Shields's outing goes to waste

Rays squandered scoring chances

James Shields got off to a strong start for Tampa Bay, blanking the Sox until the visitors pushed across a run in the fifth. (Barry Chin/Globe Staff)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Oh, the wasteful practices the Rays exhibited in last night's 2-0 loss to the Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. They left the FieldTurf surface at Tropicana Field littered with opportunities to score runs for their starting pitcher, James Shields, who absorbed the loss after allowing just two runs on six hits in 7 1/3 innings.

"It's a mortal sin to waste good pitching - always," bemoaned Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon, whose Rays were no-hit by Daisuke Matsuzaka until the seventh.

"[Shields] pitched really well," Maddon said of his 26-year-old righthander, who was the winning pitcher of the franchise's first postseason game, a 6-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox in the AL Division Series.

"Listen, he does that often. That's typical Shieldsy right there. He gave us every chance to win that game tonight, but their guy was a little bit better than us tonight."

Although Shields gave up a three-run homer to Chicago's Dewayne Wise in the third inning of their ALDS opener, the Rays made a winner of Shields after they erupted for two runs in the bottom of the third and two more in the fifth. Shields departed after 6 1/3 innings, having walked one, struck out four, and thrown 100 pitches.

Shields, however, wasn't as fortunate in last night's turn against the Red Sox.

But was it a waste? Shields didn't see it as such. It was just a loss. One game.

"There's no doubt we can bounce back. I have faith in my whole team," Shields said. "That's what we've been doing all season long and that's what we've got to do [today].

"[The Red Sox] played a hell of a ballgame tonight. You've got to tip your cap to Dice-K, the way he pitched and got out of jams. He was the better pitcher tonight."

By the time Shields had thrown his 100th pitch, it was evident his night was done. After Dustin Pedroia singled to center with one out in the eighth, Maddon came calling with the hook. At no time, however, did Shields feel as though he had to match Matsuzaka's mastery on the mound.

"I think I did pretty well to respond," Shields said. "The one run I gave up [in the fifth inning] . . . I walked the first guy [Jason Bay] and I got a checked-swing base hit [by Mark Kotsay], and they didn't get a hit after that. A sacrifice hit [by Jed Lowrie] scored them, but that's just the ballgame."

It was that kind of night for Shields, who had been nearly unbeatable at home, winning nine in a row during the regular season to set a club record.

When asked if his pitcher was on point last night, Cliff Floyd responded in the affirmative.

"He was unbelievable," he said. "He gave us a chance to win a ballgame.

"Those are the ones you hate to lose because you're riding high with him. When the pitcher keeps you in the game, that's been our thing all year. When our pitcher keeps us in the game, we win. You don't win 100 games just by luck. Our guys have been throwing the ball tremendous this year.

"And it's just unfortunate tonight that we let a great performance like that go to waste."