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White Sox try to extend Rays' winless woes

Apr 8, 2011 - 3:02 PM (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Rays' awful start to the season is now starting to reach epic proportions. Tonight they take another crack at their first win of 2011 when they continue their four-game series against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

Since division play began in 1969, the Rays are just the second division champion to start the season 0-6, joining the 1997 St. Louis Cardinals, and according to the Elias Sports Bureau, they are the second team in major league history -- and the first in 106 years -- to start a season with six straight losses the year after having the best record in their league.

The Boston Americans had the American League's best record in 1904 at 96-59, but opened the 1905 campaign at 0-6.

Tampa managed the third-highest run total in the majors at 802 last season, but has crossed the plate just eight times and has yet to hold a lead over the first six games.

"We just have to score more runs," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "However you want to slice it, we just have to score more runs. We have to hit the ball better. We're still not there yet."

Tampa's offensive woes continued in Thursday's opener of this series, as Edwin Jackson tossed eight innings of one-run ball to help Chicago to a 5-1 win .

"It's absurd to even think you can go into some slumps or dives and not hit the ball all year," Maddon added. "But [scoring just] one run all the time is not a whole lot you can cope with."

Jackson (2-0) was charged with four hits allowed and struck out 13 to help the White Sox win their home opener.

"I got up early and was able to get outs quick today," said Jackson afterward. "There wasn't many times when I got behind or got into trouble, and when I did I was able to get out of it quickly."

David Price (0-2) was touched for three runs on nine hits with a walk and two strikeouts over six innings for the Rays, who along with their division-rival Boston, are the only winless teams in the majors.

"It's freezing cold out there and it changes the game for us," said Price. "But you have to learn how to battle through this kind of weather and we didn't today."

Heading to the hill for the Rays this evening will be righty James Shields, who was dealt a hard-luck loss in his debut last Saturday. The Baltimore Orioles managed only a pair of runs and four hits off Shields in 7 1/3 innings, but the Rays mustered just a run themselves. Shields struck out seven and walked two.

"All I'm trying to do is get some wins here," Shields said.

Shields has faced the White Sox seven times and is 2-2 with a 5.05 ERA in those contests.

Chicago, meanwhile, will counter with left-hander John Danks, who will also be hoping for a little more run support this evening. Danks absorbed the loss on Sunday in Cleveland, but allowed just two runs and six hits in six innings of his team's 7-1 setback.

Danks is 5-2 lifetime against the Rays with a 3.83 ERA in five starts.

Tampa Bay was 4-3 against the White Sox last season.