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Rays top Rangers behind Shields' 8 scoreless innings

Sep 1, 2011 - 4:52 AM Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - James Shields tossed eight scoreless innings as Tampa Bay took down Texas, 4-1, in the second edition of a three-game series.

Shields (13-10) allowed just four hits and one walk while fanning seven, notching his 1,000th career strikeout in the positive decision.

Johnny Damon homered, while John Jaso, Desmond Jennings and Matt Joyce were credited with an RBI each for the Rays, who snapped a two-game skid and won their fourth in six.

David Murphy posted an RBI single in the ninth for the Rangers, who have dropped seven of their last 11. They remained 3 1/2 games ahead of the second- place Angels in the AL West.

Alexi Ogando (12-7) didn't make it out of the third inning, charged in the loss with three runs on five hits in 2 2/3 frames.

Shields appeared poised to try for his 11th complete game of the season, holding a 4-0 lead, but Kyle Farnsworth got the nod for the Texas ninth.

And the Rangers put together three consecutive two-out singles to score their lone run -- the last of the bunch a solid hit to right by Murphy which scored Michael Young.

Yorvit Torrealba got his chance to extend the game with two men on but struck out swinging.

After Shields escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning thanks to Mike Napoli's double-play grounder, Tampa Bay struck with two runs in the second.

Casey Kotchman singled with one out, B.J. Upton was plunked by a pitch, and Joyce walked to load the bases. Jaso followed with a run-scoring single, and after Sean Rodriguez popped out, Jennings worked a walk to force in Upton.

Evan Longoria began the third with a base hit and Ben Zobrist followed with a single. The next two batters failed to advance the runners, but Joyce's single plated Longoria with the Rays' third run. That spelled the end of Ogando's outing, and Yoshinori Tateyama retired Jaso on a pop out to limit the damage.

Damon deposited a Koji Uehara offering into the seats in right with one out in the seventh for a 4-0 contest.

"Texas has had my number all year," Damon said. "For some reason when I'm playing Texas, they've got great scouting reports and I'm guessing wrong. I guessed right on that one and I was able to give us more insurance runs."

Shields retired the side in order in the home half, then worked around a two- out single in his final frame.

"He's not overpowering, but I think it's easy to say his changeup is probably the best two or three in the league," Murphy said.

Game Notes

If he had completed the game, Shields could have become the first pitcher in the majors since Randy Johnson of Arizona in 1999 to record at least 11 complete games in one year...Prior to the contest, the Rangers acquired pitcher Michael Gonzalez from the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named later and catcher Matt Treanor from the Kansas City Royals for cash considerations.