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Jeff Niemann wins 8th game, Rays beat Oakland to extend home winning streak to 9

By Associated Press

11:10 PM EDT, July 10, 2009

Tampa Bay Rays' Carlos Pena, right, and Oakland Athletics catcher Kurt Suzuki watch Pena's home run to right field off Oakland Athletics starter Vin Mazzaro during the fourth inning of a baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla., Friday, July 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius) (Steve Nesius, AP / July 10, 2009)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Niemann pitched a seven-hitter and the Tampa Bay Rays got home runs from Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria in a 6-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.

Niemann (8-4), the Rays' No. 5 starter, has two shutouts this season. The 6-foot-9 right-hander, who is 6-1 over his last 10 starts, allowed two hits in a 2-0 win over Kansas City on June 3.

An official scoring change after the game gave Oakland's Ryan Sweeney a two-out single in the ninth inning instead of a fielder's choice, which added a hit to Niemann's original line.

Pena hit his 24th homer of the season and Longoria added a solo shot for Tampa Bay, which has won nine in a row at home. The Rays are 19-8 overall since June 10.

Oakland right-hander Vin Mazzaro (2-5) allowed three runs and seven hits over five innings in losing his fifth straight decision. The Athletics (35-49) have lost 11 of 15 to drop a season-high 14 games under .500.

Struggling Oakland first baseman Jason Giambi, dropped to seventh in the lineup, struck out twice and went 0 for 3 with a walk. He began the day hitting .195.

The Rays took advantage of two Oakland defensive lapses to take a 1-0 lead in the first. One pitch after Giambi and Mazzaro failed to catch a foul ball, B.J. Upton doubled. Upton went to third when shortstop Orlando Cabrera was charged with an error for missing Mazzaro's pickoff attempt, and later scored on Carl Crawford's grounder.

Pena made it 2-0 with a solo home run in the fourth. It was his first homer since June 27.

Ben Zobrist walked with the bases loaded to put the Rays up 3-0 in the fifth. Tampa Bay took a 4-0 lead one inning later when Dioner Navarro was hit by pitch and later scored on a wild pitch by Santiago Casilla.

Longoria snapped an 18-game homerless stretch with his 17th this season, and Pat Burrell hit an RBI double in the seventh.

NOTES: Tampa Bay principal owner Stuart Sternberg, on a conference call, said he doesn't anticipate cutting the Rays' payroll if the team stays in the playoff hunt this season. The Rays started Friday with the majors' fifth-lowest average home attendance at 22,699, which is considerably lower than the defending AL champions had projected. Friday's attendance was 20,358. ... Athletics LHP Dallas Braden is scheduled to return from the bereavement list and start Saturday's game. ... Oakland RHP Justin Duchscherer (right elbow) could be ready to pitch in a minor league game by late this month. ... Tampa Bay LHP Brian Shouse (left elbow) threw 32 pitches in a simulated game and will pitch in another one Monday.