Final
Angels' Kazmir loses in first start against Rays
May 12, 2010 - 6:21 AMVideo
"That's exactly what I envisioned," Kazmir said.
It didn't turn out that way, though.
Jeff Niemann and Evan Longoria, Kazmir's ex-teammates, led the Rays to a 7-2 victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
"It's very disappointing," Kazmir said. "There's a lot of history there and a lot of good friendships I made over the years - not just with the players and staff, but with the community."
The victory was only the second by the Rays in 16 games at Anaheim since former Angels bench coach Joe Maddon became Tampa Bay's manager.
"It's awkward to see Kaz in red and white. Let me put it that way," Maddon said. "But we've kind of moved along, and we really like what we have going on here. I like our pitching staff. I really wish Kaz well here, but I don't really dwell on that kind of stuff."
Niemann (3-0) took a shutout into the eighth inning and Longoria had a homer and four RBIs for the Rays, who improved their major league-best record to 23-10 and increased their AL East lead over the Yankees to a full game after New York was rained out in Detroit.
Niemann was charged with two runs and six hits over 7 1-3 innings, struck out four and stranded a runner in scoring position in each of the first three innings before handing a 6-0 lead over to the bullpen. The 6-foot-9 right-hander has pitched at least seven innings in five of his last six starts, and came within one out of doing so the other time.
"That's been hammered into our heads since spring training, that the starters go deep into the game. And we've been doing a pretty good job of it," Niemann said after the Rays snapped a three-game skid. "We were all pretty amped up to face Kaz, a guy we know pretty well. So it was good to get a win and stop the bleeding."
Niemann departed after giving up a leadoff single to Brandon Wood and a one-out walk to Bobby Abreu. Torii Hunter greeted Lance Cormier with an RBI single, and Kendry Morales singled to load the bases.
Randy Choate came in and walked Hideki Matsui on four pitches to force in a run, but Grant Balfour restored order by striking out Howie Kendrick and retiring Michael Ryan on a fielder's choice grounder.
Kazmir (2-3) threw 108 pitches in five innings, allowing three runs and seven hits with two strikeouts and three walks. The two-time All-Star has failed to reach the seventh in any of his six starts this season, after spending the first two weeks on the disabled list because of a right hamstring strain that interrupted his spring training regimen.
"I know I have what it takes to be a quality starter in this league," he said. "It's just a matter of me going out and relaxing and having fun and not putting too much pressure on myself."
Kazmir is 4-5 with a 4.05 ERA in 12 starts since joining the Angels. Right-hander Wade Davis, who replaced Kazmir in the Rays' rotation after the trade, is 5-4 with a 3.46 ERA in 12 starts since his promotion from Triple-A Durham last September.
"It was definitely tough to face them for the first time, and it felt a little strange," Kazmir said. "But once the game started, it didn't really affect me at all - just that one time, the first at-bat by B.J. (Upton), when he was looking at me and smiling. I had to take a step back, look into the stands and kind of refocus."
Kazmir, Tampa Bay's career leader in wins, starts, innings, and strikeouts, was traded to the Angels last August 28 for three players. One of those players, second baseman Sean Rodriguez, was 2 for 4 with a double and scored the game's first run in the third inning on the first of Carl Crawford's three consecutive singles.
The next batter, No. 3 hitter Ben Zobrist, laid down a squeeze bunt to the right of the mound and was thrown out by Kazmir as Jason Bartlett crossed the plate.
Longoria made it 3-0 with a two-out RBI single in the fifth, then doubled the margin in the seventh with his eighth homer after Scot Shields relieved Trevor Bell with two men on and no outs.
NOTES: Opposing batters are 0 for 12 against Niemann with two outs and a runner in scoring position. ... Rays 1B Carlos Pena, who has only one hit in his last 40 at-bats and is hitting just .179, didn't start but came in as a defensive replacement in the seventh.
- Angels 2, Rays 7 - FINAL
TAMPA BAY ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
J Bartlett ss 3 2 1 0 2 1 2 .248
C Crawford lf 5 1 3 1 0 0 1 .312
B Zobrist 1b-rf 3 2 1 1 1 0 2 .268
E Longoria 3b 5 1 2 4 0 1 2 .328
W Aybar dh 3 0 0 1 1 0 1 .260
B Upton cf 4 0 0 0 1 3 1 .217
G Kapler rf
May 12 1:12 AM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY WILLY AYBAR SCORED BEN ZOBRIST
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 7
LA ANGELS 2 TOP,9TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: B UPTON (.219, 0-FOR-3, BB)
Rays 7, Angels 2 Top 9, 0 OutsMay 12 1:01 AM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
BASES LOADED WALK TO HIDEKI MATSUI SCORED BOBBY ABREU
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, H MATSUI ON FIRST, K MORALES ON SECOND, T
HUNTER ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 6
LA ANGELS 2 BOTTOM,8TH
DUE UP FOR LA ANGELS: H KENDRICK (.275, 1-FOR-2, BB)
Rays 6, Angels 2 Bot 8, 0 OutsMay 12 12:50 AM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY TORII HUNTER SCORED BRANDON WOOD
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, T HUNTER ON FIRST, B ABREU ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 6
LA ANGELS 1 BOTTOM,8TH
DUE UP FOR LA ANGELS: K MORALES (.285, 0-FOR-3)
Rays 6, Angels 1 Bot 8, 0 OutsMay 12 12:44 AM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
THREE-RUN HOME RUN BY EVAN LONGORIA (8) TO CENTER WITH 0 OUT
IN THE 7TH OFF SCOT SHIELDS SCORED BEN ZOBRIST AND CARL
CRAWFORD.
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 6, LA ANGELS 0
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: W AYBAR (.260, 0-FOR-3)
Rays 6, Angels 0 Top 7, 0 OutsMay 12 12:07 AM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY EVAN LONGORIA SCORED JASON BARTLETT
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, E LONGORIA ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 3
LA ANGELS 0 TOP,5TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: W AYBAR (.265, 0-FOR-2)
Rays 3, Angels 0 Top 5, 0 OutsMay 11 11:31 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE HIT BY BEN ZOBRIST SCORED JASON BARTLETT
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, C CRAWFORD ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 2
LA ANGELS 0 TOP,3RD
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: E LONGORIA (.323, 0-FOR-1)
Rays 2, Angels 0 Top 3, 0 OutsMay 11 10:51 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY CARL CRAWFORD SCORED SEAN RODRIGUEZ
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, C CRAWFORD ON FIRST, J BARTLETT ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 1
LA ANGELS 0 TOP,3RD
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: B ZOBRIST (.264, 0-FOR-1)
Rays 1, Angels 0 Top 3, 0 OutsMay 11 10:50 PM
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