INDIANS Rays end Tribe's 4-game win streak

Youngstown's Mark Malaska got the mound win for Tampa Bay.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Lou Piniella's blond dye job has faded some, but Tampa Bay's manager still has some highlights left in his hair.
And lately, his young team hasn't made him any grayer.
Jared Sandberg hit a two-run homer and Aubrey Huff had two RBIs Saturday night as the improving Devil Rays beat Cleveland 5-3, ending the Indians' winning streak at four.
Sandberg connected in the second inning off rookie Cliff Lee (1-1) as the Devil Rays won yet another close game. They're now 35-35 in a major league-leading 70 games decided by two runs or less.
Devil Rays on streak
Tampa Bay, which went 5-21 in June, has the best record (16-10) in the AL East since July 20.
"Our young kids have shown a lot of improvement," said Piniella, in his first year with Tampa Bay. "We've gotten to the point where it's nice and competitive. We got holes to fill. But it's a very competitive team.
"It's been heartening for us to see, but we've still got a long way to go."
Mark Malaska (2-1), pitching in front of family and friends, worked 11/3 hitless innings, and Lance Carter pitched the ninth for his 21st save.
Malaska is from Youngstown and the University of Akron. He left 35 tickets for guests.
"I probably had to turn down 60 people," said Malaska, who remembered Jacobs Field being much bigger when he came to the All-Star game here in 1997. "I never imagined pitching here. I never imagined being in the big leagues."
Alex Escobar homered for the first time in nearly two years for the Indians, now 9-3 in their last 12 games.
Good defensive plays
Cleveland left fielder Jody Gerut made two excellent plays in the seventh to keep the Indians close. First, he robbed Julio Lugo of extra bases with a diving catch in the corner, and later in the inning, Gerut threw out Huff at the plate.
"That kid's a nice player," Piniella said. Tampa Bay's 20-year-old rookie, Chad Gaudin, made his first major league start and lasted 3 2-3 innings. The youngest player in Devil Rays history allowed three runs and six hits with three walks.
Gaudin made four relief appearances before Piniella gave him a start.
"I wasn't happy with it at all," Gaudin said. "I thought I could do a whole lot better. I didn't feel comfortable out there. Something was wrong."
That's been the case for Tampa Bay since it joined the AL as an expansion team in 1998. But the league's youngest team is making slow, steady progress.
"I think the perception is changing a lot," Malaska said. "I wasn't around the big league team much the past couple years. But right now, everything is very positive. There's a good feeling in here."
Lee, recalled earlier in the day when the Indians placed reliever Jason Boyd on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder tendinitis, gave up three earned runs and eight hits in six innings.
TAMPA BAYCLEVELAND
abrhbiabrhbi
Crwfrd lf5020Crisp cf5010
Lugo ss5120Blake 3b5032
Baldelli cf4220Gerut lf4010
Huff dh5022Brssrd 1b3000
Rolls rf4000AEscbr rf4111
TLee 1b4010Hafner dh3000
Hall c4110Bard c4010
Sndbrg 3b3122Peralta ss2100
Tyner rf1000ASntos 2b4120
Perez 2b3000
MAndn 2b1000
Totals395124Totals34393
Tampa Bay220000100--5
Cleveland010200000--3
E--Blake (14), AEscobar (1). DP--Tampa Bay 1. LOB--Tampa Bay 9, Cleveland 9. 2B--Lugo (10), Huff (44). HR--Sandberg (3), AEscobar (1). SB--Lugo (8), Baldelli 2 (21). CS--ASantos (1).
IPHRERBBSO
Tampa Bay
Gaudin3 2-363330
Malaska W,2-11 1-300002
Backe220011
Colome100012
LCarter S,21110000
Cleveland
Lee L,1-1684315
Cressend131100
Betancourt210001
HBP--by Cressend (Rolls). WP--Lee. Umpires--Home, Jim Reynolds; First, Laz Diaz; Second, Jim Joyce; Third, Dale Scott. T--2:48. A--23,397.