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Bullpen helps Devil Rays end skid against Indians

Apr 22, 2007 - 3:49 AM ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Hitting wins most games, but the Tampa Bay Devil Rays can thank their outfield defense and bullpen for a win against the Cleveland Indians.

Delmon Young atoned for an error with a strong throw and the bullpen worked out of trouble as the Devil Rays posted a 6-5 victory over the Cleveland Indians, who had won seven straight games at Tropicana Field.

With the game tied at 5-5 in the sixth frame, Young threw out Kelly Shoppach at the plate from right field as he attempted to tag and score on a fly ball. Shoppach had led off the inning with a double and went to third on a throwing error by Young.

"Delmon makes the bad throw then comes up with the missle throw," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said.

In the seventh, left fielder Carl Crawford made a diving catch on an extra-base bid by Cleveland designated hitter Travis Hafner.

"Carl's diving play in left-center field, that was a huge play," Maddon said. "Carl was magnificent on that play. That was a huge play."

Had Crawford not made the catch, Grady Sizemore, who led off the seventh with a single, would have scored the tying run.

"We've got some athletes out there," Crawford said. "We're always looking to make a play. I just went all out on that one."

The bullpen also bailed the Rays out after Jae Seo (1-1) allowed five runs and eight hits in six frames to pick up the win.

Brian Stokes worked around a pair of singles in the seventh and Shawn Camp got the final out of the eighth after Juan Salas loaded the bases.

"I was going to go out with my best stuff and hope it works out for me," Camp said. "I've been in a little rut and I'm just trying to make my way out of it.

Al Reyes worked a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

"It was a good win. We battled," Camp said. "Stokes did a great job coming in sick (with flu-like symptoms) and Reyes closed the door."

"The bullpen came in and did a good job," Maddon said. "To hold that one-run (lead) was really solid. Camp is one of the guys we're depending on. It was definitely good to see him get going."

B.J. Upton used his bat and legs to break a 5-5 tie in the sixth. He singled with one out against Paul Byrd (1-1), stole second and advanced to third when catcher Shoppach's throw sailed into center field. Upton scored on a groundout by Ben Zobrist.

Hafner, who had his streak of reaching base on 10 straight plate appearances snapped in his previous at-bat, hit a three-run homer off Seo in the fifth. The 442-foot homer hit off the catwalk above the right field scoreboard

"Hafner's going to do that to a lot of people," Maddon said. "It's only 442 because something stopped it. On the moon that's still circling. He's exceptionally good."

Hafner has homered in five straight games at Tropicana Field.

The Indians jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second on a run-scoring single by Josh Barfield and a groundout by Andy Marte.

The Devil Rays scored three times in their half, including a solo homer by Ty Wigginton and an RBI double by Upton, and increased the edge to 5-2 on a third-inning double by Young and a run-scoring single by rookie Akinori Iwamura off Byrd.

Byrd was tagged for six runs and 11 hits in six frames.