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'Big Game' James goes for Rays in middle tilt with Tribe

May 28, 2011 - 2:34 PM (Sports Network) - There haven't been many pitchers who have been better than Tampa Bay right-hander James Shields this season. Today, though, he will be put to the test when the Rays continue their three-game series against the Cleveland Indians at Tropicana Field.

Shields enters this afternoon's tilt on the heels of his third complete game and second shutout of the season on Sunday in Florida, where he held the Marlins to just three hits, while striking out a career-best 13 in 126 pitches.

"That was really stretching it there, but part of my rationale was two things," Tampa manager Joe Maddon said. "He only averaged like 100 pitches over his last three starts, so he had cache left. The other thing, he was never tested or pushed in that game. The only thing that pushed him up until that moment was the heat."

Shields, who is 5-2 on the season, has now pitched seven-plus innings and has allowed two runs or less in eight of his 10 starts this season to lower his earned run average on the year to 2.00.

Cleveland got a taste of Shields back on May 12 when he gave up two runs over seven innings to get the win. However, he is just 1-4 lifetime against the Tribe with a 3.83 ERA in seven starts.

Tampa got a terrific outing from David Price in Friday's opener, as he struck out a career-high 12 batters in a sparkling seven-inning shutout performance to help the Rays to a 5-0 win.

Casey Kotchman and Sam Fuld provided the offense as each hit a two-run homer in the second inning. Matt Joyce went 3-for-4 with and RBI single for Tampa Bay, which snapped a two-game skid and won for just the second time in its last seven contests.

Price (6-4) yielded four hits and a pair of walks to bounce back from a road loss against the Marlins last Saturday. He moved to 4-0 in five lifetime starts against Cleveland.

"David was more like himself ... He had great command of all of his stuff," Rays manager Joe Maddon said of his ace.

Josh Tomlin (6-2) gave up four runs for the first time all season and had his two-start winning streak broken. The right-hander was charged with 10 hits and struck out four over six innings.

Grady Sizemore, who was activated from the 15-day disabled list prior to the game, went hitless in four at-bats for Cleveland, which totaled four hits in losing its third in a row.

Today, Cleveland will hand the ball to righty Carlos Carrasco, who has won his last two starts. Carrasco beat the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, but was not sharp, as he allowed four runs and six hits in six innings. Luckily, the Indians scored 12 runs that day, allowing Carrasco to improve to 3-2 to go along with a 5.16 ERA.

Carrasco lost his only other start to the Rays back on May 11, surrendering four runs and six hits in five innings of that one.

Tampa Bay won two of three meetings at Cleveland from May 10-12 this season and is 10-3 in the previous 13 encounters between the two teams.