Springer Gets Back At Tampa

June 5, 1999 / 3:31 AM EDT / CBS/AP

For Dennis Springer, the satisfaction came from winning for the first time in more than a month not beating his former team.

Bruce Aven homered and drove in a career-high five runs Friday night to help Springer and the Florida Marlins to a 10-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

"Shutouts don't happen very often, and it doesn't matter who they're against," the knuckleballer said after limiting his ex-teammates to seven hits for his first complete game in 13 months and first shutout since July 28, 1997.

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Springer was 3-11 with a 5.45 ERA in 1998 for Tampa Bay, which released him after the season.

"I can't hold anything against what happened last year.

You look at my stats, and I deserved to be released,"

the right-hander said. "I didn't pitch to what I thought we my capabilities. They gave me a chance to get a new start."

Preston Wilson also hit his 13th homer, tops in the majors by a rookie, for the Marlins, who have a season-high three-game winning streak and improved the best interleague mark in baseball to 21-11.

The victory was Springer's first since May 7, when Aven also was Florida's hitting star. The rookie hit a pinch-hit grand slam against the Los Angeles Dodgers in that game. He had a three-run homer off Ryan Rupe (1-3) in the third inning this time, Florida's fourth win in five games against Tampa Bay.

Wilson followed with his solo homer, giving the Marlins home runs in consecutive at-bats for only the second time this season. Aven added to a 5-0 lead with a two-run single in the fourth off Julio Santana, and rookie Keith Millar had a two-run single in the seventh against Rick White to make it 10-0.

"Springer is the name of the game today," Florida interim manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He had it working. He had it dancing. It was a thing of beauty."

Springer struck out five and walked one, and the Devil Rays were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

"We were awful. There's not much you can say about it," Tampa Bay manager Larry Rothschild said after the team's 10th loss in 12 gmes.

Wade Boggs, who went 1-for-4 to pull within 48 hits of 3,000, said Springer was responsible for that.

"Some of his strikeouts came on fastballs. You think he's going to throw you a knuckleball, next thing you know you got a 72 mph heater going by you," he said.

In two starts since surrendering just one hit in nine innings of a no decision against Anaheim on May 23, Rupe has allowed 12 runs and 11 hits and walked eight in 7 2-3 innings.

The homers by Aven and Wilson in the third gave opponents seven in 35 1-3 innings against the rookie right-hander, who walked four and struck out four in 2 1-3 innings.

Notes:

The game between the intrastate rivals drew 20,167.

The Devil Rays signed outfielder Josh Hamilton, the No. 1 overall pick in this week's baseball draft, and gave him the largest bonus ever

$3.65 million for a drafted amateur signing with the team that selected him. Hamilton took batting practice before the game and threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Tampa Bay recalled outfielder Terrell Lowery from Triple A Durham and optioned Danny Clyburn to the minor league team. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Devil Rays transferred Quinton McCracken from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day list. McCracken had surgery Thursday to repair a torn ligament in his right knee.

Millar has reached base safely in all 14 of his major league games this season.

Devil Rays pitcher Tony Saunders had the cast removed from his broken left arm and met before the game with a local high school player who broke his arm throwing a pitch last month.

The Marlins' Cliff Floyd reached base in all five of his plate appearances. In addition to his run-scoring double in the first, he walked three times and was hit by a pitch.