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Price, Zobrist try to extend Rays' win streak in opener with Angels

Apr 29, 2011 - 3:07 PM (Sports Network) - David Price takes aim at his fourth straight win this evening when the Tampa Bay Rays open a three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Tropicana Field.

A 19-game winner a year ago Price lost his first two games of the year. However, the talented left-hander has bounced back to win his three most recent outings, including a defeat of Toronto on Saturday. Price was not that sharp against the Blue Jays in that one, allowing four runs and eight hits in eight innings.

Price, who has pitched to 3.19 ERA, has faced the Angels four times and is 1-1 against them with a 4.18 ERA.

Thanks to the heroics of Ben Zobrist, Tampa swept a day/night doubleheader on Thursday, as the Rays second baseman drove in 10 runs in the double dip, including a franchise-record eight in a 15-3 romp in game one, before going 3- for-4 with two more RBI in a 6-1 win in the nightcap.

Zobrist more than doubled his season RBI total in this three-game series, knocking in 12 over the first 22 games before the amazing 13-RBI showing in two days against the Twins.

"I really had no idea what was happening," Zobrist said. "I just was kind of in the zone. Just trying not to think about it too much. I just felt real comfortable, obviously, in the box."

Jeff Niemann also shined in game two, as he carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning to help the Rays win for the fifth straight time.

"We played well in all components of the game. The pitching was great, the defense was spectacular and we started hitting the ball with more regularity," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "That's about as well as we've played for three consecutive games this year."

Anaheim, meanwhile, enters tonight's tilt on a sour note after dropping a 2-1 decision in 10 innings to the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. Bobby Abreu doubled in the only run for Los Angeles, which lost for the fifth time in seven contests.

Tonight, the Angels will rely on the right arm of Ervin Santana, who is still searching for his first victory of the season after posting a career-high 17 wins in 2010. Santana fell to Boston on Saturday, as he surrendered five runs and nine hits in seven innings, dropping him to 0-3 on the year to go along with a 5.51 ERA.

Santana, who is 4-5 lifetime with a 5.56 ERA in 11 starts against the Rays, has been provided just one run of support in his last two starts, but it hasn't mattered, as the righty has allowed 11 runs in 11 innings of those outings.

The Angels, who will be starting a seven-game road trip tonight, swept a two- game set from the Rays earlier in the year and have won five of the last six meetings.