Angels 1 - 2 Rays
Final/10
  for this game

Shields goes after third straight win in middle tilt with Halos

Apr 30, 2011 - 2:37 PM (Sports Network) - James Shields takes aim at his third straight win this afternoon when the Tampa Bay Rays continue their three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Tropicana Field.

After firing off a complete-game win two starts ago against Chicago, Shields tossed a four-hit shutout to beat Toronto his last time out. He also struck out seven Jays batters and needed just 95 pitches to improve to 2-1, while lowering his earned run average to 2.35.

"Any time you throw back-to-back CG's you definitely have a lot of confidence," said Shields, who has fanned 16 batters in his last two starts. "I feel really good right now. My body feels great. Obviously going out there and throwing two back-to-back complete games, your expectations are a little bit high. But if I can get us a win on Saturday, that would be great."

Shields is 5-3 with a 3.16 ERA in nine career starts against the Angels.

The Angels, meanwhile, will counter with righty Joel Pineiro, who will be making his season debut after starting the year on the disabled list with shoulder injury. He was 10-7 with a 3.84 ERA in his first season with the Angels a year ago.

Pineiro is 2-4 with a 4.80 ERA in 11 starts against the Rays.

Anaheim beat the Rays for the third time in as many chances this season on Friday, as Mark Trumbo went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI, powering the Angels to an 8-5 win.

Ervin Santana (1-3) battled through six innings to pick up his first win of the year, surviving four runs -- one earned -- on four hits and two walks.

"It came down command of his fastball and he threw some great breaking balls when he needed to," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia about Santana. "Really he pitched a great game out there and won the game for us."

David Price (3-3) was knocked around for 12 hits and five runs in just 4 1/3 innings of work for Tampa Bay, which had a five-game winning streak stopped.

The loss was also the fourth in a row at home for the Rays.

"They got us tonight but I am very pleased with the way my guys went about their business tonight," said Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon. "They gave it their all and it just turned up short, that's going to happen."

The Angels swept a two- game set from the Rays earlier in the year and have won six of the last seven meetings.






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