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Kazmir dominates as Devil Rays down Mariners

Sep 16, 2007 - 6:19 AM By Paul Lowenberg PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Scott Kazmir dominated the Seattle Mariners over six innings and Jonny Gomes and Delmon Young drove in two runs apiece as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays snapped a four-game losing streak with a 6-2 victory Saturday night.

Kazmir (13-8) earned his fourth consecutive victory as he limited the Mariners to three hits and an unearned run while striking out 11 and walking one. The 23-year-old lefthander improved his career mark against Seattle to 3-0.

"That might have been his best fastball all year," Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "There have been times when he pitched with all three pitches, but tonight his fastball was exceptional. It was exploding at the end."

Kazmir, who needs one more victory to tie Rolando Arrojo for most wins in a season by a Devil Ray with 14, said everything was working for him Saturday night.

"In the bullpen my arm felt live," Kazmir said. "It felt loose, you might say. I was showing my fastball early and trying to get ahead with it and my other pitches felt like they were there, too."

Gomes matched his career high with four hits and Carl Crawford returned to the lineup following a two-game suspension to also go 4-for-5 and steal his 50th base, becoming only the 23rd player in major league history to swipe that many bases in a year four times.

"That's a milestone I try to reach every year," Crawford said. "I was just anxious to get back out there. I didn't think I would have four hits, but I'll take it."

The loss ended a three-game winning streak for Seattle (78-68) and cost it the chance to pick up a game on the New York Yankees (84-64) in the American League wild card chase. The Mariners trail by five games.

The Devil Rays struck for four runs in the first inning as they chased starter Horacio Ramirez (8-7) before the lefthander could record an out. Akinori Iwamura and Crawford singled and Carlos Pena walked to load the bases. When B.J. Upton followed with an RBI single, Jorge Campillo relieve Ramirez and gave up a two-run single by Young.

Campillo got Brendan Harris to hit into a double play, but Gomes singled to give Tampa Bay a 4-0 lead.

Mariners manager John McLaren was clearly frustrated with the performance of his starting pitcher.

"You can't start behind 5-0 every day," McLaren said. "You just can't do it. We tried to come back and we just weren't able to do it. We try to give our guys a chance to work their way out of it, but we just don't have that luxury anymore."

Gomes doubled in another run in the third and Harris' 12th homer made it 6-0 in the fifth.

Kazmir gave up an unearned tally in the fifth when Jose Vidro singled and went to third when Yuniesky Betancourt's liner went under first baseman Pena's glove for an error. Vidro came around to score on rookie Adam Jones' high chopper to second.