Back to the Rays Report

Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

 @RMooneyTrib
 TBO_Rays
Send us your questions

More Links:

• Schedule/Results
• Player Stats
• Team Stats

Most Recent Entries

• Rays-Red Sox, Round II: Can Rays afford a beanball war?
• Robinson product Gibson advances to NCAA track finals
• Panini previews Gold Standard autographs
• UD unveils Military Machines inserts for 2012 Goodwin Champions set
• Rays @ BoSox: Guyer out for the season, Jennings close to returning and lineups
• USF softball: It’s game day
• Weekly Tampa Bay fishing report
• Rays at BoSox: Rivalry renewed
• Karen Cooley returns as Zephyrhills girls swimming coach
• USF beats Pitt, stays alive
• The Nerds head north
• Jeffrey Shank out as Gulf boys basketball coach
• Berkeley Prep captures Academic Team Champion Award - again
• This week’s signings and offers
• Berkeley Prep wins FHSAA Academic Award standings

More

• Bucs Report -Tribune staff
• Rays Report - Roger Mooney
• Bolts Report - Erik Erlendsson
• Bulls Report
• Prep Report - Hillsborough
• Prep Report - Pasco
• Prep Report - Region
• Prep Report - Recruiting Updates
• Prep Report - Football
• Go Fishing: On The Waterfront
• The Sports Bookie - Bob D'Angelo
• Gators Report - Tribune staff
• Youth Sports Report
• NFL Draft Report
• Go Ask: Frank's Tacklebox
• Bucified Bert Blog
• BUK Power - Bucs Fan Blog
• Pigskin Preacher - NFL Fan Blog
• Breakfast Bonus - Tom McEwen
• Highlands Sports

Monthly Archives

• May 2012
• April 2012
• March 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011

Rays 4, Rangers 1: Shields gets career strikeout No. 1,000

Posted Sep 1, 2011 by Roger Mooney

Updated Sep 1, 2011 at 12:38 AM

ROGER MOONEY
ARLINGTON, Tx James Shields got David Murphy swinging to end the seventh inning and asked John Jaso for the ball as he began his walk back to the dugout.

It was a special moment on a mostly routine night for Shields – the 1,000th strikeout of his career.

“I’m pretty proud of that,” Shields said. “I never considered myself a strikeout pitcher, but to get 1,000 for my career is pretty special.”

Shields, who pitched eight innings in the Rays 4-1 victory, was known as the control pitcher for most of his career, the kind who forced hitters to put the ball in play and lets his defense do the heavy lighting.

But this season, with an improved curveball and a fastball that he can keep down in the strike zone, Shields is turning into the king of Ks.

He struck out seven Wednesday and has a career-best 199 this season. That total is good for fourth in the American League. Scott Kazmir is the only pitcher in team history to fan 200 batters in a season.

Here are some notes from the victory:

—Shields tied his career-high with his 13th victory of the season. He won 13 in 2010. He has a 0.66 ERA in his 13 wins.

—Wednesday was the 17th time Shields pitched at least seven innings and allowed no more than two runs this season. He and Jared Weaver are the only pitchers in the majors to do that.

—Johnny Damon’s seventh inning home run is the only extra base hit the Rays have during the first two games of this series. It was the 2,704th hit of his career, which moved him past hall of famer Fred Clark and into 63rd place on the all-time hits list.

—John Jaso’s bases-loaded single in the second inning was the Rays first hit with a runner in scoring position since Saturday.

—The Rays were 18-10 in August, tying the Tigers for the best record in the AL.

—The team’s 3.07 ERA in August was the for the month in team history.

—The Rays are 3-8 at Rangers Ballpark since 2009.