Sports
Shields' 2-hitter stifles Rangers as Rays take series
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- James Shields held the Rangers to two hits in nine splendid innings Sunday, and B.J. Upton swatted three solo homers as Tampa Bay sent the Rangers home with a 6-0 loss at Tropicana Field.
The Rangers finished their 10-game road trip with a 6-4 record, but lost the three-game series to the Rays. The Rangers might have also lost Roy Oswalt for the season after the right-hander left the game after two innings with soreness near his elbow.
The Rays jumped on Oswalt for four runs. Upton started things with a solo shot to right-center, and Matt Joyce added a two-out RBI double. Carlos Pena started the second with a single, and Jose Molina followed with a two-run homer.
Martin Perez entered for the third and worked the next five innings. Upton got him to start the fourth and with one out in the sixth, but those were the only runs Perez allowed in his first outings since Aug. 30 for Triple A Round Rock.
Oswalt was making his ninth start of the season but first since Aug. 23. He had appeared Tuesday at Kansas City, working 2 1/3 innings and allowing one run.
Nelson Cruz had an infield single to start the second inning before Shields retired 19 straight. David Murphy ended Shields' run with a clean single to center field with two outs in the eighth.
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