In baseball, sometimes timing is everything. Cleveland Indians sinkerballer Justin Masterson entered his Thursday afternoon start against the Tampa Bay Rays with perfect (5-0) record and a glittering (2.11) ERA. And while he didn't pitch poorly, he gave up four hits and a walk in one inning and was out-pitched by James Shields as the Rays beat the Indians, 7-4. In the process, Tampa Bay took over first place in the American League East, pending the Yankees' game later against the Royals.
Indians Vs. Rays: Tampa Bay Takes Series And First Place
The Rays scored four runs in that one inning, the top of the second. Evan Longoria led off with a walk, and Matt Joyce and Casey Kotchman followed with singles to load the bases. Longoria was out at home on Elliot Johnson's fielder's-choice grounder, but Reid Brignac -- still looking for his first extra-base hit of the season -- doubled home Joyce and Kotchman. And after Kelly Shoppach struck out, Sam Fuld laced a two-out single to plate Johnson and Brignac and give Tampa Bay a 4-0 lead.
It was still 4-0 in the sixth and Masterson was still on the mound when the Rays scored on Johnson’s nifty safety-squeeze bunt, with Joyce sprinting home safely after making sure the bunt was down.
Meanwhile, Shields -- who entered the contest with a 2.01 ERA -- was nearly untouchable until the bottom of the sixth, when Asdrubal Cabrera led off with his sixth home run of the season. Shin-Soo Choo followed with a single, and after two fly-ball outs he scored on Orlando Cabrera's double before Shields could escape the inning.
From there, both bullpens held until the bottom of the eighth, when Asdrubal Cabrera tripled off the very top of the padded fence in right-center field, and subsequently scored on Choo’s groundout.
The Rays tacked on two insurance runs in the ninth -- despite Kotchman getting fooled on the ol’ fake-to-third-and-throw-to-first pickoff play -- and Tampa’s Kyle Farnsworth, in a non-save situation, gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth but was never in serious danger of blowing the lead.
Tampa Bay's still hot, and took a half-game lead over the Yankees in the American League East. Cleveland's just a bit cool, with their second straight home loss -- after 14 straight home wins -- cutting their lead over the second-place Royals and Tigers in the Central to just four games.
For more about the Rays and Indians, please visit DRaysBay and Let’s Go Tribe.
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