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Longoria, Hinske power Rays past Pirates

Jun 28, 2008 - 4:17 AM By Brad Everett PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- Some wondered if a six-game road trip would send the surprising Tampa Bay Rays into a midseason tailspin. Instead, it's made them fly even higher.

The red-hot Rays scored seven runs in the first three innings, and hit three home runs, lifting them to their fourth straight road win with a 10-5 triumph over the Pittsburgh Pirates in interleague play on Friday.

Rookie Evan Longoria went 4-for-5 and homered for the third straight game, and Eric Hinske and Carl Crawford added home runs for the Rays, who scored at least 10 runs for the second time in three games after doing so just five times in their first 76 games.

"Sometimes you just find that stride," Longoria said. "I've been feeling really comfortable at the plate, really confident. And I'm just trying to ride it out. You never know when it's going to go."

"We've been getting better at-bats these last couple of days in particular," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We're starting to spread it around a little bit. Certain guys are starting to heat up. We've been talking about that a lot. We've just been waiting for some guys to catch on fire."

The Rays struck early and often against Pirates starter Jimmy Barthmaier (0-1), who was making his major league debut.

Longoria smacked a three-run homer in the first inning and Hinske matched him in the third with a three-run shot of his own.

"I've been feeling more confident, and I think other guys are starting to feel that, too," Longoria said. "When we do what we can do as an offense, it's something pretty special."

Dioner Navarro hit a run-scoring single later in the frame, pushing the Rays to an early 7-0 advantage.

"We obviously didn't want to give him a chance to settle in," said Longoria of Barthmaier, who was recalled from Class AAA Indianapolis earlier in the day. "It's always tough for a first-time guy. I thought his stuff was good, but he was just making too many mistakes over the plate. As you know, this is the big leagues. Guys are going to hit those up here."

It was all the run support that was needed for Scott Kazmir (7-3), who won for the first time in four starts despite giving up four runs - three earned - and five hits in five innings.

The righthander looked great early on, notching three strikeouts in three hitless innings. But he began to struggle in the fourth, when the Pirates scored four times to cut their deficit to 7-4.

"I was just having trouble with my off-speed stuff," Kazmir said. "I thought I was good in the early innings, but couldn't set down anybody after that. I felt like my slider was real lazy. I just had to battle through it."

Freddy Sanchez notched the Pirates' first run - and hit - of the game with a leadoff blast in the fourth. Later in the inning, Chris Gomez had a run-scoring base hit and Jack Wilson added a two-run single.

However, the Pirates would only score one more run and tally another four hits the rest of the way, en route to their eighth loss in 12 interleague games.

"It's tough when you get down seven runs early," Pirates manager John Russell said. "But we got right back into the game. We scored four runs off of Kazmir and had some opportunities. We just got behind the eight-ball early, and it was a little bit too big of a mountain to climb."

Barthmaier was tagged for seven runs, seven hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings.

"I left a couple pitches up in the zone, and at this level they definitely make you pay for it. I learned that tonight," Barthmaier said.

Crawford went 3-for-5 and added a solo home run in the sixth for the Rays, who have won 10 of their past 13.