Germano's savvy outing baffles Rays

By: ROGER MOONEY - For the North County Times | Thursday, June 14, 2007 11:41 PM PDT ∞

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.---- Tampa Bay Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon has a mental picture of the Padres clubhouse, one where Greg Maddux sits in a big chair reading aloud from the textbook he wrote about pitching.

"And that guy who pitched (Thursday) is probably mentoring at his feet," Maddon said.

That guy is Padres rookie right-hander Justin Germano, who turned in a Maddux-like performance Thursday in the Padres' 7-1 victory against the Devil Rays at Tropicana Field.

Germano pitched six shutout innings of three-hit ball to improve his record to 5-0 and lower his ERA to 2.36. It was the third time in his seven starts that Germano has not allowed an earned run.

"Not too bad," Germano said. "I'll take it."

The victory was the second straight for the Padres and came with another solid outing by a starting pitcher; no surprise there since they have a league-best 2.94 team ERA. In 65 games this season, Padres pitchers have allowed one or less runs 16 times.

Jake Peavy, Wednesday's winner in a 9-0 victory, Germano and company held the Rays to just nine hits and one run in the final 18 innings of the three-game series.

"Just get the Padres pitchers out of town," Maddon said. "They can go wherever they want to go. Just get out of here."

While Peavy was staked to a five-run, first inning lead Wednesday, Germano had to best a strong effort by Rays starter J.P. Howell. An unearned run in the first gave the Padres a quick lead, but Howell held the Padres to three hits over the first six innings, making every pitch Germano threw all the more important.

Not that the Rays had much of an idea as to what to expect.

"You can read scouting reports and you can watch film," Rays left fielder Carl Crawford said, "but once you get in the game, it's a little different."

Germano kept the Rays off-balance with his off-speed and breaking pitches, held them hitless until one out in the fourth inning and drew favorable comparisons to Maddux, the future Hall of Famer who started Tuesday's game.

"He pitches," Rays first baseman Carlos Pena said, explaining why the Rays normally productive offense looked inept against the rookie. "Maddux pitched the first game and this kid was just like him in a sense, because he wasn't throwing the ball by anybody. He was just throwing that curveball, that big curveball, just kind of showing it in the strike zone, throwing it out of the strike zone, throwing sinkers, moving the ball around, in and out, and he did a great job."

The Padres broke the game open with a four-run eighth inning. A leadoff double by Rob Bowen chased Howell, and the Padres reached Rays reliever Gary Glover for three hits and four runs.

The biggest hit was a two-strike bloop single by Jose Cruz Jr. with one out that fell in front of Crawford in shallow left field to drive home Bowen. Adrian Gonzalez followed with an RBI double and the rout was on.

"You just have to be keyed up to pitch against them," Howell said. "You know you can't give up too much against them. That pitching staff they have, they're nasty."

Notes

3B Kevin Kouzmanoff left Thursday's game with a lower back strain after batting in the fifth inning � The Padres hit five doubles, including two by Rob Bowen � The Padres have won their last four road series and nine of their last 10 � The Padres are 4-5 in Interleague play with all four wins coming on the road.