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Longoria, Niemann power Rays past Brewers

Jun 21, 2011 - 5:26 AM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Evan Longoria hit a three-run home run and Jeff Niemann threw six shutout innings to help the Tampa Bay Rays take an 8-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a three-game interleague set.

Longoria finished with four RBI while B.J. Upton drove in two for the Rays, who have won four straight.

Niemann (2-4) gave up just four hits and three walks with five strikeouts while pitching for the first time since May 4. He was on the disabled list with a lower back strain.

"Every starting pitcher has been giving us a chance to win and that's big for our offense," Longoria said. "I had complete confidence that (Niemann) was going to comeback the way he did. You come to the ballpark and you expect to win everyday."

Yuniesky Betancourt drove in two, Jonathan Lucroy hit a solo home run and Prince Fielder plated the other run for the Brewers, who have lost four of five and six of eight. Chris Narveson (4-5) was tagged for four runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings.

"I'm alarmed that some of our starters have been giving up these kinds of numbers early in games," said Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke. "I shouldn't say alarmed, I should say surprised."

The Rays jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Upton grounded into a fielder's choice that saw Johnny Damon score.

The score remained that way until the seventh inning when the Rays surged ahead. Justin Ruggiano got the scoring started when he doubled home Kelly Shoppach, who led off with a walk and moved to second on a sac bunt. Ben Zobrist later doubled home Ruggiano and came home himself on an RBI single from Longoria. Upton then made it a 5-0 game with an RBI single of his own.

Lucroy got the Brewers on the board in the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff home run, his seventh of the season.

Longoria got that run back and two more in the eighth when he laced a shot over the left field wall with two men on for an 8-1 lead.

Milwaukee chipped away in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run single from Betancourt. The Brewers had runners on first and second with one out, but Lucroy flied out and Kyle Farnsworth struck out Craig Counsell to end the frame.

Farnsworth gave up a one-out double to Nyjer Morgan in the ninth and Fielder later doubled him home, but he got Casey McGehee to fly out to left to end the game.

Game Notes

The last time these teams met was in 2005 when the Rays took two of three from Milwaukee in Tampa Bay...Jeremy Hellickson pitches for Tampa on Tuesday while Zack Greinke goes for Milwaukee...Milwaukee batting coach Dale Sveum and Roenicke were thrown out in the sixth inning by home plate umpire Bob Davidson for arguing.