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The Leading Logic In Sports Handicapping |
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ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- For the past two days, the
Tampa Bay Rays pitchers have carried the club with consecutive
shutouts.
On Sunday, the Rays hitters did their part.
Carl Crawford had a three-run home run as the red-hot Rays won
their franchise-record ninth consecutive home game with an 8-5
victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Crawford, B.J. Upton and Akinori Iwamura each had three of Tampa
Bay's 15 hits while Cliff Floyd added two RBI. The Rays
(21-16) moved five games over .500 for the first time in their
11-year history.
"That's just the beginning hopefully," Tampa Bay manager Joe
Maddon said. "We feel pretty good about ourselves right now. I
believe we're capable of playing this way consistently."
With the Rays trailing, 5-4, Crawford, who also stole two bases,
belted a three-run shot to right field in the sixth off Justin
Speier (0-3). Upton followed with a double and scored after two
wild pitches.
"You can just put these two losses on me," said Speier, who
allowed a two-run walk-off homer to Evan Longoria in Friday's
2-0 loss. "I just haven't made my pitches like I normally
could. I'm going to iron it."
J.P. Howell (2-0) pitched three scoreless innings to earn the
win in relief of Andy Sonnanstine, and Troy Percival picked up
his second save in as many nights against his former team. It
was Percival's ninth save of the season overall.
"It's been a total team effort so far," Crawford said. "We're
confident enough as a team to make us feel like it's going to
happen."
Ervin Santana, who didn't allow an earned run in each of his
last two starts, was roughed up for five runs and nine hits in 5
2/3 innings. The righthander was denied his chance at becoming
the first seven-game winner in the American League.
"Ervin started off a little bit slow, picked it up and actually
got into a pretty good rhythm," Angels manager Mike Scioscia
said.
Tampa Bay jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on RBIs
from Upton, Carlos Pena and Floyd, who returned to the lineup
after missing 30 games while recovering from right knee surgery.
"You don't want to come in and be too agressive, you want the
game to come to you," Floyd said. "Everybody's relaxed now,
everyone feels good. Right now, everyone's having fun. It's
going good."
The Angels pulled even in the third on consecutive RBI singles
from Vladimir Guerrero, Garret Anderson and Torii Hunter. The
three runs were their first in 20 innings against the Rays, who
had a pair of 2-0 shutouts on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
After Floyd's third-inning single gave Tampa Bay a 4-3 lead, the
Angels went ahead, 5-4, in the fifth on Guerrero's RBI single
and Anderson's RBI triple.
Hunter had three hits and two RBI for the Angels, who lost their
fourth consecutive game.
"There is nothing the Rays did that surprised us," Scioscia
said. "They're a team that has a lot of positive things
happening. A lot of young talent, some good arms, and what
Percy (Percival) is doing over there is remarkable."
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