By MARC LANCASTER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 5, 2008

Updated: 09/05/2008 12:22 am

ST. PETERSBURG - The mantra in the Rays' clubhouse from Wednesday night through Thursday afternoon was straightforward and consistent: "Hey, it's only two games," said any player or staffer who was asked - and some who weren't.

No reason to panic after consecutive losses to the Yankees, everyone insisted - just as they had after dropping a pair in New York before the All-Star break to fuel a seven-game skid that has been the low point of their season.

Fears that the Rays might stray down a similar path this time around were alleviated Thursday night, but not before a late scare the home team could have done without. Tampa Bay drove Yankees starter Darrell Rasner from the game before he could record five outs and held off a late rally for a 7-5 victory before heading out on a tour of the AL East.

Despite their protestations heading into the series finale, the Rays' late-night flight to Toronto undoubtedly was a bit more relaxed as Tampa Bay bumped its division lead over the idle Red Sox back to 3 1/2 games.

"It's a huge win for us to be able to go on the road getting this win, feeling good about ourselves," said Scott Kazmir.

The Rays also felt good about the way they did it. The Yankees had issued uncharacteristic beatings to Tampa Bay's starters in the first two games of the series, but Kazmir was at his best when his team needed a sturdy performance.

Though the left-hander walked five batters in six innings, he surrendered just one hit - a bloop double by Cody Ransom leading off the fifth. Kazmir lowered his career ERA against the Yankees at Tropicana Field to 1.02. He also shut them out over six innings at the Trop on May 15.

It certainly helped that Kazmir (11-6) and the bullpen were sitting on a hefty cushion almost from the beginning of the game. The Rays saw to that in the second inning, as six of the first seven batters reached base before Yankees manager Joe Girardi pulled the plug on Rasner.

Five of them eventually came around to score as the Rays sent 10 men to the plate. Willy Aybar capped the outburst with a two-run single off Alfredo Aceves, who ended up throwing 97 pitches in five otherwise effective innings.

A solo homer by Aybar in the fourth accounted for the only damage the Rays inflicted on Aceves, but it was cruise control from there until Jason Hammel injected some drama in the ninth.

The Yankees finally got on the scoreboard in their final turn at the plate, scoring what appeared to be a harmless run when Ransom singled in Ivan Rodriguez. But Derek Jeter jacked up the tension a bit when he followed a two-out walk of Johnny Damon with a three-run homer to right. When Alex Rodriguez added his third home run of the series, a 436-foot cannon shot off the C-ring catwalk, things got downright tight.

But Dan Wheeler came on and got Xavier Nady to fly out on his first pitch, sealing a win that was tighter than it should have been.

"It was a nice, clean win up until the ninth inning," Rays manager Joe Maddon observed.

With the nine-game, 10-day road trip everyone has been anticipating beginning tonight, the Rays have ample confidence as they head to Toronto, Boston and New York.

But there are good omens surfacing for the Rays. Kazmir held the opposition scoreless for the sixth time in his 23 starts this season as he emerged with a clean slate for the second consecutive outing - perhaps heating up at just the right time. And Dioner Navarro, who hit .194 in August, tied a career high with four hits Thursday.

"It's always nice to win that game when you get on a plane - it makes a difference," Maddon said. "It was just two games, and we played better tonight, we pitched better tonight."

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

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