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Orioles' bullpen, Markakis top Devil Rays

Apr 19, 2007 - 12:04 AM ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- The Baltimore Orioles new-look bullpen continues to look strong in the early season.

Four Orioles relievers combined to pitch 3 1/3 scoreless innings and Kevin Millar stroked a go-ahead double in the fifth inning en route to a 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

In relief of ace lefthander Erik Bedard, offseason signings Chad Bradford and Danys Baez along with John Parrish and closer Chris Ray did not allow a hit to Tampa Bay. Ray struck out the side in the ninth to earn his fifth save of the season.

"It's unbelievable. My job is a heck of a lot easier when I have these guys going before me," Ray said of the Orioles' middle relief. "It makes it easier when the tempo is good like that when I get out there."

Bedard (3-1) did enough to get the win, allowing four runs, seven hits and three walks while striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings.

"Just couldn't get a rhythm going," Bedard said. "There was a lot of time between pitches ... It just throws your rhythm off a little bit."

Millar followed a one-out double by Miguel Tejada in the fifth with a two-base hit to right off Toronto reliever Gary Glover (0-2), plating Tejada for a 4-3 edge. Rookie John Knott, who walked and scored in a two-run fourth, followed with a base hit up the middle, plating Millar.

Tejada finished with three hits and two runs and Knott added two hits and two runs. It was just the second game for Knott, who hit a pinch-hit three-run home run in Tuesday's loss to the Devil Rays.

"Jay Payton is going to be coming back but (Knott) showed that, if we need him to come back up, he's ready," Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo said. "He certainly didn't hurt his chances up here."

Nick Markakis capped the scoring for Baltimore with his third home run of the season in the seventh off Glover, who allowed three runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings.

"I was feeling good at the plate all day," Markakis said. "I just tried to make adjustments and it paid off."

Scott Kazmir started for Tampa Bay but left after four innings and 102 pitches. The lefthander allowed three runs, six hits and four walks while striking out three.

"He just didn't have a good day today, Kaz was not his normal self," Tampa Bay manager Joe Madden said. "I'm sure he's going to be fine his next time out. He just didn't have his command today."

Kazmir has not won in Tampa Bay since July 3, going 0-2 in five starts.

"I couldn't get in my groove," Kazmir said. "My mechanics were inconsistent. All in all, I just couldn't find the zone. I felt kind of gassed from the beginning. I just wish I could've gone deeper in the game."

Rocco Baldelli hit his second home run of the season and Carl Crawford had two hits and an RBI for Tampa Bay, which has not won a series since taking two-of-three games from the Seattle Mariners on September 1-3. The team is 0-9-4 in series since then.