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Garza outduels Guthrie as Rays edge Orioles

May 24, 2008 - 3:08 AM ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) - Matt Garza and two relievers combined on a four-hit effort as the Tampa Bay Rays blanked the Baltimore Orioles, 2-0, on Friday.

Carl Crawford had a fifth-inning RBI single and Carlos Pena added an eighth-inning sacrifice fly as the Rays won for the 13th time in their last 14 home games.

Tampa Bay (28-20) also owns the second-best record in the American League.

Coming off his worst start of the season Saturday in St. Louis, Garza (3-1) threw 7 1/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts and four walks. Trever Miller recorded two outs in the eighth and Troy Percival pitched a perfect ninth for his 14th save.

"Garza is starting to attack the hitters, instead of pitching to the hitters," Percival said. "And hitters don't like that."

Garza improved to 5-0 all-time against the Orioles.

"Sometimes it doesn't matter what nine players are in the uniform, as long as it says Orioles," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "It just seems to be that way for Garza."

The Orioles, who stranded two runners in the fifth and sixth, also wasted a scoring opportunity in the second.

Aubrey Huff led off with a triple and Kevin Millar followed with a walk. After Luke Scott popped up to third base, Ramon Hernandez grounded to first base, where Pena threw out Huff at home.

"It's huge when you've got guys like that playing defense behind you," Garza said. "It was huge right there."

Adam Jones then drew a two-out walk, but Freddie Bynum grounded out with the bases-loaded to end the threat.

Jeremy Guthrie (2-5) allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings for Baltimore. He struck out five and walked three.

"I felt great out there," Guthrie said. "I had all the pitches going."

Crawford's fifth-inning, two-out single gave the Rays a 1-0 lead.

"I was just trying to battle and got a ball I could handle," Crawford said. "We got the one run we need with Garza pitching so well."

Trailing, 1-0, in the eighth with Nick Markakis on first, Huff hit a ground ball down the line that bounced over the first base bag and appeared to be fair. It would have easily scored Markakis, but first base umpire Ed Hickox ruled it foul.

"Without a doubt, (it was fair)," Huff said. "I understand Ed is human, he makes mistakes and, obviously, he made one there. You guys want to talk about (using instant) replay? There's a classic case there. I mean it wasn't even close."

Huff then grounded into an inning-ending double play.

"We got the ground ball double play and I'll take it," Maddon said. "I couldn't tell if it was fair or foul."

Manager Dave Trembley, who argued the call with Hickox, was ejected in the bottom of the inning by home plate umpire Ed Rapuano.

"Obviously, I thought it was a fair ball and, you know, that's baseball," Trembley said. "There's a difference in opinion, and that's all that happened."

The loss marked the third time the Orioles have been shut out in their last 10 games.