Tampa Bay Rays weekly report

The Rays opened the week on a down note with an 8-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins on April 29. The team fell to six games below .500. Scott Kazmir gave up eight runs - six earned - on nine hits and four walks in four innings as he fell to a 3-2 record. Lance Cormier finished the game for the Rays with four shutout innings, three hits and no walks.

On April 30, Matt Garza (2-2) came so close to pitching a perfect game against the Red Sox, retiring the first 18 batters he faced and striking out 10, on his way to a one-hit shutout. The Rays' 18-hit attack powered the 13-0 win at Tropicana Field. Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury hit an infield single to break up the no-hitter and the perfect game in the top of the seventh.

The Rays opened the merry month of May with a 6-2 win over the Red Sox. Andy Sonnanstine (1-3) notched his first win of the year with help from Evan Longoria, whose grand slam homer blew open the game. Carlos Pena had a home run in the following at-bat, making it six-run fifth inning.

On May 2, the Rays lost 10-6 to the Red Sox. Jeff Niemann (2-3) struggled through just three innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks. Carlos Pena had a home run in the fourth inning, and Evan Longoria had a two-run single, but the bullpen could not keep the game close.

On Sunday, the Rays ended the four-game set with the Red Sox on a winning note, beating them 5-3. Not only that, the Rays set a franchise record with eight stolen bases, with left fielder Carl Crawford tying the American League record with six. James Shields improved to 3-2 on the year with 7 1/3 innings of work. Troy Percival notched his third save of the season.

On Monday, Scott Kazmir fell to 3-3 in the Rays' 8-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. AL Player of the Week Evan Longoria homered in the first inning and the Rays rallied to tie the game, but Kazmir struggled, giving up seven hits and six earned runs in 6 1/3 innings.

On Tuesday, the Rays beat the Orioles 6-3 behind Matt Garza (3-2). B.J. Upton's RBI double and Evan Longoria's two-run single keyed the Rays' three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh. Garza pitched eight innings, giving up four hits and two earned runs, walking two and striking out two.