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Mets' six-run rally puts away Rays

Jun 13, 2012 - 3:12 AM St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Ike Davis highlighted a six-run seventh inning with a three-run homer, and the New York Mets pounded Tampa Bay, 11-2, at Tropicana Field.

Jordany Valdespin, who had the go-ahead two-run double in the fifth, knocked in four runs. Daniel Murphy, who entered Tuesday mired in a 4-for-31 slump, hit a two-run single to continue the rally in the seventh inning.

Chris Young (1-0) allowed nine hits and a pair of runs while fanning four over 5 2/3 innings to get his first major league victory since April 5 last year in Philadelphia. Young had season-ending surgery May 17, 2011, to repair a tear of the anterior capsule in his throwing shoulder.

"His velocity went up as the game went along, which I thought was good," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "It's just one of those things where he started to feel better and started to let go of it harder."

The Mets, who were swept at Yankee Stadium over the weekend, won for just the second time in their last eight contests.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis helped the cause Tuesday with three hits and three runs scored.

Alex Cobb (2-3) yielded seven hits and six runs -- five earned -- over 6 2/3 frames. The right-hander also had six strikeouts, but lost his third consecutive start.

Hideki Matsui celebrated his 38th birthday Tuesday and had an RBI single, but the Rays saw their four-game winning streak come to an end.

"It was kind of a flat game for us, but Alex was good," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

A ground ball from David Wright went under the glove of shortstop Elliot Johnson in the first inning, allowing Valdespin to score from second.

Matsui's bases-loaded single off the wall in right was followed by a Will Rhymes sacrifice fly, giving the Rays a 2-1 lead in the first.

Valdespin singled on a soft liner to left-center field in the fifth to drive in Omar Quintanilla and Nieuwenhuis.

New York blew the game open two innings later. Valdespin doubled down the right field line to plate Nieuwenhuis. After Wright was intentionally walked, J.P. Howell was summoned from the bullpen to relieve Cobb.

Lucas Duda hit a slow roller toward third that resulted in a single to load the bases. Murphy followed with a looping two-run hit to center for a four-run lead, and Davis turned on a 3-2 pitch and homered to right field.

Valdespin added an RBI groundout in the eighth, and Duda singled in Nieuwenhuis later in the inning.

Game Notes

The Mets are visiting Tropicana Field for the first time since June 8-10, 2001, when they Rays took two of three games...The Mets are 2-5 in interleague play this year...The Mets have had at least one double in a franchise record 34 straight games.