Tigers 4, Devil Rays 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Before the storm, the Detroit Tigers sent Tampa Bay to one more loss.

Jeremy Bonderman pitched seven solid innings to send rookie Scott Kazmir to his first major league loss, and Dmitri Young hit a two-run homer that led the Tigers past Tampa Bay 4-2 and extended the Devil Rays’ losing streak to seven.

The remainder of the three-game series on Saturday and Sunday was postponed because of Hurricane Frances, which was approaching Florida. The games will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Sept. 30.

“We did the right thing,” Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella said. “The state, it will be hit twice over a short period of time.”

Parts of Florida still are recovering from Hurricane Charley, which hit last month.

Detroit planned to return home after Friday’s game and scheduled a workout for Comerica Park on Sunday. The Devil Rays intended to remain home before traveling to New York for Monday’s start of a five-game series against the Yankees.

Bonderman (8-11) gave up two runs and four hits, striking out eight and walking three.

Esteban Yan pitched a perfect ninth for his third save. He is filling in for closer Ugueth Urbina, who returned to Venezuela after his mother was kidnapped Thursday by four unidentified men disguised as police officers.

Kazmir (1-1), acquired from the New York Mets on July 30 for Victor Zambrano, allowed four runs, four hits and six walks in five innings, striking out seven.

Tampa Bay closer Danys Baez pitched for the first since time being reunited with his parents, Gilberto and Miriam, who recently left Cuba on tourist visas. They saw each other for the first time in five years Thursday night.

“I’m very happy,” Baez said. “You never think it’s going to be five years between the time when you see your mom and dad. It’s awesome.”

Baez, who defected on Aug. 1, 1999 while with Cuba’s national team, worked the ninth. His parents first went to Mexico before being granted permission to enter the United States.

Detroit went ahead in the second on a run-scoring passed ball by Toby Hall and an RBI triple by Brandon Inge after shortstop Julio Lugo misplayed Marcus Thames’ infield-fly-rule popup, which allowed runners to move up.

Young homered in the third for a 4-0 lead.

Geoff Blum hit an RBI grounder in the fifth, and Jose Cruz Jr. had a run-scoring infield single when Bonderman was late covering at first.

Notes: The Devil Rays also had a game with Oakland canceled because of an approaching hurricane on Sept. 17, 2000. … Tampa Bay recalled RHP Franklin Nunez from Triple-A Durham.

AP-ES-09-03-04 2152EDT