Moore tosses first career shutout, sizzling Rays silence Red Sox

Boston, MA – Matt Moore tossed his first career shutout as Tampa Bay silenced Boston, 3-0, in the opener of a four-game series from Fenway Park.

Moore (14-3) surrendered just two hits and walked one while striking out four, en route to his sixth straight victory as the visitors closed within a half- game of the first-place Red Sox.

"I would say, in the major leagues, that's the most efficient I've been," said Moore. "I think that's probably the best game I've ever thrown."

James Loney knocked in a pair of runs, while Ben Zobrist ended with three hits for the Rays, who have won six in a row and improved to 16-2 overall in July.

Brandon Workman (0-1) allowed seven hits and a pair of runs over six full frames for the Red Sox, who couldn't muster much offense after a thrilling 8-7 win over the Yankees in 11 innings on Sunday night.

"He keeps the game under control," said Red Sox manager John Farrell of Workman. "He's shows some maturity on the mound for just three appearances at the big league level."

Tampa picked up a run against a laboring Workman in the first. Desmond Jennings singled, but was picked off, then Zobrist and Evan Longoria singled to place runners on the corners ahead of a Loney sac fly to right.

The Rays tacked on a run in the fifth, as Yunel Escobar worked a leadoff walk, moved up on a Jennings sacrifice, went to third on a Zobrist infield hit and scored on Loney's two-out single through the right side.

Matt Joyce singled with one out in the ninth and swiped second. Jose Lobaton and Escobar both walked, then a fly to center from Jennings easily plated Joyce to make it 3-0.

The only blemishes on Moore's ledger were a one-out single from Mike Napoli in the bottom of the second, a Napoli walk in the fifth and a single from David Ortiz in the seventh plus a wild pitch.

Moore retired the final seven batters he faced.

Game Notes

Monday proved to be Moore's fifth scoreless outing this season and third in his last four starts ... The Red Sox were blanked for the third time in July and for the seventh time in 2013 ... Tampa has won 18 of its last 20 games ... Despite the loss, Workman is the first Red Sox pitcher to allow only two runs in each of his first two big league starts since Justin Masterson in 2008.