PRICE'S SHUTOUT JUST ENOUGH FOR RAYS

Koehler Turns in Strong Effort for Marlins

ST. PETERSBURG, June 4 (AP) - David Price turned in one of the most dominant performances by a major league starting pitcher this year, striking out 14 batters en route to a complete game four-hit shutout, leading the Tampa Bay Rays past the Miami Marlins 1-0 at Tropicana Field.  It was the sixth consecutive victory for the Rays.  The Marlins have dropped 17 of their last 22 games and fell to 6-14 in one-run games this season.

Miami wasted a strong start by Tom Koehler who held Tampa Bay to just one run on four hits in seven innings of work, but fell to 4-4 on the season.

The game's only run came in the bottom of the very first inning.  David DeJesus drew a lead-off walk and, one out later, advanced to second on Evan Longoria's base hit.  James Loney then blooped a single down the right field line, scoring DeJesus and chasing Longoria to third.  Koehler escaped further damage by pitching around Desmond Jennings and walking him, filling the bases, and then inducing Jose Molina to hit into a double play to end the inning.

Price was overpowering, striking out at least one batter in every inning, scattering four hits and a walk, and preventing Miami from advancing a runner past first base until the ninth inning. 

The Rays had a chance to add some insurance in the bottom of the eighth, but came up empty.  Facing reliever Bryan Morris, who came on in relief of Koehler after the Marlins starter was lifted for a pinch hitter in the top of the inning, DeJesus was hit by a pitch with one out and Zobrist drew a free pass, putting runners on first and second with one out.  Evan Longoria's slow roller to third was the second out, with the runners advancing to second and third.  Dan Jennings came on for Miami to face Loney and retired him on a grounder to short to end the threat.

The Marlins had their best scoring opportunity of the game in the ninth, despite recording neither a hit nor a walk in the inning.  Defensive lapses nearly cost Tampa Bay but Price stood tall in the end.  Giancarlo Stanton reached to open the inning when first baseman Loney botched a slow roller, putting a runner on first with no outs.  Price, seemingly annoyed, then struck out Casey McGehee and Marcel Ozuna on a combined total of seven pitches.  Jeff Baker then bounced a routine grounder to third for what should have been the final out but Longoria kicked it for the second error of the inning.  It was nearly a difference maker as Donovan Solano lashed a wicked one-hopper to the right side but Rays second baseman Zobrist made a diving stop and threw the batter out from his knees to end the game.

Price is the fourth pitcher this season, and the second this week, to strike out 14 batters in a nine-inning game.  Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers fanned 14 Chicago White Sox on June 2 at Dodger Stadium.

6/4/2014, Mia14-TB14, Tropicana Field

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

2014 Marlins           0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     0  4  0     7  2

2014 Rays              1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  x     1  4  2     6  0

Marlins              AB  R  H BI   AVG    Rays                 AB  R  H BI   AVG

Johnson,R         lf  4  0  1  0  .310    DeJesus           dh  2  1  0  0  .271

Lucas             3b  4  0  1  0  .310     Rodriguez,S      pr  0  0  0  0  .186

Stanton           rf  4  0  0  0  .272    Zobrist           2b  3  0  0  0  .238

McGehee           dh  3  0  0  0  .376    Longoria          3b  3  0  1  0  .219

Ozuna             cf  4  0  0  0  .249    Loney             1b  4  0  1  1  .326

Baker,Je          1b  4  0  0  0  .228    Jennings,De       cf  2  0  0  0  .265

Solano            2b  4  0  0  0  .200    Joyce             lf  3  0  0  0  .180

Mathis            c   2  0  0  0  .132    Escobar,Y         ss  3  0  0  0  .251

 Bour             ph  1  0  0  0  .000    Kiermaier         rf  3  0  2  0  .290

 Realmuto         c   0  0  0  0  .000    Molina,J          c   3  0  0  0  .174

Hechavarria       ss  3  0  2  0  .262                         26  1  4  1

                     33  0  4  0

Marlins                          INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Koehler          L 4-4           7.0  4  1  1  2  3 104  65  4.45

Morris                           0.2  0  0  0  1  1  24  12  3.81

Jennings,Da                      0.1  0  0  0  0  0   2   2  4.80

                                 8.0  4  1  1  3  4 130  79

Rays                             INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Price,D          W 7-4           9.0  4  0  0  1 14 117  84  3.06

                                 9.0  4  0  0  1 14 117  84

Mia: Bour batted for Mathis in the 8th

     Realmuto inserted at c in the 8th

TB : Rodriguez,S ran for DeJesus in the 8th

E-Longoria, Loney. RBI-Loney(20). K-Johnson,R 2, Lucas 2, Stanton 3, McGehee,

Ozuna 2, Baker,Je, Solano 3, Jennings,De, Kiermaier, Molina,J 2. BB-McGehee,

DeJesus, Zobrist, Jennings,De. HBP-DeJesus, Longoria. HB-Koehler, Morris.

GWRBI: Loney

Temperature: 70, Wind: none.

Attendance: 16,237

Game Time: 2:32