Rangers get to Price, take two of three from Rays

CBSSports.com wire reports
June 1, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Colby Lewis scattered four hits over eight innings, Elvis Andrus had two RBI and the Texas Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-0 on Wednesday.

Lewis (5-5) struck out eight and walked two. Neftali Feliz allowed a leadoff single to Ben Zobrist in the ninth before wrapping up his 11th save and completing the shutout.

Nelson Cruz put the Rangers ahead 1-0 on a fifth-inning RBI single, and Andrus made it 3-0 in the eighth when he hit a two-out single off David Price -- one pitch after Craig Gentry and Ian Kinsler pulled off a double steal to get into scoring position.

The Rangers took two of three from the Rays and are 7-3 over the past 10 games.

Price (6-5) allowed three runs, five hits, one walk and struck out eight in eight innings.

The Rays have lost eight of 12 and now head off on an 11-game, 12-day road trip that begins Thursday night at Seattle.

Price faced the Rangers for the first time since losing both of his starts in last year's AL Division Series. In four previous regular-season outings against Texas, the left-hander went 0-2 with a 7.45 ERA.

Zobrist doubled in the first and went to third with two outs on a passed ball, but was left stranded when Rays' slugger Evan Longoria struck out. No other Tampa Bay runner reached second base over the next six innings.

Tampa Bay's Sam Fuld singled and stole second with two outs in the eighth. The Rays failed to capitalize when John Jaso hit a fly ball to left.

Notes

Cruz has driven in seven runs over his last nine games. ... Rangers manager Ron Washington expects LHP Matt Harrison (left index finger blister) to make his scheduled start on Thursday night at Cleveland. ... Tampa Bay RF Matt Joyce, who entered with the major league-best .370 batting average, went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. ... Texas pitching coach Mike Maddux (daughter Lexie) and first base coach Gary Pettis (son Kyler) will miss part of the upcoming four-game series with the Indians to attend high school graduations. ... Rays CF B.J. Upton was hitless in three at-bats and is 3 for 30 with 15 strikeouts over his last 11 games.

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