Kazmir takes shutout into the 8th, Zobrist and Pena homer as Tampa Bay beats Texas 5-3

Kazmir takes shutout into the 8th, Rays win

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Scott Kazmir took a shutout into the eighth inning, and Ben Zobrist and Carlos Pena homered on consecutive pitches as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Texas Rangers 5-3 on Friday night.

Kazmir (8-7) didn’t allow a run until Taylor Teagarden opened the eighth with a homer. The left-hander, who has won four straight starts at home, wound up allowing three runs and five hits over 7 1-3 innings.

Zobrist hit a two-run shot and Pena followed with his 32nd homer of the season to put Tampa Bay ahead 5-0 in the fifth. Zobrist has homered in three straight games and has 22 this season, breaking a tie with Jose Cruz Jr. (2004) for the most by a Rays switch-hitter.

Dustin Nippert (4-2) gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings for the Rangers, who are 20-14 since the All-Star break.

Michael Young had three hits for Texas.

After Teagarden’s homer, Marlon Byrd had an RBI single and Andruw Jones hit a run-scoring grounder off Grant Balfour, cutting Texas’ deficit to 5-3. The eighth inning ended when pinch-runner Julio Borbon was thrown out trying to steal second with Josh Hamilton batting.

Kazmir worked out of a second and third, one-out jam in the sixth by striking out Byrd and Jones.

J.P. Howell pitched the ninth for his 15th save. The Rays improved to 41-20 at home.

Carl Crawford put the Rays ahead 1-0 when he drove in Jason Bartlett with a grounder in the first. Bartlett made it 2-0 with a sacrifice bunt-fielder’s choice.

NOTES: The Rays are 9-17 against the AL West this season. … Pena has two homers in four at-bats against Nippert. … Teagarden has homered in four of his last 10 games. … Byrd has driven in 12 runs over his last 12 games. … Texas RHP Jason Grilli (right elbow) rejoined the team after a minor league rehab stint and is expected to be reinstated from the 15-day DL this weekend. … Rangers C Kevin Richardson, designated for assignment earlier this week, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City,