Red Sox, Rays resume set with southpaw showdown
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Two of the better left-handers in baseball face off on Wednesday when Jon Lester and the Boston Red Sox continue their three-game series against David Price and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.
Lester has actually looked like a top-flight hurler this season, whereas Price, the American League's reigning Cy Young Award winner, has stumbled out of the gates.
Lester improved to 5-0 on Friday with one of the best starts of his career, as he tossed a one-hit shutout to beat the Toronto Blue Jays. He also struck out five without walking a batter and lowered his ERA to 2.73.
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"I think today classifies as a little bit of a grinder for me," Lester said.
Lester gave up just a run in seven innings without getting a decision against the Rays earlier in the year, but is 10-8 lifetime against them with a 4.14 ERA in 23 starts.
Price, meanwhile, has struggled this season after winning 20 games a year ago. He is just 1-3 on the year, but is pitching to a 4.78 ERA. Price did not get a decision on Thursday against the Blue Jays, as he surrendered four runs (2 earned) and seven hits in eight innings.
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"I thought that was his best stuff all season," Tampa manager Joe Maddon said. "He pitched really well. I thought he had everything going. His fastball, I thought looked really good, and the other stuff off the fastball was very good also."
Price also did not get a decision in that April 13 contest against Lester and Boston and has faced the Red Sox 16 times, going 8-4 against them with a 2.99 ERA.
Tampa's recent roll continued in Tuesday's opener, as Matt Joyce hit the go- ahead two-run single in a five-run fourth inning, lifting the Rays to a 5-3 win.
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Luke Scott hit an RBI double and Jose Molina added a two-run base hit in the deciding frame for the Rays, who were coming off a weekend sweep of San Diego and won their sixth straight overall.
Matt Moore (7-0) remained perfect on the season and tied for the major-league lead in victories by scattering three hits and as many runs in his six-inning outing. The left-hander also became the first hurler in franchise history to start a season with seven wins before losing a start.
"Matt's been wonderful," Maddon said. "We've talked a little bit about the command issue, but he doesn't give up a lot of hits. He might walk a couple of guys, but they're not beating him up with hits."
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David Ortiz launched a three-run homer for the Red Sox, who fell to 4-9 in May after an 18-8 start to the season.
John Lackey (1-4) was dented in defeat for nine hits and five runs over just 4 1/3 frames.
Boston swept a three-game set from the Rays earlier in the year.