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Angels suffer second straight 2-0 defeat
Rays are finally starting to get the hang of things
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Strong starting pitching, stellar defense and just enough offense to win close games. After a decade of life at the bottom of the AL East, the Tampa Bay Rays are beginning to get things right.
Scott Kazmir pitched six scoreless innings and the improving Rays beat the suddenly punchless Los Angeles Angels 2-0 on Saturday night to hand Joe Saunders his first loss of the season.
One day after James Shields shut out the Angels 2-0 on a one-hitter, Kazmir (1-1) held them to a single and two doubles in his second start since missing all of April with a left elbow strain suffered during spring training.
Tampa Bay starting pitchers haven't yielded a run in their last 23 innings. The defense behind them has been outstanding, too, with the Rays committing just one error in the past 16 games to help the team win five of its last six series.
"It's been fabulous. ... We know that we have good arms. We know that we are physically skilled pitching-wise," Rays manager and former Angels bench coach Joe Maddon said.
Evan Longoria, who won Friday night's game with a two-run, ninth-inning homer, drove in the only run off Saunders (6-1) when he grounded into a force play with the bases loaded in the first inning.
Saunders, trying to become the AL's first seven-game winner, allowed four hits, struck out three and walked a season-high four in six innings. Teammate Ervin Santana (6-0) will put his perfect record on the line against the Rays in today's series finale.
Trever Miller pitched the seventh, Dan Wheeler worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and Troy Percival finished up the combined three-hitter for his eighth save.
Tampa Bay won for the 12th time in 17 games and climbed a club-record four games over .500 for just the fourth time in the franchise's 11 seasons.
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