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TB@MIA: Moore talks about hitting in interleague play

It took Rays starter Matt Moore more than a month to pick up his first win, and another month to pick up his second.

He'll hope he won't have to wait that long to pick up his third, and he'll have the chance Saturday when Tampa Bay takes on Miami in the second game of the Citrus Series. The Rays won the opener, 5-1.

The lefty has pitched well in his last two starts, most recently going six innings and allowing two runs in a win over Baltimore. Before that, Moore went seven innings with 10 strikeouts with two runs allowed, but lost in a duel with Chicago's Chris Sale.

"I'm not sure if it's too much mechanically, it's just kind of that overall feel," Moore said of his recent success. "The ball right now is coming out of my hand pretty nice and live. That's a good feeling to have. ... I just think trying to build on top of each previous start is kind of where the focus is."

If the Marlins want to turn their luck around, they'll have to get their bats going. Though Miami had six hits and drew seven walks, it left 13 men on base in Friday's game and were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Miami also went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position Thursday against Atlanta.

Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen can't be faulted for trying to shake things up, though. With many of the team's batters struggling as of late, the manager decided to bench first baseman Logan Morrison, who is 3-for-25 in June after hitting .176 in May.

The club also optioned outfielder Bryan Peterson on Thursday night to clear a space on the roster for outfielder Austin Kearns. The Marlins need Kearns to help cure offensive woes, but he went 0-for-4 Friday.

Rays: Guillen praises Tampa Bay
• Always outspoken, Guillen, who is a former Devil Ray, showed his appreciation for the Tampa Bay organization and even went as far as to say the club deserves a new ballpark.

Guillen justified his statement saying, "it's fun to watch those guys play," given the club's success since 2008. He also praised Rays manager Joe Maddon and his decision-making.

Marlins: Zambrano settling into groove
• Though he ended his career with the Cubs on a rough note, whatever was troubling Carlos Zambrano hasn't followed him to Miami.

The Marlins have won six of Zambrano's last seven starts, and he enters his outing Saturday 4-1 with a 2.59 in the stretch. He put on perhaps his best performance for Miami in his most recent outing, going 7 2/3 innings and giving up just one run on four hits with seven strikeouts.

"He's happy, and I think when you're happy where you're at and the situation you're in that it helps," Marlins pitching coach Randy St. Claire said. "Things are going well for him and he's very content and very pleased with the way things are going. It's kind of, I think, a little bit of a new outlook for him."

Worth noting
• Guillen said Friday that Morrison will not be in Saturday's lineup.

• Rays reliever Kyle Farnsworth will begin a rehab assignment Monday.

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