Final
Kazmir, Rays attempt to maintain home dominance
Jun 22, 2008 - 2:40 PM Tampa Bay (44-30) at Houston (34-41) 1:40 pm EDTST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- One of the keys to the Tampa Bay Rays' season so far this season has been their play at home - a place Scott Kazmir has taken to quite nicely.
Kazmir will try to remain undefeated at home on Sunday when the Rays attempt to claim the rubber game of a three-game set with the Houston Astros.
Tampa Bay, which is an American League-best 30-12 at home, will be seeking its 10th consecutive home series win when it asks Kazmir (6-2, 1.76 ERA) to keep doing what he has done since missing the first month of the season with a left elbow strain - win at Tropicana Field.
The lefthander has been nearly untouchable here, going 4-0 with a 0.59 ERA in five starts while holding opponents to a .146 batting average.
However, Kazmir will need to rebound from his last start when he lasted just 4 2/3 innings in Tuesday's 3-2 home win over the Chicago Cubs. Although he allowed only a run and three hits, Kazmir needed 110 pitches as he walked four and struck out seven.
Houston will counter with Brandon Backe (4-8, 4.99), who will be searching for a rare road win.
The righthander, who is 1-6 with a 5.81 ERA in nine starts away from home this season, allowed three runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings in his last outing, failing to factor in Tuesday's 6-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
- ML
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
HOUSTON 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 6 0
TAMPA BAY 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 1 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: HOU - BRANDON BACKE, WESLEY WRIGHT (7TH), CHRIS SAMPSON (8TH), DOUG
BROCAIL (8TH), JOSE VALVERDE (9TH) AND HUMBERTO QUINTERO
TAM - SCOTT KAZMIR, GRANT BALFOUR (6TH)
Jun 22 4:57 PM - ML
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY CARLOS LEE (17) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT IN
THE 6TH OFF SCOTT KAZMIR SCORED MIGUEL TEJADA.
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 3, TAMPA BAY 2
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: H PENCE (.275, 1-FOR-2, HR, RBI)
Astros 3, Rays 2 Top 6, 0 OutsJun 22 3:25 PM - ML
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY HUNTER PENCE (10) TO LEFT WITH 0 OUT IN
THE 5TH OFF SCOTT KAZMIR.
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 1, TAMPA BAY 2
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: T WIGGINTON (.264, 0-FOR-1)
Astros 1, Rays 2 Top 5, 0 OutsJun 22 2:51 PM - ML
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY EVAN LONGORIA (12) TO CENTER WITH 0 OUT
IN THE 2ND OFF BRANDON BACKE SCORED ERIC HINSKE.
CURRENT SCORE: HOUSTON 0, TAMPA BAY 2
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: C FLOYD (.258, 6 HR, 15 RBI)
Astros 0, Rays 2 Bot 2, 0 OutsJun 22 2:07 PM
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