Rays get 'moral victory' with rare real one against the A's

RAYS 7, A'S 4: Solid team effort puts end to six-game skid against Oakland.

ST. PETERSBURG - The Devil Rays have done plenty lately to hurt Lou Piniella's old team, beating the Mariners four times in a 10-day span as they battle to stay in postseason contention.

Saturday they finally gave the Mariners some help, scoring a rare win over AL West-leading Oakland 7-4.

"A moral victory for us," Aubrey Huff said. "So far this year they've owned us and it's good to break that feeling and finally get a win."

The Rays had lost six straight to the A's, and their 14-42 overall record against Oakland still is the worst any major-league team has against a league opponent.

"It seems like they had our number this year," Carl Crawford said. "It feels good to get a win against them. Especially like this."

The Rays' primary problem against the A's has been scoring runs, 13 total, and a .191 average in the six losses.

Saturday they got two on a two-out, full-count double by rookie catcher Pete LaForest; two on singles by Crawford; one on a groundout after Crawford stole his AL-leading 47th base; and one on an Al Martin double.

But it was the last one they were talking about the most, the less-than-fleet Huff getting credit for a steal of home when Ricardo Rincon bounced a pitch wildly on what was the Rays' first squeeze bunt attempt of the season.

"I never thought I'd see that in my entire life," Rocco Baldelli said.

"I hope they save that ball," pitcher Rob Bell said.

Huff didn't even know the squeeze was on until third-base coach Tom Foley told him just as Rincon delivered the pitch to Terry Shumpert.

"He called me a name I can't repeat and I just took off," Huff said. "It was just a freak thing. I'm lucky to get one regular steal."

The offense against Rich Harden, who struck out 10 Rays in a win Aug. 31, made the difference, but pitching and defense were key, too.

Baldelli, whose mini-bobblehead doll will be given away today, had the 10,738 fans shaking their heads after another dazzling leaping catch at the centerfield wall in the third. Second baseman Marlon Anderson thwarted a rally with a diving stop and throw on a grounder in the fifth.

"Standout, freak stuff," Bell said.

Bell did his part, too, allowing three runs and six hits over six innings for his fourth win. It was his sixth consecutive quality start (six or more innings, three or fewer runs), and he is 2-1 with a 3.69 ERA over that stretch.

"Laborious would be the adjective best used to describe that outing," Bell said. "I didn't have a 1-2-3 inning until the sixth, and they took me out. And that was absolutely the right decision."

It was the way relievers Travis Harper and Lance Carter teamed to finish it, sealing the Rays' 56th win, one more than last season.

Whether it is a product of specific onfield matchups or odd astrological convergence, the Rays have had their problems beating the A's. Going into play Saturday, they'd lost six of seven this season, 11 of 12 and 18 of 20. The A's have won the past 15 series between the teams, though the Rays would end that streak with a win today.

"We got one," Piniella said. "Hopefully we can get another one (today)."