Kaz bugged by Cards

By ROGER MOONEY
rmooney@bradenton.com
PORT CHARLOTTE — The stomach bug that’s going around the Rays clubhouse caught up with Scott Kazmir on Thursday, yet the left-hander still made his scheduled start against the Cardinals.

Afterwards a worn-down Kazmir was glad it was over.

“I just felt like every single pitch I threw I had to take a step back and catch my breath,” Kazmir said. “It was not a good feeling out there, but I still got my work in.”

Kazmir allowed eight hits and five runs (four earned) in his four innings. Ryan Ludwick touched him for a long three-run homer in the first inning that landed on the boardwalk in left field and Rick Ankiel homered off Kazmir in the second inning.

“It feel like your whole body is just Jell-O,” Kazmir said. “It wasn’t even me striding out there it was me just picking my leg up and just collapsing.”

Kazmir felt pitching would actually be better than calling in sick.

“I just thought I’d be way behind if I scratched a start. Still felt good enough to go out there and get my work in. I’m not worried about my numbers in spring training. If you look at my past history on my numbers in spring training, they’re not too hot. I’m not trying to win any trophy or anything, so I’m just trying to get my work in. That’s it. That’s all I’m trying to do. I wish I could have felt good enough to throw a lot more sliders, but it just wasn’t there. I felt like if I threw my slider it felt like it was so sluggish I might drop my elbow or whatnot. I just felt like it was a good idea not to do it.”

Rays manager Joe Maddon thought so, too.

“(Kazmir was) not as sharp as the last time out, overall, but nevertheless he got his work in,” Maddon said. “He’s got a bit of whatever is going around. I think that had some impact on his durability, but he settled in, threw some good pitches. His velocity was fine.”

Longo staying put?
Third baseman returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game with the stomach bug that bit Kazmir on Thursday.

Longoria said before the game that he hadn’t heard if he was going to be called up by Team USA for the semifinals of the WBC, and was leaning toward the fact he wouldn’t join the team.

Izzy impresses
Jason Isringhausen threw a scoreless inning.

He replaced Kazmir to start the fifth and allowed a hit. He also struck out Joe Mather to end the inning.

“He’s really showing his arm strength,” Maddon said. “He had a really good cutter, a couple of good sinkers, the curveball. He used all his pitches well.”

Burrell goes deep
Designated hitter Pat Burrell hit his second home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth inning. He now has 12 RBIs, tying him with Jon Weber for the team lead.

NOTEWORTHY
Ben Zobrist started the game in center field and finished at first base. He was 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs ... Brian Shouse allowed three hits and two runs in his one inning. Derek Rodriguez allowed four hits and two runs in his two innings, but also struck out four ... Shawn Riggans, Evan Longoria and Jon Weber each had doubles for the Rays ... The crowd of 6,969 was the fifth sell-out this season at Charlotte Sports Park, though many were Cardinal fans.