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Kim's pitching performance helps Marlins defeat Devil Rays

May 19, 2007 - 6:45 AM ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- Aaron Boone made sure Byung-Hyun Kim's debut for the Florida Marlins was an impressive one.

Kim pitched 5 1/3 solid innings and Aaron Boone hit his second career grand slam as the Marlins defeated the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 8-4, in the first of a three-game series between the Floridian teams.

Reggie Abercrombie had a two-run single and Jason Wood added an RBI base hit for Florida, which has won 10 of its last 15 games vs. Tampa Bay. The Marlins also snapped a three-game losing streak to the Devil Rays at Tropicana Field.

Boone hammered a 0-1 pitch from Tampa Bay starter Edwin Jackson in the second inning over the left field wall for his second homer of the season and a quick 4-0 lead.

"It was a breaking pitch that was left hanging," Boone said. "It was a good situation to be in, bases loaded, less than two outs. Our goal every night is to score runs early."

Miguel Cabrera, Josh Willingham and Jeremy Hermida set up the blast with three consecutive singles. After three walks loaded the bases in the third, Abercrombie delivered a two-run single for a 6-0 lead, ending the night for Jackson. Treanor later scored on a passed ball by Dioner Navarro.

That was enough for Kim (2-2), who allowed three runs - two earned - and six hits.

"The first and second innings I felt great," Kim said. "I want to play with the best players in the world. I felt kind of dehydrated the last couple of innings."

The righthander walked three and struck out five after being acquired from Colorado on Sunday for pitcher Jorge Julio

"He gave us a good performance," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. It was very nice, he made good pitches and kept them off-balance. He'll get the ball in five days."

Jackson (0-5) was tagged for seven runs - six earned - and seven hits in just 2 2/3 innings.

"That's the way it's been all year, take three steps forward and five steps back," Jackson said. "I'll need to work harder for my next start. Sometimes it feels like I have something going, then I get slapped in the face."

The righthander, who walked three and stuck out two, has not recorded a victory since September 26, 2005, while pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"Jackson's problem was location more than anything else," Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "He just wasn't on his game tonight."

Ty Wigginton homered twice for Tampa Bay, who had its four-game winning streak snapped.

After Carlos Pena scored on a fielding error by Wood to cut the Devil Rays' deficit to 7-1 in the fourth, the first baseman responded with an RBI base hit in the fifth to make it 8-1.

Wigginton and Pena hit back-to-back solo homers in the sixth to help Tampa Bay close to within 8-3 and Wigginton hit his eighth homer in the eighth to cut Florida's lead in half.

"I love the ways our guys came back," Maddon said. "It's tough to keep coming back from deficits."

Matt Lindstrom worked out of a bases-loaded situation in the eighth by getting a strikeout and a double play before Kevin Gregg logged the ninth.