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Shields shuts down Oakland as Tampa Bay snaps skid

Apr 28, 2007 - 6:43 AM OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- James Shields followed a career performance with an almost equally dominating one.

Shields (2-0), coming off a career-high 12 strikeouts Sunday, pitched eight terrific innings and got all the support he needed in the first three innings of a 4-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

The righthander was almost unhittable in his longest outing of the season, retiring 18 of the last 19 batters he faced and striking out nine. Shields allowed one run and four hits with nine strikeouts and one walk, helping Tampa Bay snap a two-game losing streak.

"I thought that I threw the ball really well today," Shields said. "What I liked about today, was that in the first two innings I was really struggling with my command, and in the last six innings I came back strong."

Al Reyes closed out the ninth in order for his seventh save of the season.

Carl Crawford staked Shields to an early lead by drilling an RBI double to left against Chad Gaudin (1-1) in the first inning, scoring Elijah Dukes for a 1-0 advantage.

"It makes a big difference when you can hold a lineup like this to one run," Crawford said. "It makes the runs that we get all that much more important. He's been real consistent. He had a real good pace on the mound, and is pitching with a lot of confidence right now."

The run was the first allowed in the first inning by Athletics pitcher's in the last 22 games.

The Devil Rays extended their lead in the third when Carlos Pena and Dioner Navarro walked and B.J. Upton hit an RBI double to left for a 2-0 lead.

Bobby Crosby homered to left-center in the third to cut the lead in half. However Shields took over, allowing just three more hits thereafter.

"We knew he was off two really good starts," Oakland manager Bob Geren said.

"We had a pretty good idea of how tough he is. We were hoping to get a few runs off him early, but it never happened. Bobby Crosby hit a home run off him, but other than that, it was very difficult to get something going."

The Devil Rays added two runs in the third, when Crawford walked and Delmon Young followed with a one out walk. After a double steal, Pena hit into fielder's choice that scored Crawford, and Young scored on a passed ball for a 4-1 lead.

Gaudin suffered his worst outing of the year, allowing four runs - three earned - and four hits in four innings with four walks and four strikeouts, as the Athletics dropped their third straight.

"When you give a guy a free base, you don't give yourself a chance," Gaudin said. "It will hurt you. I just didn't get into a rhythm. They made me throw strikes, and weren't chasing bad pitches. I couldn't make the adjustment until the fourth inning."

Oakland, which has lost three in a row, has been riddled by injuries and was without starting first baseman Nick Swisher.

Swisher, who is hitting .265 (18-for-68) with four homers and nine RBI, injured his hamstring on Tuesday against Baltimore. In addition to Swisher, the A's are missing Rich Harden (shoulder), Esteban Loaiza (right trapezius muscle), Mark Kotsay (back), and Milton Bradley (hamstring).