Kazmir strikes out 12, Swisher hits grand slam in Indians' 8-1 victory over Mets
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Scott Kazmir struck out a season-high 12 in six innings, Nick Swisher hit a grand slam and the Cleveland Indians continued their playoff push with an 8-1 win over the New York Mets on Friday night.
Kazmir (8-7) struck out at least one batter in each inning, including the side in the first, third and sixth. The left-hander, who has been pushed back in the rotation for extra rest over the last month, held the Mets to four hits, allowed no walks and hit a batter in winning for the first time since Aug. 4.
The Mets took Kazmir with the 15th overall pick in the 2002 draft, but he never pitched a game for them. Kazmir was dealt to Tampa Bay two years later for pitcher Victor Zambrano.
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The trade tuned out to be one of the worst in Mets history as Kazmir made the All-Star team twice with the Rays and Zambrano went 10-14 in parts of three seasons in New York, and was out of baseball in 2007.