Expect to see Zaun behind plate a lot

The Rays said when they acquired Gregg Zaun that they expected him to play "a fair bit," but it looks like that might have been an understatement.

Manager Joe Maddon said Sunday that he expects Zaun to start the first two games against the Angels in Anaheim, with Dioner Navarro getting the day-game-after-night-game start Wednesday.

Both catchers are switch-hitters, but Zaun is stronger from the left side and Navarro from the right side, so the Rays will do their best to dole out starts accordingly based on the opposing pitcher.

Sunday, the Mariners started lefty Ryan Rowland-Smith and Navarro started and cracked his seventh home run. For the season, he's hitting .290 (29-for-100) against lefties and .186 (36-for-194) against righties. Zaun is hitting .248 against righties and .220 against lefties, with 13 of his 14 extra-base hits coming against righties.

It sounds like a traditional platoon setup.

"It could be, but it can't be," said Maddon, "because if you face four righties in a row, I don't necessarily see Zaunie catching four nights in a row yet."

Nonetheless, given that the majority of pitchers are right-handed, Zaun figures to be behind the plate more often than not.

Falling hard

Scott Kazmir had owned the Mariners and been all but untouchable at Safeco Field before being walloped for seven runs in 41/3 innings Sunday. In five previous starts against Seattle, Kazmir had allowed only five runs combined in 291/3 innings.

Location was Kazmir's primary problem as he failed to complete five innings for the first time since May 20, his last start before going on the disabled list.

"I didn't really mix it up too well the first couple innings," Kazmir said. "I'd throw a changeup or a slider and it'd be off the plate and I'd kind of abandon it and go straight to fastballs. It just wasn't there. The fastball felt like it was there; the location wasn't."

Familiar turf

It will be hard during the next three days for Evan Longoria to top his numbers from the only other series he has played at Angel Stadium. Longoria went 6-for-9 with four doubles and two homers last June in his debut at a ballpark that sits about 20 minutes from where he grew up in Downey, Calif.

Sunday, he couldn't wait to get back.

"I'm always excited to go back home," Longoria said. "I can remember, from the time I was 16, when I could drive, driving by Anaheim Stadium and saying to myself that I was going to be playing there one day. Obviously a dream at that time, but for it to be a reality now and to be able to go home and play in front of the home crowd, it's always a cool feeling."

Home sweet home

Speaking of homecomings, Maddon and his wife, Jaye, recently bought a house in Long Beach, but the manager hadn't actually seen it in person until Sunday night.

He had plenty of company for his first visit, as the Maddons hosted a party for the Rays' staff and broadcasters with a special bus chartered to take everyone to the new digs straight from the airport after arriving from Seattle.

Odds and ends

RHP Russ Springer made his Rays debut Sunday, working a scoreless eighth inning. ... OF Fernando Perez went 0-for-3 in a rehab start Sunday for Charlotte, while RHP Chad Bradford pitched a scoreless inning in the same game.

Marc Lancaster