Baseball

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Super Nova shuts down Rays

Tampa running out of games

By: Mike Fitzpatrick

Posted: 09/16/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Jose Molina watches as New York Yankee Curtis Granderson clubs a two-run tater on Saturday. (KATHY KMONICEK / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

NEW YORK -- No matter how well they pitch, the Tampa Bay Rays know they need to score more runs if they want to make the playoffs.

Ivan Nova was sharp in his return from a shoulder injury and the New York Yankees got back-to-back home runs from Curtis Granderson and Eduardo Nunez in a 5-3 victory over James Shields and the Rays on Saturday.

"Again, it's the offence. We've asked a lot from the pitching staff the whole year," Tampa Bay slugger Evan Longoria said. "Can't say it enough: We've got to get hits, we've got to produce runs and however we have to do it, we've got to do it. But the time is now."

Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez each had an RBI single for the Yankees, who began the day tied with Baltimore atop the AL East. The Orioles were scheduled to play later in Oakland.

Longoria hit a solo homer for the third-place Rays, who fell four games behind New York with 17 to play.

"We don't have a lot of time," he said.

One day after Yankees ace CC Sabathia lost his third straight decision, Nova outpitched Shields and gave New York's rotation a nice boost. David Robertson worked a perfect eighth and Rafael Soriano got three outs for his 39th save in 42 attempts.

With two on in the ninth, Soriano fanned pinch-hitter Elliot Johnson for the final out -- assuring the Yankees (82-63) their 20th consecutive winning season.

Coming off a two-hit shutout Sunday against Texas, Shields (14-9) allowed four runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. "Big Game James" has been anything but that at Yankee Stadium, where he is 0-6 with a 4.95 ERA in his last seven starts.

Rays manager Joe Maddon, however, said his hitters need to help. He likened Tampa Bay's recurring woes on offence to a country-western song.

"Between your dog and your pick-up, we came up short again," he said.

Nova (12-7) missed a little more than three weeks with inflammation in his right rotator cuff. Making his first start since Aug. 21, he was charged with two runs and four hits in six-plus innings.

"He's good, man," Tampa Bay's Carlos Pena said. "That's one of the best curveballs in the game right now."

Nova struck out eight and walked two, improving to 5-1 in eight career starts against the Rays with his second win overall since the All-Star break.

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 16, 2012 B12

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