James Shields Is Dominant as Rays Take Series, Shutout Yankees 3-0

When it comes to playing the Yankees there are never any easy games. They're simply too good of a team, which never allows you to feel totally comfortable until the last out is made. However, today's game came about as close to being "easy" as you can get against New York.

The Rays won 3-0 behind an outstanding performance by James Shields to take the series in impressive fashion. Simply put, Shields was phenomenal. This is the start where you saw his true talent level. We've been preaching for months that Shields' inflated ERA was simply a mixture bad luck and it would be only a matter of time before things began to even out. Earlier this week I heard a local drive time talk radio host proclaim that Shields was now the team's 4th starter, a proclamation based solely on ERA. I know one start won't change the minds of the doubters, but at least it should help to quell the grumblings for a few weeks.

Shields won because he consistently kept the Yankee hitters guessing. He threw 116 pitches in his 7.1IP of work, and only 62 were fastballs. His bread and butter pitch is the changeup, and today he may have had his best changeupof the year. Shields unleashed 31 of them, and generated an absurd 10 swinging strikes (32.26%). In total he would rack up an impressive 18 whiffs. The only real threat the Yankees posed came in the second inning with men on first and third with one out and Curtis Granderson at the plate. Shields would get Granderson swinging then enduce Austin Kearns to fly out to left to end the inning. Today, "Big Game" James certainly lived up to the monikerwith a final line of 7.1IP, 4H, 0ER, 1BB, 11K, 0HR.

The offense, again, did just enough to get by. The Rays had 14 base runners yet manged to score only three runs, which came way of singles and a double play ground out. If it weren't for Lance Berkman's hilariousdefensive display at first the Rays may have been held scoreless. They had a threat in the fifth withmen on second and third with one out, but that was silenced by a Sean Rodriguez line drive to Berkmanwho then stepped on first to complete the double play. The eighthinning provided another situation to tack on insurance runs, but withrunners on first and second with no outs Jason Bartlett failed to get down a bunt in three opportunities. John Jaso, Matt Joyce, and Reid Brignac would combine to strikeout, walk, and strikeout to end the inning.

It was an impressive series, and the Rays now sit just one game back in the standings. Things won't get much easier, though, as the Twins come to town tomorrow. Hopefully Jeremy Hellickson can start the series, and his big league career, off in style.

• Welcome to the team, Chad Qualls. After a Brett Gardner strikeout and Derek Jeter single, Qualls relieved Shields in the 8th. The one thing Qualls was brought here to do is get ground balls, and that's exactly what he did as Berkman grounded into an inning ending double play.
• Kerry Wood without facial hair is off putting
• Great to see Rafael Soriano come back out and get the save after giving up the game winning home run last night.