MINNEAPOLIS -- Pushing the Tampa Bay Rays back toward .500 might be David Prices way of dampening trade rumours. The All-Star left-hander pitched eight scoreless innings to win five straight starts for the first time in his major league career, and the Rays beat the Minnesota Twins 5-1 Saturday night for their fourth consecutive victory. "We were talking about it before the game, regarding how well hes been pitching this year and trying to compare it to his Cy Young Award-winning year," Rays manager Joe Maddon said, referring to 2012. "Im telling you, hes right there right now." Price disagrees. He thinks hes even better. "Ive said that a month-and-a-half ago, six, seven starts ago," Price said. "Ive never been the pitcher that I am right now. Its awesome, its cool." Price (10-7) gave up four hits, matching his season low, walked none and struck out nine to increase his major league-leading total to 173. He got in trouble only once, giving up consecutive singles to Chris Parmelee and Eduardo Escobar in the fifth before Eduardo Nunez grounded into an inning-ending double play. Jake McGee got two outs for his eighth save in nine chances, completing a five-hitter. Price didnt pitch during the All-Star game but answered questions about potential trade scenarios should the Rays fail to climb back into contention. If Tampa Bay keeps winning, those questions will might disappear. "Just didnt want the All-Star break to put us into a lull, and it didnt do it, or it hasnt yet at least," he said. "To come out and play the ball that we have over the past two days after the All-Star break is huge." Twins starter Phil Hughes (10-6) allowed five runs and 11 hits in seven innings, matching the most hits against him this season. He is 3-4 with a 5.63 ERA in his last seven starts. "Hughes gave us an opportunity to get back in the game, but we werent able to do it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Price didnt give us much of a chance." Tampa Bay took a 3-0 lead in the second on Jose Molinas RBI single and Sean Rodriguezs 10th home run of the season, a two-drive into the second deck in left. It was the 10th home this season off Hughes, who allowed 35 in 2012 and 24 last year. "I felt like I could have gotten Molina out to get out of that inning," Hughes said. "You look up and its 3-0 and your heart sinks a little bit because you know youre one pitch away from getting out of that inning." The Rays made it 5-0 in the seventh on Molinas RBI groundout and Rodriguezs run-scoring single. Minnesota scored in the ninth against Juan Carlos Oviedo on Kurt Suzukis one-out, RBI single. NOTES: Twins 1B Joe Mauer took grounders before the game with coaches Joe Vavra and Paul Molitor. It was Mauers first baseball activity since he went on the 15-day DL on July 2 because of a strained right oblique. "He said theres certain things he does right now that he still feels it, coughing and sneezing and things like that, definitely feels it, so hes obviously not ready to take swings or any of that stuff," manager Ron Gardenhire said. ... Minnesota turned five groundball double plays for the seventh time in Twins history, the first since Sept. 17, 2006, at Cleveland. ... Gardenhire gave a day off to OF Josh Willingham, who is 2 for 10 in his career against Price and batting .208 this season. "Willys fine, hes healthy. Hes just missing his pitch right now." ... Ben Zobrists first-inning single off Hughes was his first hit against the former Yankees pitcher in 17 career at-bats. ... Tampa Bay will try for the sweep on Sunday when it starts RHP Chris Archer (5-5), who is 2-0 and hasnt allowed an earned run in two career starts against the Twins. Minnesota RHP Kevin Correia (5-11) is 1-2 over his last three starts despite opponents hitting .242 against him.
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Shaquille ONeal Heat Jersey . The two were in the batting cage moments before game time. Bautista was taking final warm up cuts. Pillar was hitting soft toss. The one-time utility player turned All-Star pulled aside the clubs young, fourth outfielder and offered him some advice. BOSTON -- Jacoby Ellsbury went to the New York Yankees. Jarrod Saltalamacchia is gone, too. The Boston Red Sox began rebuilding for their World Series title defence Wednesday when they signed free agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski to a one-year contract. "Its not every day you get a chance to play for the defending World Series champions. Looking at what they have coming back, theres definitely a chance to do it again," Pierzynski said in a conference call with reporters. "It was a place that you always want to go to because they win and they try to win every year. When they called, it was hard to say no." A two-time All-Star, Pierzynski will take over for the switch-hitting Saltalamacchia, who agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal with the Miami Marlins on Tuesday at about the same time the Yankees pried Ellsbury away from their rivals with a seven-year, $153 million contract. "We wish Jacoby well," general manager Ben Cherington said. "He was obviously a real good player here. He was a big part of two World Series teams and we would have loved to keep him. But we felt that there was an area or range that we were willing to go to, and the market just went past that." The best candidate to replace Ellsbury in the Red Sox system is Jackie Bradley Jr., who batted .189 in 37 games in the majors last year and .275 with 10 homers in 80 games at Triple-A Pawtucket. Cherington said it was too early to say whether there would be other candidates brought in through free agency or trade. "We feel good about some of the in-house alternatives, and one of those is certainly Jackie Bradley," Cherington said. "We feel fortunate that Jackie is in our organization, and we will feel good that he is playing centre field, if thats the way it works out." Pierzynski, who has played for four teams over parts of 16 seasons, said he talked to several former teammates who were on the Red Sox this year, including David Ortiz, Matt Thornton and Jake Peavy. He also bumped into Mark Kotsay while on vacation in Hawaii. "They all said, If you get an opportunity to come, youve got to take it," Pierzynski said. "Every person I talked to has had a positive experience there. I was grateful that Ben reached out and gave me an opportunity." Saltalamacchia had been a solid catcher in Boston. But his last play in a Red Sox uniform was the ill-advised throw to third base that led to the obstruction call against Will Middlebrooks, which gave the St. Louis Cardinaals a victory in Game 3 of the World Series.dddddddddddd David Ross took over, and the Red Sox went on to win the Series in six games -- their third title in 10 years. Both catchers were also a big part of the clubhouse chemistry that was helped erase the stigma of the fried chicken and beer collapse of 2011. Pierzynski has a mixed reputation in baseball -- including a conflict with Peavy that the two say is long behind them -- but his own teammates usually defend him. "(He has) the reputation across the field of not being the best guy," Boston manager John Farrell said on WEEI-AM. "But there are guys you get that feel from across the field and then when they get in your dugout, you love him. He was on board with everything. The bottom line is he wants to do nothing more than one thing: win." Pierzynski, a left-handed hitter, and Ross, a righty, will both be 37 next season. The Red Sox have two catching prospects in the minor leagues, Christian Vazquez in Triple-A and Blake Swihart in Single-A. "What were looking at is a short-term situation that really points toward Vazquez and Swihart, that are coming," Farrell said. "That doesnt mean that in 2015 Vazquez is a starter, but it gives us the flexibility that if he makes another good step in the minors the next year, its the potential that a guy could step in." Cherington also said his goal was to make the 2014 team stronger without hindering flexibility in the future, an outlook that made a one-year deal for a veteran catcher more attractive than the three years Saltalamacchia got. "We really appreciate everything he did," Cherington said. "If reports are accurate, were happy for him that he gets a good deal. We wish him well, but we feel like A.J. is the right fit for us right now." Pierzynski batted .272 with 17 homers and 70 RBIs last season with Texas -- the 13th season in a row in which hes caught at least 110 games. In his career with the Twins, Giants, White Sox and Rangers, Pierzynski is a .283 hitter with 172 homers and 800 RBIs, with a .322 average in 33 games at Fenway Park. "The combination of A.J. and Ross will allow that to be a position of strength for us, as it was this year," Cherington said. Pierzynski has caught two no-hitters, including Philip Humbers perfect game April 21, 2012. He made the All-Star Game in 2002 and 06 and won the World Series with the White Sox in 2005. He has a .300 career average with five homers and 17 RBIs in the post-season. ' ' '
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