Major League Baseball

Moore outpitches Price as Rays shut down Red Sox, 4-0

Published Jun. 29, 2016 6:34 p.m. ET

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Matt Moore insisted it didn't give him any extra satisfaction to outpitch David Price.

''I might be different than a lot of guys. I really don't think about it as Moore vs. Price,'' the Tampa Bay Rays left-hander said after stringing together seven spotless innings to beat the 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner and Boston Red Sox 4-0 on Wednesday.

''I think of it as myself vs. the Red Sox, that matchup,'' Moore added. ''But it was a little bit different getting to square up against one of your buddies.''

Moore (4-5) allowed three singles, walked two and struck out five to outperform Price (8-5), the former Rays ace who fell to 1-3 in five career starts against his old team.

''That is great. I think everybody in this building has admiration for David Price and what he means to the organization,'' Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said.

''Any time you compete against him is special. ... Matt Moore was a young pitcher when he was here,'' Cash added. ''They follow him, listen to him, and to go toe-to-toe with that guy has to be special for Matt. And he was outstanding.''

Brandon Guyer homered and drove in two runs in his return from a three-week stint on the disabled list. Tampa Bay took two of three from the Red Sox on the heels of an 11-game losing streak.

Guyer, who missed 23 games with a left hamstring strain, led off the second inning with his seventh homer. He doubled down the left-field line to make it 4-1 in the third.

Moore, meanwhile, held the Red Sox hitless until Christian Vazquez singled leading off the sixth. Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts followed with hits to load the bases with one out, but David Ortiz popped up and Hanley Ramirez hit a routine fly that ended the threat.

''Moore was very good. ... We have the big opportunity with David and Hanley in the middle of the order,'' Red Sox manager John Farrell said. ''You figure that's the time we cash in. But that wasn't the case.''

Price was beaten by the Rays for the second time this season, yielding four runs and nine hits over 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander, who walked one and struck out 10, also lost to Tampa Bay 12-8 at Fenway Park on April 21.

''I need to pitch better. It's nothing else, it's not bad luck - it's me. I've got to get better,'' Price said, adding that the way he's pitched this season has been ''unacceptable.''

''I'm just putting us behind the 8-ball in a lot of games. I'm not setting the tone the way that I need to,'' he said. ''It's crushing me right now, but I'll get there.''

Boston was shut out for the third time this season. The Rays, who ended a streak of 13 consecutive games in which the pitching staff gave up five or more runs, also blanked the Red Sox 3-0 in 10 innings on April 19.

Moore allowed three runners through five innings, with Dustin Pedroia reaching on an error in the first and Jackie Bradley Jr. and Bryce Brentz drawing walks in the fifth.

The closest the Red Sox came to getting a hit before Vazquez singled was Ramirez's fifth-inning fly that center fielder Desmond Jennings caught at the wall.

Rays reliever Erasmo Ramirez allowed an eighth-inning single to Pedroia, and Xavier Cedeno gave up a leadoff single to Ortiz in the ninth before finishing the five-hitter.

''I hope, obviously, that winning a series after losing 11 in a row is going to mean something for us,'' Moore said. ''I don't know if you can say for sure what's going to happen, but I know it feels good heading into a new series.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Red Sox: 1B Hanley Ramirez felt some discomfort on his right side after swinging and missing in the sixth inning. He was removed for as a precaution in the eighth and is day to day. ... Farrell said discussions about the status of INF Brock Holt (concussion) and C Ryan Hanigan (strained neck) will take place on Thursday's off day. ''They're getting close,'' Farrell said.

Rays: RF Oswaldo Arcia (illness) was a late scratch. . With Guyer being reinstated from the disabled list, OF Jaff Decker was designated for assignment. ... RF Steven Souza Jr. (strained left hip) will hit Thursday against RHPs Alex Cobb and Chase Whitley, who are both recovering from Tommy John surgery.

STARTING TIME

The Red Sox have not announced who will take LHP Eduardo Rodriguez's spot in the rotation, but Farrell said the replacement will pitch Sunday against the Angels. Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket after allowing nine runs over 2 2/3 innings in Monday's 13-7 loss to the Rays.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: After an off day, Boston opens a nine-game homestand leading into the All-Star break. RHP Steven Wright (8-5, 2.18 ERA) starts Friday against the Angels, who counter with RHP Jhoulys Chacin (3-6, 5.64).

Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi (3-3, 3.93) starts the opener of a four-game series against Detroit. RHP Jordan Zimmermann seeks his 10th victory for the Tigers.

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