ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — If Scott Kazmir is indeed a Red Sox killer, he provided a glimmer of hope for the Sox just one month ago.

Kazmir, who will start Game Two tonight, has made 21 career starts against the Red Sox, the most of any foe. He owns a 6-7 lifetime record with a 3.62 earned run average. He’s dominated the Sox at times, beating Curt Schilling at Fenway Park in September 2007 in a 1-0 masterpiece and hurled a complete game, two-hitter in 2006.

But Kazmir’s reputation as a Boston strangler took a hit this season. In four starts, he was 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA. Included was a disastrous start Sept. 15 at Tropicana Field, in which the lefty was knocked out of the game after three innings and six hits and nine Red Sox runs.

“This team always has a lot of depth and is always a quality baseball team,” Kazmir said of the Sox. “I’ve been lucky enough to have some successful outings against them, but you can’t really take those guys lightly. They’re a team that’s been in this situation before and they know how to win big ball games.”

Still the strikeout artist

Kazmir, 24, began this season on the disabled list with a left-elbow strain and he’s struggled with his command at times this season. He still finished 2008 with a 12-8 record and 3.49 ERA but was not as dominant pitcher as he’s been through his first four years in the majors. What Kazmir continued to do, however, was strike batters out. He led the American League in strikeouts per nine innings (9.81) after whiffing 166 hitters in 152 innings.

“I think maturation-wise what you’re seeing right now is the fact that he’s been around for a couple years and he’s been struggling with his command but he’s still been able to work through those moments and be very good for us this year,” said Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon. “It’s easy to look good when everything is going well. It’s difficult to look good when things aren’t going entirely your way.”

Familiar with Beckett

Kazmir was Baseball America’s high school player of the year in 2002. His 175 strikeouts for Cypress Falls High in Houston broke Josh Beckett’s single-season state record of 172. Kazmir will oppose Beckett tonight.

“I’ve watched [Beckett] since high school,” Kazmir said. “You just pick up a lot of things from a guy like that, just how competitive he is and how he goes about his business and what not. I get a chance to talk to him whenever I can and kind of pick apart his brain and see what I can kind of put into my game.”

Zimmer dumbfounded

From his seat 30 rows above the home dugout, Don Zimmer has witnessed something he never thought he’d see in his 60 seasons in professional baseball.

Zimmer is the Rays’ senior baseball adviser. He helps the club in spring training and during pregame warm-ups, talking to players and coaches and wearing the uniform that gives him an almost timeless look. The Rays are the ninth major-league team he’s worn a uniform for as a player, coach or manager, and to see this team in the American League Championship Series is the greatest shock of his long career.

“The closest that I saw was the ’89 Cubs that I managed,” he said during Rays batting practice. “Everybody in America picked us last, and if I was a writer I would’ve picked us last, also. We came out of spring training and held our own for a little while and before you know it it’s the All-Star break and we wound up winning the championship. This is even more dramatic.”

Fans gone wild

It didn’t take long for Rays fans here to start celebrating because their team is in the ALCS.

Streets around Tropicana Field are already closed off and packed with fans with plenty of libations. One shirtless guy on a dirt bike pulled up with a case of Bud Light between his legs.

Former P-Bruins athletic trainer and Smithfield native Mike Poirier, now an assistant trainer for the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, he says it’s been crazy around here the last few weeks.

The Lightning have a home game tonight. Surprisingly, they haven’t changed the time of the game.

jmcdonal@projo.com