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Pena's home run spoils no-hit bid, lifts Devil Rays to win

May 13, 2007 - 9:03 PM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Shaun Marcum didn't get a chance to continue his bid for a no-hitter. Carlos Pena made the Toronto Blue Jays pay for that.

After the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were held without a hit for 6 2/3 innings, Pena snapped a scoreless tie with a home run in a 2-1 victory over the Blue Jays.

Making his first start of the season after 13 relief appearances, Marcum did not allow a hit through six innings. He walked three and struck out seven.

However, Marcum had not thrown more than 45 pitches in any of his previous relief appearances and was on a strict pitch count. After throwing 78 pitches, 44 of which were strikes, Marcum was lifted by manager John Gibbons.

That cost Marcum any opportunity of becoming only the second player in franchise history to throw a no-hitter.

"I just wanted to go out there and try to get as many innings as possible," Marcum said. "I didn't think I'd get tired as soon as I did, but I had a lot of adrenaline early on. It'd be great to have a no-hitter, but it's not what I go out there and try to do every day."

Dave Stieb pitched the only no-hitter in Blue Jays history on September 2, 1990 against Cleveland.

Marcum was moved into the rotation due to a flurry of injuries that has sidelined starters Roy Halladay, Gustavo Chacin and Victor Zambrano.

Frasor retired Ty Wigginton on a flyout and struck out B.J. Upton to continue the no-hit bid, but then was victimized by Pena, who hit his second homer in as many days and seventh of the season. After taking the first pitch for a ball, Pena launched an opposite-field homer over the 375-foot sign in left-center.

"I was trying to relax as much as possible because your tendency is that you want to break up a no-hitter so bad that it kind of takes away your focus," Pena said. "It was a fastball out over the plate. It felt very good to hit the ball hard the other way with authority and to put our team ahead."

"At the time I thought it was a good pitch," Frasor said. "(Pena) was ahead in the count and looking fastball and he got it. He connected and there's your win." Jae Seo (2-3), who entered with an 8.82 ERA, allowed just two hits in seven scoreless innings to earn the win.

The 29-year-old native of South Korea did not give up a hit until Royce Clayton doubled past the outstretched glove of left fielder Carl Crawford with two outs in the fifth inning. The only other hit off Seo was a single by rookie Adam Lind in the sixth.

"I just tried to keep the ball down," said Seo, who made his 100th career start. "The past games I've been doing too much thinking, but today I was just throwing the ball. My pitching has been up and down a lot lately."

Pena drove in Tampa Bay's second run in the ninth inning against reliever Brian Tallet. Crawford reached on an infield hit and raced to third on a single by Upton. Pena then hit a grounder to first baseman Lyle Overbay, who wanted to flip to Tallet for the out. However, Tallet was late covering and Pena slid headfirst into first base ahead of Overbay as Crawford scored.

"As soon as I saw the ball roll out towards the second baseman, I saw that (Tallet) didn't bounce off the mound quickly enough," Pena said. "I knew I had a chance to get to first base. That's why you hustle."

"I made the pitch I needed to make to get the weak ground ball - the problem is that's all I did," Tallet said. "I didn't do what I'm supposed to do which is get over to the bag. There's no excuses for it."

Gibbons agreed with Tallet's assessment.

"That can't happen," Gibbons said. "You've got to cover first base. And, of course, that turned out to be the difference (in the game)."

Al Reyes converted his 11th save in as many chances despite giving up a leadoff home run to Matt Stairs in the ninth inning. Reyes then retired Vernon Wells on a flyout to center, struck out Overbay looking and got Frank Thomas on a flyout to left.

The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Devil Rays.

"Both pitchers did a very nice job today," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "Marcum was very impressive and Seo brought it out today when we really needed it. I always like pitcher's duels, they keep you really mentally involved."

Toronto had lost a season-high nine in a row before winning the first two games of this series.