RAYS 5, RANGERS 3: Seth McClung gets out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth after Tampa Bay erases a 3-0 deficit.
By MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff Writer
Published August 23, 2006
[Times photo: Dirk Shadd]
Scott Kazmir, delivering in the first inning, tied and broke Victor Zambrano's Rays franchise strikeout record in the second, in just his 64th career start.
ST. PETERSBURG - When Seth McClung got the final three outs in Monday's game for his first major-league save, manager Joe Maddon raved about how focused and businesslike the big right-hander looked.
Tuesday, the Rays were happy with a look of relief after McClung battled to get the final three outs in a 5-3 victory over Texas before another small Tropicana Field gathering of 8,028.
After the first two Rangers reached base - Ian Kinsler on a clean single to right-center, Gerald Laird on a cue-shot grounder that glanced off Travis Lee's glove - McClung's ninth inning looked a lot tougher.
He retired pinch-hitter Hank Blalock on a fly to left but bounced his first pitch to Matt Stairs, allowing the runners to advance to second and third, then ended up walking Stairs on four pitches to load the bases.
He rebounded to strike out Gary Matthews on a 95-mph fastball and pumped his fist, then got Michael Young to fly to rightfield and pumped his fist a couple more times before getting congratulations from his teammates.
The Rays trailed 3-2 in the seventh but rallied for two runs. Damon Hollins, a late addition to the lineup, led off with a single and Tomas Perez, a fill-in for second baseman Jorge Cantu, doubled. The Rays executed well on sacrifice flies by Rocco Baldelli and Ben Zobrist, scoring both runners. Lee homered with two outs in the eighth to provide the extra margin.
Scott Kazmir had dominating stuff again, striking out eight over six innings. That included a second-inning whiff of Laird that was the 373rd of his career, surpassing Victor Zambrano as the Rays' all-time fan man.
Despite missing nearly three weeks, Kazmir has a season total of 163 strikeouts, second to only Minnesota ace Johan Santana among major-league left-handers and fourth overall in the American League. His average of 10.14 strikeouts per nine innings is tops in the majors.
But all the strikeouts might not be a good thing because Kazmir is throwing too many pitches, which prevents him from working deep into games.
Tuesday he was done after six innings because he threw 101 pitches. He went only five innings in his previous two starts, having thrown 89 and 87 pitches. In 24 starts this season, he has worked less than seven innings 16 times. He also has exceeded 100 pitches 15 times.
The Rays trailed 3-2 when Kazmir left after the sixth, though it wasn't all his fault as the Rangers took advantage of some sloppy defense.
With B.J. Upton a late scratch and Maddon committed to giving Cantu the day off, Russell Branyan started at third and had some rough moments in Texas' three-run third inning.
He booted a ground ball to his backhand side by Nelson Cruz to start the inning, then was slow in making the play on Jerry Hairston's bunt, putting Rangers on first and second with no outs. Both runners moved up on Matthews' grounder to third that Branyan did make the play on, then scored when Young singled to center. Young later scored.
Then Young scored from second on Mark Teixeira's slow bouncer to the right side with two outs.
The Rays cut into the lead slowly, because Greg Norton, who is still being treated for the sore left hamstring that forced him to miss most of the last week, had to do most of the work.
Norton - who came in leading the American League with a .434 August average - homered on the first pitch of the fourth. He had to run harder and farther in the sixth, when his leadoff single skipped past centerfielder Matthews. Norton ended up at third and scored on a sac fly by Dioner Navarro.
