Garza, Crawford Carry Rays Over Orioles

The rookie helps Tampa beat Baltimore

(NEWSER) - Jeff Niemann allowed just one run over six innings in his major league debut for the Tampa Bay Rays today. Niemann was recalled from Triple-A Durham to replace the injured Matt Garza in the rotation. The 6-foot-9 right-hander gave up six hits, one walk and had five strikeouts to record his first big-league win over the Baltimore Orioles, 6-2. More»

Last-day losses cap miserable month for Red Sox, Braves

(NEWSER) - The Boston Red Sox are in the record books and out of playoff contention after a terrible night capped a terrible September. The Red Sox allowed two ninth-inning runs in a 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles last night, the AP reports. Minutes after the Red Sox trudged off the field—still tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the final playoff spot—the Rays secured the spot by beating the New York Yankees 8-7, having fought back from being down 7-0 in the middle of the seventh inning. More»

It's the first such gem in Rays' history

(AP) - The Tampa Bay Rays finally wound up on the right side of a memorable pitching performance. Matt Garza threw the first no-hitter in franchise history and the fifth in the major leagues this season, beating the Detroit Tigers 5-0 last night. "We needed one. I don't care who it came from. We just needed one for our own confidence," Garza said, mindful that the Rays have been held hitless four times in their 13-season history—three times in the past year. "The guys are just as excited as I am. It's fun." More»

(NEWSER) - Matt Garza pitched seven scoreless innings and the surging Tampa Bay Rays beat nemesis Andy Pettitte and the New York Yankees 7-1 for their fifth consecutive victory Monday night. Garza (2-1) allowed five hits, walked one and struck out three while holding the Yankees in check with help from three double plays. More»

Tampa Bay sweeps weekend series against Angels

(NEWSER) - Carl Crawford hit a three-run homer and Cliff Floyd added a pair of run-scoring singles, helping the Tampa Bay Rays win 8-5 over the Los Angeles Angels today. Santana departed with a 5-4 lead with one runner on and two outs in the sixth inning, but the game shifted when Justin Speier (0-3) entered and gave up a double to Akinori Iwamura and Crawford's homer. More»