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Shields Finishes Off Sweep In Style

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By MARC LANCASTER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 28, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - No one makes small talk with James Shields on days he pitches, and he appeared particularly prickly Sunday.

"I didn't want to go near him," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

The Red Sox couldn't get near him.

Shields' two-hit, complete-game shutout of the defending World Series champions, a 3-0 victory that lifted Tampa Bay into a tie for first place in the American League East, may reverberate well beyond Sunday afternoon if the Rays are who they believe they are.

"We have a different attitude now," Shields said. "We've had this positive attitude since Day One of spring training and this is what we're talking about. This is what it's all about, and I want everyone to know that we can compete in this league."

Obviously it's way too early for the standings to really mean anything, but the Rays bulled their way into all sorts of uncharted territory during the weekend.

Not only do they hold a share of first place (with the Orioles, percentage points ahead of Boston) at the latest date ever, but also they have never been three games over .500 (14-11) this deep into any season.

Not only did the Rays sweep the Red Sox in a series of at least three games for the first time in their 11-year history, but also they put together a 7-2 homestand that represents their second-best against at least three opponents.

So, yes, all the appropriate time-of-year disclaimers were included, but this was a big deal for the Rays.

"Of course it's wonderful to win these three games and against the Red Sox, but I like the way we're playing," Maddon said. "We're playing the game right. If you play the game right on a nightly basis, you'll win your share of games."

Those who have been around for a while didn't deny that in the past the Rays wouldn't have quibbled with taking two of three from a tormentor like the Sox. If they ran into a hot Josh Beckett in the series finale - which they did, as Boston's ace fanned a career-high 13 - they might have tipped their caps and commended themselves on a rare series win.

It appears times really are changing at Tropicana Field.

"Two out of three was good," Evan Longoria said, "but nobody came to the clubhouse today thinking that was good enough."

Certainly not Shields.

"I wanted it bad," he said.

That was evident from the beginning. As Beckett was striking out the first five Rays he faced and fanning a total of eight in the first three innings, Shields faced the minimum 12 hitters through the first four frames.

He walked Manny Ramirez to lead off the fifth and vented his displeasure with himself, but nothing came of it. Julio Lugo singled with one out in the following inning, but that was it for the Red Sox. Shields retired the final 11 men he faced to secure the first shutout of his career in only 98 pitches.

The Rays' Opening Day starter had allowed only 11 earned runs in his first five starts, but all agreed he hadn't yet displayed the kind of stuff that made him the Rays' most dangerous pitcher much of last season. Sunday, he found it.

"When he was warming up, I knew it was going to be good," catcher Dioner Navarro said.

"It was amazing," shortstop Jason Bartlett said. "I'm out there and I can see what pitches he's going to throw. Every pitch that Navi called, it was right where he wanted it."

Of course, Beckett also was zoned in throughout the afternoon, but the Rays managed to push across the runs they needed. Bartlett created the first one on his own, singling in the third inning and coming all the way around to score when Beckett fired a pickoff throw down the right-field line and J.D. Drew's throw back toward the infield rolled harmlessly along the turf.

Longoria then led off the seventh by smacking a hanging curveball 416 feet into the stands in left for a 2-0 lead, and the Rays added one more in the eighth when Bartlett was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a Carl Crawford double.

Add those fortuitous moments to Shields' work and the Rays will take a six-game winning streak on the road Tuesday.

"It's been one of the best weeks in franchise history," Crawford said. "We're just going to try to keep it going right now. We've got that feeling of winning and we kind of like it."

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227 or mlancaster@tampatrib.com.

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