Zobrist’s hit in 9th gets Rays by Jays
July 9, 2009
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—Ben Zobrist(notes) keeps proving his worth to the Tampa BayRays.
The first-time All-star, one of the biggest surprises in baseball thisseason, drove in four runs with a homer and tie-breaking ninth-inning singlethat gave the AL champions a 10-9 victory over slumping Toronto on Wednesdaynight.
The Rays dropped their division rival in dramatic fashion for the secondstraight night. Pat Burrell(notes) homered in the 11th inning in the series opener tobeat the Blue Jays, who have lost nine of 11.
“The last two games have been great for us. They’re big because they’regames we’re going to need to win the AL East,” Zobrist said. “That’s our goal,and we’re going to keep pushing for that.”
Zobrist, a utility player who started at six positions before settling in asthe regular second baseman in place of the injured Akinori Iwamura(notes), is batting.289 with 17 homers and 50 RBIs.
Series at a Glance Toronto 1 Tampa Bay 3 Tue, Jul 7 – Final 11th Toronto 9 Tampa Bay 10 Wed, Jul 8 – Final Toronto at Tampa Bay Thu, Jul 9 – 12:08 pm ET
He homered off Blue Jays starter Brian Tallet(notes) in the fourth inning. Hiswinning hit off Scott Downs(notes) with two outs drove in Carl Crawford(notes), who singledoff Jason Frasor(notes) (5-2) before stealing second and third.
“We scored some runs,” Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. “We just didn’thold them.”
B.J. Upton(notes) stole home in the first inning and had an RBI single in thesecond for the Rays, who built two three-run leads that Scott Kazmir(notes) and TampaBay’s bullpen couldn’t hold. Toronto wiped out deficits of 5-2 and 9-6 beforewasting an opportunity to go ahead when it stranded two runners in the eighth.
J.P. Howell(notes) (5-2) pitched the ninth to get the victory.
Scott Rolen(notes) had three hits and drove in a run, extending his career-besthitting streak to 25 games for Toronto, which fell to .500 (43-43) for the firsttime this year.
Kazmir, still looking for his first win in two months, allowed seven runsand nine hits in 6 1-3 innings. The Blue Jays scored two runs charged toreliever Grant Balfour(notes) to make it 9-9 in the seventh.
Tampa Bay Rays' Carl Crawf… AP – Jul 8, 11:42 pm EDT
“It felt like I pitched way better than that,” said Kazmir, who hasn’t wonsince beating Boston on May 9. “It seems like I haven’t gotten one break thewhole year. I’m due.”
In his third start since ending a five-week stay on the disabled list with aright quad strain, Kazmir allowed solo homers to Adam Lind(notes) and Vernon Wells(notes)before giving up three runs in the fourth to blow a 5-2 lead.
Rolen doubled, Wells reached on an infield single and Kevin Millar(notes) walked toload the bases with no outs in the Toronto fourth.
Alex Rios(notes) drove in a run on a forceout at second, and the Blue Jays made it5-all when Marco Scutaro(notes) singled off first baseman Carlos Pena’s(notes) glove to drivein two more runs.
Toronto’s momentum was short-lived. Three batters later, Tallet gave upZobrist’s 17th homer and departed after yielding eight runs and 11 hits inthree-plus innings, his shortest start of the year.
“I don’t know who was pitching worse. Him or the kid across the way,”Gaston said of Tallet and Kazmir. “It was kind of a race, who’s going to getrun out of there first.”
Trailing 9-6 entering the seventh, Aaron Hill(notes) doubled for the final hit offKazmir, then scored on Rolen’s single off Balfour. After Millar doubled to drivein the second run of the inning, Rios singled to make it 9-9.
NOTES: Upton stole home when Tallet tried to pick off Carl Crawford, themajor league steals leader, at first base. It was his third career steal ofhome. … Wells’ homer moved him ahead of George Bell into sole possession offourth place on Toronto’s career hit list with 1,295. … Rays LHP Brian Shouse(notes)(elbow strain) is scheduled to throw a simulated game Friday at Tropicana Fieldand could be ready to begin a minor league rehab assignment some time after theAll-Star break.
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