• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Reds earn series win against Rays

Jun 29, 2011 - 9:36 PM St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Ryan Hanigan went 2-for-3 with a three- run homer to help the Cincinnati Reds hold off the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-3, in the rubber match of a three-game interleague series.

Fred Lewis added a key RBI single in the seventh for the Reds, who improved to 8-1 all-time against the Rays.

Edinson Volquez (5-3) gave up three runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings to pick up his first victory since June 7. He also struck out seven and walked three.

B.J. Upton hit a solo homer for the Rays, who got two RBI from Evan Longoria.

Tampa Bay starter James Shields (8-5) saw an impressive streak of three straight complete games come to an end. The 29-year-old lasted just seven innings on Wednesday, allowing four runs on seven hits. He also struck out 10 and walked two.

Shields pitched complete games against Boston, Florida and Houston since June 14 while allowing just one earned run during that span.

"He had really good stuff again, deserved a better fate," Rays manager Joe Maddon said of Shields. "It was a hanging curveball that he left up. Hanigan worked some good at-bats."

Volquez was cruising on the mound early on, and the Reds gave him three runs to work with in the fourth. Joey Votto and Scott Rolen led off the frame with back-to-back singles. Following two strikeouts, Hanigan hit a three-run homer over the wall in left to break a scoreless tie.

Volquez gave up just two walks through four innings, but Casey Kotchman broke up the no-hit bid in the fifth with a lead off single down the left-field line.

The Rays finally got to Volquez in the sixth. Johnny Damon singled and Ben Zobrist walked with one out. Longoria stepped to the plate and knocked in both runners with a bloop double down the right-field line. Matt Joyce lined into a double play to keep it a 3-2 game.

But Cincinnati responded in the seventh. Jonny Gomes and Hanigan worked consecutive walks to begin the inning. Runners were at the corners after Drew Stubbs bunted into a fielder's choice. Two batters later, Lewis hit an RBI single to left for a 4-2 margin.

Tampa Bay got the run back in the home seventh on Upton's solo homer to center.

Francisco Cordero tossed a scoreless ninth for his 16th save of the season.

Game Notes

These teams hadn't met since Cincinnati swept a three-game set from the Rays in 2005 in the Queen City...Only one other pitcher has thrown four straight complete games in the last 13 years -- Roy Halladay in 2003.