Fans forgoing the Tampa Bay Rays game in favor of seeing the Tampa Bay Lightning lose at home to the Pittsburgh Penguins may have gotten to witness playoff hockey’s return to Tampa, but they missed a hell of a baseball game against the visiting Chicago White Sox. The 12,016 in attendance were treated to a 5-0 shutout victory against former Rays starting pitcher Edwin Jackson.
David Price looked his sharpest yet this season, with excellent command and pitch placement in his first career win against Chicago. Price struck out White Sox hitters early and often, with two in the opening frame and nine overall. The fiery Rays lefty allowed four hits over his eight innings pitched, walking only two hitters in a dominant performance.
“I felt very good and it was a big game for me,” Price said. “The White Sox have had my number ever since I’ve been in the big leagues. They’re a very tough team to pitch against. They’ve got a lot of right-handed hitters that put the bat on the ball so it’s tough and it’s fun.”
The Rays immediately pounced on their former starter, Jackson; Sam Fuld – starting in center field – led off the bottom of the first inning with a base hit. Elliot Johnson laid down a sacrifice bunt to move him to second. After Matt Joyce popped out, DH Felipe Lopez came through in the clutch, scoring Fuld with a two-out single up the middle. Ben Zobrist followed that up with his third home run of the season, giving the Rays an early 3-run lead on the man who no-hit them last time they saw him at the Trop.
This article appears in Apr 14-20, 2011.