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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- At least for the moment, the Tampa
Bay Devil Rays and Texas Rangers are last-place teams seemingly
headed in different directions.
The Devil Rays are streaking with eight wins in 11 games, while
the Rangers are sinking fast after a 9-2 loss Friday night extended
their losing streak to nine games -- matching the longest in the
majors this season.
The streak matches Kansas City's nine-game skid from April
14-23, and it's the longest for the defending AL West champions
since a 10-game slide from July 17-26, 1995.
"Hey, a month from now they're probably going to lose seven or
eight in a row and we won't remember. And we'll probably win seven
or eight in a row. That's the way the game is played. You come and
you go," Texas manager Johnny Oates said, trying to put the plunge
in perspective.
"This is one thing you need to keep in mind: When you're really
going good, you're never that good. ... When you lose nine in a
row, you're not that bad."
Jose Guillen tripled, homered and drove in two runs for the
Devil Rays, who beat the Rangers for only the second time in seven
meetings this season.
Esteban Yan (4-4) allowed seven hits, struck out four and walked
two in 6 1-3 innings to get the win with help from reliever Jim
Mecir, who bailed the starter out of a bases-loaded jam in the
seventh. Roberto Hernandez pitched the ninth.
Starting pitching has been a key to Tampa Bay's recent success.
Friday night was the 19th straight game a starter has gone five or
more innings, and the Devil Rays are 11-8 in those games.
"We're just putting it all together," Guillen said. "When you
put it all together, something good is going to happen."
Tampa Bay scored five runs in the first inning off Darren Oliver
(2-4), four on consecutive doubles by John Flaherty, Bobby Smith
and Steve Cox. Fred McGriff also had a RBI single, while Randy Winn
finished the Texas starter with a two-run single in the fourth.
"Any time you give up five runs in the first, you're kind of
flirting with disaster," Oliver said. "You give up a couple of
runs any time after tht, the manager's got to make a decision."
Guillen hit his fourth homer off Mark Clark for an 8-1 lead in
the sixth. He added a RBI triple in the seventh.
The victory was the third straight for Tampa Bay, 10-5 since May
31, when the Devil Rays were a season-low 18 games under .500.
Texas fell to 0-7 on a nine-game road trip, the first time it has
dropped seven in a row away from home since 1994.
Yan allowed Frank Catalanotto's solo homer in the second, then
retired 13 of 14 batters before Ivan Rodriguez reached base on an
infield single that gave him a 24-game hitting streak against Devil
Rays pitching.
Yan faded in the seventh, giving up singles to Catalanotto, Mike
Lamb and Gabe Kapler that loaded the bases. Yan left after forcing
in a run with a walk to Luis Alicea, and Mecir came on to get Dave
Martinez to ground into an inning-ending double play.
"You'd like to be a little bit closer when you get the bases
loaded and nobody out, and we get one run out of it," Oates said.
Five runs in the first inning were a season-high for Tampa Bay,
which started a lineup far less imposing on paper than the
power-laden group the club hoped would lead it to playoff
contention.
With Greg Vaughn sidelined by a right hamstring strain, and Jose
Canseco and Vinny Castilla both on the disabled list, McGriff and
Flaherty were the only established veterans.
Still, the only out Oliver was able to get among the first seven
batters was Guillen on a sacrifice. McGriff drove in the first run
of the inning with a single and the next three hits doubled with
Smith driving in two runs and Flaherty and Cox one each.
Tampa Bay made it 7-1 in the fourth on Randy Winn's two-run
single that finished Oliver, who allowed seven runs on seven hits
in 3 1/3 innings. The Texas starter struck out one and walked two.
Game notes
Texas DH David Segui was scratched from the Rangers lineup
after fouling a pitch off the top of his left foot for the second
straight night. He did it during Thursday night's loss to the
Orioles in Baltimore and again in batting practice before Friday's
game. X-rays were negative and he is listed as day-to-day ...
Oliver has allowed at least four earned runs in six straight starts
and 10 of 13 overall.
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