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Crawford's grand slam helps Rays rally past Cubs

Jun 20, 2008 - 3:57 AM ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Carl Crawford said all he was trying to do was get a hit. That he did and more.

Carl Crawford's grand slam keyed a seven-run, seventh-inning outburst as the Tampa Bay Rays rallied past the Chicago Cubs, 8-3, in interleague play Thursday.

The left fielder went 3-for-5 for Tampa Bay, which swept the three-game series from Chicago and has won 25 of its last 29 home games.

"This was a big moment," Crawford said. "We knew we had them on the ropes. We wanted to bring it to them."

"Sweeping the Cubs validates what we've been doing and it does give us more confidence," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We always think about winning a series, but once you win the first two you want to finish it. When you win a game like this, it can spill into tomorrow."

The Cubs (45-28), who still have the best record in the majors, suffered their first three-game losing streak of the year.

"The road trip has just been a struggle," said Cubs manager Lou Piniella of his club going 2-4 on the six-game trek. "We've got to piece it together, keep our heads up and just keep going.

"We haven't been in a bad spell all year. Well, we're in one right now and hopefully at home, it will cure it and we go forward."

With Chicago leading, 3-1, in the seventh, Piniella handed the ball to reliever Carlos Marmol (1-2) and things quickly unraveled for the Cubs.

Marmol walked the first two batters before hitting Gabe Gross on a two-strike pitch to load the bases. Things went from bad to worse when Marmol drilled Akinori Iwamura - also with two strikes - in the thigh to cut the deficit to 3-2.

"Carlos has been extremely reliable," Piniella said. "This was one that came out of nowhere. What are you going to do?"

Southpaw Scott Eyre came in to face the left-handed hitting Crawford, who crushed a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence for his second career grand slam and a 6-3 lead.

"I was just trying to get a base hit, just trying to get a run in," Crawford said. "I was trying to get a run in and ended up getting a home run."

Eyre said the pitch to Crawford was supposed to be down and away.

"I missed up and in and he still hit it," Eyre said. "Sometimes you throw a bad pitch and they hit it good even though it's in a good spot. If I was going to miss, I would actually miss there again. I mean he got his hands there and hit it hard."

Two batters later, Eric Hinske's RBI double scored B.J. Upton, who had tripled. Rookie Evan Longoria's sacrifice fly gave the Rays an 8-3 cushion.

"I'm really proud of our guys and the way they handled adversity tonight," Maddon said. "The guys were alive in the dugout. It was like a mosh pit in there."

Tampa Bay reliever Grant Balfour (2-0) pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing a hit while striking out three to earn the win.

The Cubs trailed, 1-0, in the top of the seventh before RBIs by Mike Fontenot, Kosuke Fukudome and Ryan Theriot gave the visitors a short-lived lead.

Both starters were effective. The Rays' James Shields gave up three runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out a season high-tying nine batters in 6 1/3 innings.

Sean Gallagher was solid as well, allowing an unearned run, four hits and two walks while striking out four in six frames.

"I thought Gallagher pitched well," Piniella said. "His pitch count got up there, but he pitched well. I was pleased."

Derrek Lee had three hits for the Cubs, whose first appearance at Tropicana Field drew three consecutive crowds of more than 30,000.