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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SEATTLE (AP) -- With Jose Canseco, Vinny Castilla and Greg Vaughn
on the disabled list, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are having a great
June.
The last-place Devil Rays are 11-6 this month, thanks mainly to
their revived pitching.
Fred McGriff drove in four runs and hit his 13th homer, and
reliever-turned-starter Albie Lopez pitched six strong innings as
the Devil Rays beat the Seattle Mariners 10-3 Monday night.
|  | | The Devil Rays' Bobby Smith is congratulated by third-base coach Billy Hatcher after homering in the seventh. |
Jose Guillen and Bobby Smith also homered for the Devil Rays,
who won for the fifth time in six games.
McGriff, who went 3-for-5, homered off Rob Ramsay in the eighth.
"I like it," Tampa Bay manager Larry Rothschild said of his
team's resurgence. "There are a lot of reasons, but our starting
pitching is the biggest thing."
"I'm not going to say it's me," said second baseman Smith, who
was called up last Wednesday from Triple-A Durham when Castilla was
put on the DL with lower-back inflammation. "Our pitchers have
been doing great."
Tampa Bay took a staff ERA of 5.77, second worst in the majors,
into June. This month, the Devil Rays' ERA is 2.92.
The Mariners lost the opener of a 10-game homestand after
returning from a season-best 7-3 road trip.
Guillen tied it at 2 in the fourth when he hit his third homer
in seven games off John Halama (6-3). After singles by Felix
Martinez and Randy Winn, Gerald Williams put Tampa Bay ahead to
stay with a two-run double.
Smith hit his first homer of the season for the Devil Rays in
the seventh.
Lopez (4-4) made his fifth start after 151 relief appearances
and got his second straight victory. In six innings, Lopez allowed
two runs, one earned, on six hits and four walks. He struck out
six.
Mark McLemore had an RBI single in Seattle's second and Alex
Rodriguez gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead in the third with his 20th
homer.
"You're never comfortable when you're facing a lineup with
A-Rod and Edgar (Martinez)," Lopez said. "But I was putting my
fastball in good spots. I enjoyed relieving, but I like starting,
too."
The Devil Rays got a run-scoring single from McGriff in the
first and increased their lead to 6-2 with two runs in the fifth.
Russ Johnson singled in a run and Felix Martinez had a sacrifice
fly. In the sixth, Williams scored from second on McGriff's infield
single.
Although the Devil Rays are bringing up the rear in the AL East,
they feel they can start making some noise.
"Anything is possible," Smith said. "But you've got to go out
and play good baseball every day."
Pinch-hitter Stan Javier was walked by Mark Guthrie with the
bases loaded in the seventh.
Halama, losing his third consecutive decision, went four innings
and gave up five runs on seven hits and three walks.
"Actually, my last two starts I have had a dead arm," Halama
said. "My arm was very fatigued my last two starts. They waited
for me to get the ball up and get strikes. Then they got me."
Said manager Lou Piniella: "Our pitching wasn't very good.
Halama has struggled the last few times. I don't know the
particular reasons, but we certainly need for him to pitch better
than he has."
Game notes
McLemore had a hearing at Safeco Field Monday on his appeal
of a five-game suspension for charging the mound against Tampa
Bay's Esteban Yan on May 20. Paul Beeston of the commissioner's
office is expected to render a verdict. "I said what I needed to
say," McLemore said before Monday night's game. "I think he'll
start his suspension (Tuesday)," said Piniella, who attended the
hearing. ... Halama is 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA in four starts in June
after going 6-0 with a 4.01 ERA in nine starts in April and May.
... The Devil Rays are 12-6 with Canseco (strained left heel) on
the disabled list ... Tampa Bay's bullpen gave up its second run in
19 1/3 innings. ... Devil Rays pitcher Jim Mecir surrendered his
first run in 10 appearances and 14 1/3 innings.
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