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Ginter, Garko hand Rays sixth straight loss

Jul 13, 2008 - 4:13 AM By Todd Krepop PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Matt Ginter knew if he kept pitching, he still had a chance at another victory in the major leagues. That long-awaited chance came Saturday, and he made the most of it.

Ginter tossed five scoreless innings and Ryan Garko homered and drove in five runs as the Cleveland Indians extended the Tampa Bay Rays' losing streak to six games Saturday with an 8-4 triumph.

Brought up from the minors earlier in the day, Ginter (1-0) allowed five hits and struck out five in his first major league appearance since September 18, 2005 with Detroit. The righthander improved to 5-4 in 93 career games, including 16 starts, with his first win since May 21, 2004 over Colorado while a member of the New York Mets.

"If you got a uniform on, you still got a chance," Ginter said. "It felt pretty good (to win). I wasn't too nervous. I got that out of the way the other night. I just wanted to go out there and do what I can."

"He had been throwing the ball well (at Class AAA Buffalo)," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "He did a good job of using the plate and mixing all of his pitches. It was a great effort."

Garko gave Ginter plenty of support, belting a two-run homer in the second inning and adding a three-run double in the third. All-Star Grady Sizemore also launched a two-run shot in the second, his American League-leading 23rd of the season.

"It always helps when you get five or six runs," Ginter said. "It helps you throw the ball in the zone and let the defense work behind you."

Matt Garza (7-5) lasted five innings for Tampa Bay, surrendering seven runs, 11 hits and two walks while striking out six.

Cliff Floyd and All-Star Dioner Navarro each drove in a pair of runs in the eighth for the Rays, who are in the midst of their longest slide of the campaign. Tampa Bay, which has been outscored 40-11 during the skid, has lost 12 games in a row at Cleveland.

"Collectively, we're not getting it done," Floyd said. "Hopefully, this is a good learning experience for us."

Ginter looked like anything but a pitcher that had been out of the majors for three years. The 30-year-old did not allow a runner past first base after the opening inning and completed his performance with a 1-2-3 fifth.

"I used the same approach that I did in Buffalo," Ginter said. "I didn't want to change anything that I was doing. I brought that up here and it worked out."

In the second, Garko blasted the first pitch he saw from Garza over the left field wall to give the Indians a 2-0 lead. It was Garko's first extra-base hit since June 9 against Detroit.

"I wasn't worried about it," Garko said of his extra-base hit drought. "My numbers will be there at the end of the year. I just try to focus on today."

Franklin Gutierrez followed with a single to left to snap an 0-for-32 skid, and Sizemore blasted Garza's 1-2 offering into the Indians' bullpen in center field to double the advantage.

"Those guys were hitting everything," Garza said. "They got the best of me."

An inning later, Garko hit a blooper between diving right fielder Eric Hinske and center fielder Gabe Gross, allowing Jhonny Peralta, Casey Blake and David Dellucci to score for a 7-0 bulge.

"(Garko) really stepped up for us," Wedge said. "He went up there ready to hit today."

Tampa Bay snapped its 22-inning scoreless streak with a four-run eighth, as Floyd delivered a two-run single and Navarro plated a pair with a double.

"Hopefully, that breaks it open for tomorrow," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "When we got to 7-4, we felt pretty good. We had the fight to come back."