Shields outduels Sabathia, 2-1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Eleven days later, James Shields got the better of CC Sabathia.

When he faced Sabathia on July 10 at Yankee Stadium, Shields was a hard-luck loser, as his wild throw on a seventh-inning pickoff attempt at third allowed the game's only run to score. But Shields was nearly flawless Thursday night. He outpitched Sabathia, who was nearly as good, in a 2-1 Rays victory in front of 29,279 at Tropicana Field.

"Two mistakes cost us the game,'' Sabathia said.

That was a reference to Evan Longoria's solo homer on a hanging curveball with two outs in the first and Sam Fuld's RBI triple on a 1-and-2 pitch with two outs in the fifth, which gave the Rays a 2-0 lead.

The Yankees (57-39), who finished this trip 4-4 and didn't hit all that well for most of it, are two games behind the Red Sox and lead the Rays (52-45) by 51/2 games.

Sabathia, on his 31st birthday, continued what he's done for well over a month. Since losing to the Red Sox June 9, he had won seven straight starts, posting a 1.68 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 532/3 innings in that stretch. In his last five starts entering Thursday night, he had allowed two earned runs in 392/3 innings for a 0.45 ERA.

Sabathia (14-5, 2.62 ERA) allowed two runs and five hits in eight innings Thursday night, walking four and striking out eight.

"You make two mistakes and lose a game, it's not going to happen very often,'' Joe Girardi said. "He was still really, really good tonight.''

But Sabathia's opponent, rumored to be on the trading block -- the Tigers sent several scouts to Tropicana Field to watch the game -- was even better. Shields (9-8, 2.53) allowed one run, six hits and three walks in 72/3 innings, striking out six.

"He's a guy that it's tough to lay off pitches,'' said Robinson Cano, whose two-out double in the eighth drove in Derek Jeter, who had doubled with one out. "He's a guy that throws a lot of strikes and he puts it wherever he wants. You have to give the guy credit; he pitched really well.''

Shields is known for his changeup, and he had it working as well as he has all season.

"His changeup is as good as anyone's in our league,'' said Jeter, whose double gave him 3,010 career hits, tying him for 25th on the all-time list with former teammate and former Ray Wade Boggs. "It really keeps you off balance. We didn't get much going.''

After Cano's double made it 2-1, Joe Maddon brought in righthander Brandon Gomes to face Nick Swisher, who swung at the first pitch and flied out to medium center.

Kyle Farnsworth worked the ninth for his 19th save. He struck out Jorge Posada, and after Russell Martin singled, he struck out Eduardo Nuñez with a 97-mph fastball. Curtis Granderson, who had the night off before pinch hitting for Chris Dickerson in the seventh, fouled off three straight 1-and-2 pitches before striking out swinging at a breaking ball in the dirt to end it.

Sabathia's mistakes were few -- or two -- and the one that most bothered him was the triple by Fuld, the first he's allowed to a lefthanded hitter this season. Entering the game, lefthanded hitters were batting .187 with four extra-base hits against Sabathia. Before Fuld's triple, Sabathia walked No. 8 hitter Elliot Johnson, who is hitting .197.

"Letting the lefty beat me and that costing us the game is tough,'' Sabathia said. "I feel I should make pitches and get those guys out most of the time.''

On most nights, Sabathia's effort would have been enough. Just not last night.

"They've both been on pretty much of a roll,'' Girardi said of Sabathia and Shields. "And they just continued it tonight.''