Final
Shields stops 10-game home winless streak
Sep 19, 2009 - 4:02 AM ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.(AP) -- James Shields finally got a win at home, after waiting nearly half the season.Eight straight Tampa Bay batters reached base to start a six-run third inning that helped Shields and the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-4 Friday night.
"Today was a pretty important game for me, I hit 200 innings and that's one of the goals I reached," said Shields, who has thrown 200 or more innings in three straight seasons. "And got a 'W' finally. It's good to get that off my back and hopefully I can finish up strong."
Shields (10-11) had been 0-5 in his previous 10 starts at Tropicana Field since beating Kansas City 3-2 on June 4. He gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings.
"It's almost like I'm getting stronger towards the end here, which is a good thing," Shields said.
Carl Crawford had an RBI triple and Gregg Zaun hit a run-scoring double in the third to help the Rays take a 6-2 lead.
Evan Longoria hit his 31st homer of the season and had three RBIs for the AL champs, who won for just the third time in 16 games.
Scott Richmond (6-10) was pulled after allowing five consecutive hits to start the third.
"He's been having trouble with his location for a while," Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. "Tonight was bad location. No control with his fastball."
Tampa Bay (75-73) has won two in a row for the first time since beating the Blue Jays on Aug. 24-25.
"We're rollin' now," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said with a smile.
Adam Lind hit an RBI single in the first and Vernon Wells drove in a run with a double during the third as the Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead. Toronto has lost 14 of its last 18 road games.
Lind has 104 RBIs this season, including 30 over the last 29 games. Wells has an 11-game hitting streak, and moved past Tony Fernandez into second place on the Toronto career list with 292 doubles.
Richmond, 0-5 in eight starts since returning from a biceps injury on July 31, allowed five runs and seven hits over two-plus innings.
Longoria, Willy Aybar and Gabe Gross each had an RBI single in the third. The Rays' sixth run of the inning scored when B.J. Upton hit into a double play.
The Rays went up 8-2 in the fourth when Ben Zobrist and Zaun both hit run-scoring singles. Gross had a seventh-inning sacrifice fly.
Crawford tied his career high with his 59th stolen base when he took second in the eighth before scoring on Longoria's two-run homer. Longoria has driven in 107 runs this season.
"Just let it go," Gaston said of Crawford's late stolen base in a five-run game. "He (Maddon) runs his team the way he wants to. I run my the way I want to."
Crawford had no second thoughts about the play.
"I just want ahead and stole the base," Crawford said. "I've seen worse. I didn't really think it was a big deal."
Tampa Bay's bullpen, which worked the final three innings, has struggled recently, going 2-12 with nine blown saves in 13 opportunities over the past 39 games.
Lyle Overbay and pinch hitter Kyle Phillips had RBI doubles during the sixth for the Blue Jays.
NOTES: Tampa Bay is 12-4 against the Blue Jays this season. ... Rays LHP Darin Downs was one of the players honored as a Tampa Bay minor league MVP. Downs, struck in the head by liner while pitching for Double-A Montgomery on Aug. 17, is expected to be ready for the 2010 season. ... Blue Jays LHP Brian Tallet (bruised right foot) might miss his next start Tuesday. ... Toronto reliever Scott Downs has a hamstring injury and is day to day.
- Rays 11, Blue Jays 4 - FINAL
TORONTO ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
J Bautista rf 5 1 2 0 0 2 0 .230
A Hill 2b 4 1 1 0 1 0 1 .285
A Lind dh 4 0 2 1 0 0 2 .299
V Wells cf 4 1 2 1 0 2 2 .265
L Overbay 1b 3 0 1 1 0 1 3 .265
R Ruiz pr-1b 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .273
E Encar
Sep 18 10:49 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY EVAN LONGORIA (31) TO CENTER WITH 1 OUT
IN THE 8TH OFF JOSH ROENICKE SCORED CARL CRAWFORD.
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 4, TAMPA BAY 11
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: B ZOBRIST (.287, 3-FOR-4, RBI)
Blue Jays 4, Rays 11 Bot 8, 0 OutsSep 18 10:37 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY GABE GROSS SCORED AKINORI IWAMURA
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 4
TAMPA BAY 9 BOTTOM,7TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: B UPTON (.231, 0-FOR-3)
Blue Jays 4, Rays 9 Bot 7, 0 OutsSep 18 10:18 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY KYLE PHILLIPS SCORED RANDY RUIZ
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, K PHILLIPS ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 4
TAMPA BAY 8 TOP,6TH
DUE UP FOR TORONTO: T SNIDER (.230, 0-FOR-2)
Blue Jays 4, Rays 8 Top 6, 0 OutsSep 18 9:48 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY LYLE OVERBAY SCORED VERNON WELLS
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, L OVERBAY ON SECOND, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 3
TAMPA BAY 8 TOP,6TH
DUE UP FOR TORONTO: E ENCARNACION (.213, 1-FOR-2)
Blue Jays 3, Rays 8 Top 6, 0 OutsSep 18 9:45 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY GREGG ZAUN SCORED EVAN LONGORIA
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, G ZAUN ON FIRST, W AYBAR ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
TAMPA BAY 8 BOTTOM,4TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: A IWAMURA (.297, 1-FOR-1, BB)
Blue Jays 2, Rays 8 Bot 4, 0 OutsSep 18 9:23 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY BEN ZOBRIST SCORED CARL CRAWFORD
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, B ZOBRIST ON FIRST, E LONGORIA ON SECOND, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
TAMPA BAY 7 BOTTOM,4TH
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: W AYBAR (.250, 1-FOR-2, RBI)
Blue Jays 2, Rays 7 Bot 4, 0 OutsSep 18 9:15 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND DP BY B.J. UPTON SCORED GREGG ZAUN
SITUATION: 6 RUNS IN, A IWAMURA ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
TAMPA BAY 6 BOTTOM,3RD
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: J BARTLETT (.327, 1-FOR-2)
Blue Jays 2, Rays 6 Bot 3, 0 OutsSep 18 8:56 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY GABE GROSS SCORED WILLY AYBAR
SITUATION: 5 RUNS IN, G GROSS ON FIRST, A IWAMURA ON SECOND, G
ZAUN ON THIRD, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
TAMPA BAY 5 BOTTOM,3RD
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: B UPTON (.232, 0-FOR-1)
Blue Jays 2, Rays 5 Bot 3, 0 OutsSep 18 8:53 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY GREGG ZAUN SCORED BEN ZOBRIST
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, G ZAUN ON SECOND, W AYBAR ON THIRD, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
TAMPA BAY 4 BOTTOM,3RD
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: A IWAMURA (.297, 1-FOR-1)
Blue Jays 2, Rays 4 Bot 3, 0 OutsSep 18 8:45 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY WILLY AYBAR SCORED EVAN LONGORIA
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, W AYBAR ON FIRST, B ZOBRIST ON THIRD, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
TAMPA BAY 3 BOTTOM,3RD
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: G ZAUN (.258, 0-FOR-1)
Blue Jays 2, Rays 3 Bot 3, 0 OutsSep 18 8:41 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY EVAN LONGORIA SCORED CARL CRAWFORD
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, E LONGORIA ON FIRST, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
TAMPA BAY 2 BOTTOM,3RD
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: B ZOBRIST (.283, 0-FOR-1)
Blue Jays 2, Rays 2 Bot 3, 0 OutsSep 18 8:37 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
TRIPLE BY CARL CRAWFORD SCORED JASON BARTLETT
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, C CRAWFORD ON THIRD, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
TAMPA BAY 1 BOTTOM,3RD
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: E LONGORIA (.279, 0-FOR-1)
Blue Jays 2, Rays 1 Bot 3, 0 OutsSep 18 8:36 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY VERNON WELLS SCORED AARON HILL
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, V WELLS ON SECOND, A LIND ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
TAMPA BAY 0 TOP,3RD
DUE UP FOR TORONTO: L OVERBAY (.264, 0-FOR-1)
Blue Jays 2, Rays 0 Top 3, 0 OutsSep 18 8:29 PM - AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
TORONTO 1 1 2 0
TAMPA BAY 0 0 0 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: TOR - SCOTT RICHMOND
TAM - JAMES SHIELDS
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: J BARTLETT (.326, 14 HR, 63 RBI)
C CRAWFORD (.303, 13 HR, 63 RBI)
E LONGORIA (.280, 30 HR, 104 RBI)
Blue Jays 1, Rays 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsSep 18 7:51 PM
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