• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Longoria, Rays hammer Tigers

Aug 3, 2008 - 3:11 AM ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- As far as the Tampa Bay Rays are concerned, the bigger the better. Saturday night it was another big home crowd and another win.

Rookie Evan Longoria had three RBI and homered for the second consecutive night as the Rays routed the Detroit Tigers, 9-3, before a franchise-record fifth sellout (36,048) of the year.

Longoria and Jason Bartlett had three hits each for the Rays, who are 15-1 at home in front of 30,000 or more fans at Tropicana Field. The win was a franchise-record 42nd at home, breaking the previous mark of 41 set in 2004 and 2006.

Tampa Bay also is 38-9 in its last 47 home games and maintained a three-game lead over the Boston Red Sox atop the American League East.

"I liked the offensive flow," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "I'm just seeing a higher quality of at-bat right now.

"It's about not trying to hit home runs. Your highest batting average is going to be on line drives and ground balls. If we can go out there and work those quality at-bats, we're going to score some runs."

Longoria's solo home run in the sixth was his 21st of the season, tying the franchise's rookie home run record set by Jonny Gomes in 2005.

"Yesterday you saw the offense start to string hits together," Longoria said. "Finally we put up a big number for the pitching staff. We hadn't been hitting with runners in scoring position."

Andy Sonnanstine (11-6) snapped a three-game losing streak. He allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings with six strikeouts and a walk.

"We played good team baseball," Sonnanstine said. "It's a different mentality pitching when you have the lead. I feel like I'm in a more aggressive mind-set. Feel more comfortable out there with the lead and I think that makes me be more aggressive."

Kenny Rogers (8-8) lasted only 3 1/3 innings, tying for his shortest outing of the year. He allowed six hits and seven runs, walked four and struck out a season-high eight.

"I felt fine, my stuff was good," Rogers said. "The most overrated stat in the big leagues is strikeouts. I'm not a guy that looks for them, I got a few, but but they really didn't help me minimizing my damage out there."

Carl Crawford's two-run single keyed the Rays' four-run second inning. The Tigers cut the deficit to 4-2 in the third, but the Rays opened a 7-2 lead with three runs in the fourth.

Longoria had an RBI single in the inning.

"I think we're jelling now," Bartlett said. "It's been a dream so far this season. We just have to keep it going."

Miguel Cabrera went 3-for-3 for the Tigers. Curtis Granderson had a third-inning single, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.

"We had 11 hits and three runs, they had 11 hits and nine runs," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "That's not good. They got some hits with men on and we didn't do much of that."