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Shields strong as Rays even series

Oct 24, 2008 - 5:23 AM ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- The power-hitting Tampa Bay Rays showed they can play some small ball as well.

James Shields tossed 5 2/3 strong innings and B.J. Upton had two hits and drove in a run to lead the Rays to a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Two of the World Series on Thursday.

Dioner Navarro added two hits and scored a run for Tampa Bay, which pulled even in the series at one game apiece. The Fall Classic shifts to Citizens Bank Park on Saturday for Game Three.

"It was huge tonight," Shields said. "You talk about home-field advantage and after we lost the first game, now we're tied up and winning tonight, just as we did in the (American league Championship Series) against Boston.

"We didn't have a very good record on the road this year (but) we seem to be stepping it up in the playoffs right now."

The Rays entered the contest with 23 homers in the playoffs, good for the fourth-most all time in a single postseason. But with Phillies righthander Brett Myers keeping hitters off-balance, Tampa Bay went with a more subtle attack.

The Rays did not have an extra-base hit in the contest but took advantage of their opportunities in the first and second innings.

"I made some good pitches and they found some holes," Myers said. "They did a good job getting guys in and putting the ball in play."

Akinori Iwamura led off the first with a single before Upton hit a line drive to right field that bounced in front of Jayson Werth, who booted the ball for his first error of the season in right. The miscue allowed Iwamura to move to third and Upton to second.

Myers (0-1) retired Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria on groundouts, but they both produced runs to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 edge.

"Myers walked the first guy and they got a hit," Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said. "And Jayson booted one in right field and put runners in scoring position. We got behind and we had a (tough) time catching up. Then we didn't execute."

The Rays added a run in the next inning as Upton singled to right with the bases loaded and two outs to plate Navarro. Rocco Baldelli tried to score behind him, but Werth made a perfect throw to get him at the plate.

Shields (1-0) bounced back from a pair of losses in the American League Championship Series with a solid effort on Thursday, striking out four while allowing seven hits and a pair of walks.

"I didn't feel too much pressure," Shields said. "I just made my pitches. I got to the clubhouse and it helped me relax and that gave me great confidence today.

"That's a great organization, a great ballclub over there, so I just wanted to stay within myself and that made me feel real confident."

The righthander made the pitches when he had to, retiring Pedro Feliz on a liner with runners on second and third to end the second, recording two outs with a runner on third and one out in the third and striking out Greg Dobbs and getting Feliz again on a grounder with runners on the corners to end the fourth.

He benefited from an unlikely double play to end the fifth, when Werth was caught off first base after Chase Utley flied out to right.

"We found out these guys really work good at-bats," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "I didn't realize that was part of the equation for the Phillies.

"They really work tough at-bats. Shields worked his butt off to get to that particular juncture of the game."

Tampa Bay stole another run in the fourth, when Jason Bartlett perfectly executed a safety squeeze, dropping a bunt down the first base line while Cliff Floyd came home from third.

"I'm not going to talk about it," Maddon said of the squeeze play. "I mean seriously, that's ... I don't want to be rude. I'm not being rude, hopefully. It's just something that we do and it worked out really well."

Dan Wheeler struck out two in a scoreless inning for the Rays while rookie David Price allowed two runs - one earned - over the final 2 1/3 frames.

"I went out there to face (Chase) Utley and walked him and got (Ryan) Howard," Price said. "And they came and asked me in the ninth how I felt. I said, 'I felt fine,' so they left me out there."

Philadelphia has had trouble with runners in scoring position throughout the first two games of the Series, going 1-for-28 while stranding 22 baserunners.

Pinch hitter Eric Bruntlett hit a solo homer off Price in the eighth and Carlos Ruiz scored as a result of third baseman

Longoria's error in the ninth.

"He crushed it," Price said. "He's been sitting on the bench for eight innings and comes in there and just acts like he's been playing the whole game. I just have to make a better pitch."