Akinori Iwamura

TORONTO - Roy Halladay won't be facing the Tampa Bay Rays again this season, something both sides are perfectly happy about. Halladay pitched seven solid innings to win his fifth straight start, Alex Rios hit two homers, and the Blue Jays beat the Rays, 6-4, last night to extend their season-high winning streak to six. "Doc's had a great year," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. "If Doc had more run support [earlier in the season], he'd certainly have over 20 wins right now. " Rios hit a solo homer in the third and a two-run drive in the eighth for his third career multihomer game and second this...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - In the Red Sox dugout after the fourth inning yesterday, Brad Penny found Julio Lugo. "Keep your head up," Penny told him. "It happens. " The simple play Lugo had failed to make occurred before much tension had been built in the 5-3, series-deciding Red Sox loss to the Tampa Bay Rays - before Carl Crawford had stolen all six of his bases, before Manny Delcarmen revealed his first hint of ineffectiveness this season, and before the potential tying run died on second base in the eighth inning.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Carl Crawford has played more games for Tampa Bay than any player in team history, so it was fitting that he delivered the blow that lifted the Rays into uncharted territory. The surging Rays climbed five games over .500 for the first time in the club's 11 seasons, with Crawford hitting a three-run home run, stealing two bases, and scoring twice yesterday to pace an 8-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels, giving Tampa Bay a three-game sweep and four straight wins overall.

The symmetry of last night's starting pitchers made the billing impossible to resist. Jon Lester and Scott Kazmir are both 25, both lefthanded, and both players their franchises consider bedrock. Lester and Kazmir, who met in the season's second game, figure to shape baseball's best burgeoning rivalry for years. It was a pitching duel fit for a boxing poster. But Lester vs. Kazmir shouldn't have been a fair fight. No place brought Lester more comfort last season than Fenway Park.

PITTSBURGH - Home runs to left field, home runs to right, line drives all over PNC Park. The Tampa Bay Rays are fast developing not only into one of the majors' best young teams, but one of the best teams, period. Or exactly the kind of team the Pittsburgh Pirates have spent 16 years trying to become. Evan Longoria and Eric Hinske hit three-run homers off Jimmy Barthmaier in his major league debut as the streaking Rays quickly opened a seven-run lead in beating Pittsburgh, 10-5, last night.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Carlos Peña admits there is a growing sense that Tampa Bay might be destined for big things this season. That said, the Rays are trying to stay calm about their success. Peña's three-run homer capped a six-run rally in the ninth inning that carried the Rays past the Cleveland Indians, 10-7, yesterday for one of their most thrilling victories in a wondrous season. "That's something that we definitely think about it and envision," Peña said.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays are a hit on the field, if not in the seats. The surprise AL East leaders won another game yesterday, with Matt Garza striking out 10 in a career-high eight innings to beat the Texas Rangers, 5-3, but sagging attendance continues to be a concern. Despite being off to the best start in franchise history and beginning the day tied with the Chicago Cubs for the best record in the major leagues, the Rays drew an announced crowd of 10,927.

The Tampa Bay Rays had just beaten the Baltimore Orioles, and all the televisions in the clubhouse were tuned to the game between the Red Sox and Cleveland. That's right, the once-lowly Rays are in a pennant race. They're scoreboard-watching, checking out the competition on TV, and doing their part to make their first trip to the playoffs as AL East champions. Jason Bartlett had two of Tampa Bay's three hits, and the Rays inched closer to their first division title with a 4-2 victory in Baltimore last night.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Alex Rodriguez's ninth-inning homer was upheld in baseball's first use of instant replay, and the New York Yankees beat the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays, 8-4, last night. Rodriguez, who went 3 for 4 and drove in four runs, hit a towering two-run shot off Troy Percival that third base umpire Brian Runge immediately ruled a homer when it bounced off the catwalk behind the foul pole in left field. Rays catcher Dioner Navarro protested, bringing manager Joe Maddon out of the dugout.

Faced with key injuries or late deficits, the Tampa Bay Rays refuse to flinch. Carlos Peña's two-run single capped a four-run eighth inning, and the surging Rays rallied for a 5-3 victory yesterday over the host Chicago White Sox. "The phrase that we have is just keep coming," Peña said. "Keep coming, keep coming, keep coming. At-bat after at-bat, at-bat after at-bat. " Peña's bases-loaded single off Matt Thornton broke a 3-all tie and sent Tampa Bay to its 11th win in 14 games.

The Tampa Bay Rays had just beaten the Baltimore Orioles, and all the televisions in the clubhouse were tuned to the game between the Red Sox and Cleveland. That's right, the once-lowly Rays are in a pennant race. They're scoreboard-watching, checking out the competition on TV, and doing their part to make their first trip to the playoffs as AL East champions. Jason Bartlett had two of Tampa Bay's three hits, and the Rays inched closer to their first division title with a 4-2 victory in Baltimore last night.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - There was one bit of solace for the Red Sox last night. As much as it hurt to lose big to the Rays, giving away both a game in the standings and the American League East tiebreaker, it didn't hurt nearly as much as it did for the large bald man whose head slammed into the top of the home dugout in the seventh inning. At least that man, who appeared to be tasered and was led away by security, got to leave the debacle before its dispiriting end. For the Rays, it was another story, their second consecutive series win against the Sox, bringing them two wins from...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Attaboy, Scott Kazmir. Great way to set the tone for your team. First pitch, in the immortal words of Bob Uecker, was "just a little bit outside. " Nine straight balls later, there were two men on, setting up a three-run jack by David Ortiz. Then came a one-out solo shot by Mike Lowell. In one inning at Tropicana Field, where the Red Sox had lost six straight games, they sent an emphatic message to the Tampa Bay Rays and Kazmir last night: We can beat you, and we can beat you in your home ballpark.

TORONTO - Roy Halladay won't be facing the Tampa Bay Rays again this season, something both sides are perfectly happy about. Halladay pitched seven solid innings to win his fifth straight start, Alex Rios hit two homers, and the Blue Jays beat the Rays, 6-4, last night to extend their season-high winning streak to six. "Doc's had a great year," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. "If Doc had more run support [earlier in the season], he'd certainly have over 20 wins right now. " Rios hit a solo homer in the third and a two-run drive in the eighth for his third career...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Alex Rodriguez's ninth-inning homer was upheld in baseball's first use of instant replay, and the New York Yankees beat the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays, 8-4, last night. Rodriguez, who went 3 for 4 and drove in four runs, hit a towering two-run shot off Troy Percival that third base umpire Brian Runge immediately ruled a homer when it bounced off the catwalk behind the foul pole in left field. Rays catcher Dioner Navarro protested, bringing manager Joe Maddon out of the dugout.

Faced with key injuries or late deficits, the Tampa Bay Rays refuse to flinch. Carlos Peña's two-run single capped a four-run eighth inning, and the surging Rays rallied for a 5-3 victory yesterday over the host Chicago White Sox. "The phrase that we have is just keep coming," Peña said. "Keep coming, keep coming, keep coming. At-bat after at-bat, at-bat after at-bat. " Peña's bases-loaded single off Matt Thornton broke a 3-all tie and sent Tampa Bay to its 11th win in 14 games.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - In the Red Sox dugout after the fourth inning yesterday, Brad Penny found Julio Lugo. "Keep your head up," Penny told him. "It happens. " The simple play Lugo had failed to make occurred before much tension had been built in the 5-3, series-deciding Red Sox loss to the Tampa Bay Rays - before Carl Crawford had stolen all six of his bases, before Manny Delcarmen revealed his first hint of ineffectiveness this season, and before the potential tying run died on second base in the eighth inning.

Roundup When Andy Sonnanstine takes the mound, the Tampa Bay Rays expect to win. Sonnanstine pitched seven strong innings, Ben Zobrist homered for the third straight game, and the Rays beat the Kansas City Royals, 3-0, last night in St. Petersburg, Fla., for their sixth straight win. "You ask our players, I know we always feel we have a really good chance to win on the night that he pitches," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "So you get this extra feeling about you. There's certain pitchers that players play behind and they feel this guy is going to win somehow, and that...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Carlos Peña admits there is a growing sense that Tampa Bay might be destined for big things this season. That said, the Rays are trying to stay calm about their success. Peña's three-run homer capped a six-run rally in the ninth inning that carried the Rays past the Cleveland Indians, 10-7, yesterday for one of their most thrilling victories in a wondrous season. "That's something that we definitely think about it and envision," Peña said.

Ryan Braun homered and drove in four runs, Bill Hall hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning, and the Brewers grabbed a share of the NL Central lead with a 6-4 victory over the Houston Astros last night in Milwaukee. Milwaukee has won nine of 10 to move into a tie with the Chicago Cubs. Eric Gagné (4-2) pitched a perfect eighth to get the win, and Salomon Torres got three outs for his 20th save. The Brewers tied it with two runs in the seventh and went in front in the eighth.