Rays 3, Phillies 2
WP – David Price (10-4, 2.95)
LP – Antonio Bastardo (2-2, 3.75)
SV – Fernando Rodney (21)
PHILADELPHIA — The game was living up to it’s billing.
Cole Hamels and David Price were dueling in a 1-0 game through seven innings. Hamels pitched seven shutout innings in his start, holding a slight advantage over Price by putting his team in the best position to win.
With both pitchers throwing 223 pitches combined, they gave way to their bullpens after seven. There, the Rays won the important battle in their 3-2 win over the Phils.
A gassed Antonio Bastardo, who threw 29 pitches yesterday, struggled in the 8th inning, costing Hamels a shot at his 11th win of the season. Bastardo walked two hitters before giving up a one-out three-run homer to the left-handed hitting Carlos Pena to give the Rays a 3-1 lead.
It erased the work Hamels did through seven innings as well as the solo home run Jimmy Rollins hit in the 6th inning.
Hamels started out strong, going perfect through the first three innings. But a lead-off walk and infield single erased both a perfecto and no-no in two at-bats.
Trivial accomplishments aside, Hamels cruised. He allowed only three hits and walked three batters while striking out seven through seven innings.
The Phillies cut into the lead in the bottom of the 8th inning thanks to Ty Wigginton’s one-out RBI single.
But they wasted a bases loaded opportunity after John Mayberry struck out and Jim Thome was intentionally walked to load the bases. Michael Martinez, who had one hit in his last 21 at bats, was the culprit, hitting a weak fly ball to right to end the threat.
2B: Pence (13). HR: Rollins (7).
TTB 