• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Shields, Rays make a stop at Toronto

Aug 26, 2011 - 3:02 PM (Sports Network) - James Shields tries to shake off a poor showing his last time out this evening when the Tampa Bay Rays begin a four-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Shields did not get a decision on Sunday against Seattle, but allowed seven runs and 12 hits in 7 1/3 innings of his team's 8-7 win. The normally steady Shields has been victimized by poor run support all season, but it was his offense that bailed him out in this one, as the Rays scored four times in the seventh before eventually winning the game on Johnny Damon's home run in the ninth.

"They did a phenomenal job of coming back right there," Shields said. "This shows you what kind of team we are."

Shields has dominated the Jays this year in winning both of his starts, while allowing just one run in 16 1/3 innings of those outings. For his career he is 8-5 against them with a 3.80 ERA in 17 starts.

The Rays come into tonight's opener after losing three of four to the Detroit Tigers, following a 2-0 setback on Thursday.

Desmond Jennings, Casey Kotchman and Sam Fuld had two hits apiece for the Rays, who went 4-3 on a seven-game homestand.

Jeremy Hellickson (11-9) allowed two runs on six hits over seven innings to take the hard-luck loss. He struck out seven and walked one.

Toronto, meanwhile, also lost its three-game series with the Kansas City Royals, falling 9-6 in Thursday's rubber match.

J.P. Arencibia and Edwin Encarnacion smacked two-run home runs, while Jose Bautista added a double and a run scored for the Blue Jays, losers in four of their last six games.

Brett Cecil (4-7) surrendered five runs on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings to absorb the loss, his third in a row. Cecil struck out three while walking one.

Toronto will hand the ball to 21-year-old right-hander Henderson Alvarez, who will be making the third start of his major league career. After two no- decisions, Alvarez suffered his first loss on Saturday in Oakland, despite a solid outing that saw him surrender two runs (one earned) and seven hits in six innings.

Tampa is 7-4 against the Jays this season.