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Rays level Lackey, even series with Angels

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By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 10, 2009

ST. PETERSBURG - The Rays could take a break from talking about their struggles to replicate their 2008 feats Wednesday night.

They did something they hadn't done in six years: They owned John Lackey.

With Carlos Pena hitting his first home run since May 31, Willy Aybar adding a two-run shot and the bullpen picking up Jeff Niemann in a big way, the Rays pounded the previously indomitable Lackey in a 9-5 victory against the Angels.

The righthander had been 9-1 with a 2.36 ERA against the Rays, including two complete games and two shutouts, and he'd beaten them every time out since May 30, 2003. But a forearm injury that cost him the first six weeks of the season apparently has rendered him a different pitcher.

Manager Joe Maddon, whose club ended a three-game losing streak and pulled to within a game of .500 (30-31), didn't want to hear anything about Lackey's previous success against the Rays.

"That was another time," Maddon said. "That was against the Devil Rays. It's a different group right now. I'm not denigrating John in any way; it's just about, we're a different group right now."

Niemann, meanwhile, didn't have nearly the command or presence he did in his previous start, a two-hit shutout of Royals a week earlier at home. He lasted only 3 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and five runs (four earned).

The bullpen, however, was nearly flawless. Long reliever Lance Cormier (1-1), appearing for the first time since May 28, allowed only two hits in 2 1/3 innings. Jason Isringhausen, Joe Nelson and Dan Wheeler permitted only one hit the rest of the way.

Niemann wasn't sure if getting his start pushed back because of a rainout in New York and the Rays' decision to move James Shields up a game through off his rhythm.

"That's debatable," he said. "I was a little out of whack today. It was just one of those days when things weren't coming easy. I was up with the fastball, down with the curveball – just a hair off. You can't be a hair off here."

The Rays went to the bottom of the second inning trailing 3-0 but scored five runs after Pena led off with a single. Aybar, Gross, Dioner Navarro and Carl Crawford drove in runs, and Gross scored on a wild pitch by Lackey.

With Pena's solo home run in the third providing one of two more runs in that frame, and Aybar's two-run shot in the fifth, the Rays took a 9-5 lead against Lackey (1-2), who gave up 11 hits and eight earned runs through five innings.

Pena, who has struggled mightily of late, went 2-for-4 to raise his average to .227.

"He turned on it and hit it to left," Maddon said of Pena's home run. ""That was very nice to see. It was almost like a right-handed pull hitter. I'll tell you what: He's so capable of that. If we can get that out of him a little more often, I think you're going ot see his batting average also rise."

Seffner's Chone Figgins went 2 for 4, including a two-run triple, for the Angels. He also walked and scored a run and has hit safetly in wr of his last 26 games, batting .396 in the span.

Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached at 813-259-7994.

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