WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & SportsJohnson outpitches Price, Marlins beat Rays 4-1

Johnson outpitches Price, Marlins beat Rays 4-1

Posted: Updated:

By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer

MIAMI (AP) - Josh Johnson outpitched David Price in a matchup of two of baseball's top starters, Wes Helms hit a two-run homer and the Florida Marlins beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 on Sunday.

Johnson (8-2) gave up six hits in eight innings, striking out nine, walking none and throwing 87 of his 117 pitches for strikes while lowering his ERA a tiny bit to 1.80.

Only a smattering of air horns were heard Sunday, after 15,000 were given out in a World Cup-themed promotion Saturday night that annoyed several players and Rays manager Joe Maddon. Noisemakers are typically banned from the stadium anyway.

Cody Ross had two hits and scored twice for the Marlins, who took two of three from the Rays for the second straight weekend. Gaby Sanchez hit an RBI triple for Florida, and Leo Nunez pitched a perfect ninth for his 15th save in 18 chances.

Carl Crawford homered and had two hits for the Rays. Price (10-3) gave up six hits and four runs, three earned, while striking out nine in six innings.

The loss could knock the Rays out of first place in the AL East for the first time in nearly two months; they came into the day tied with the Yankees for the division lead and baseball's best record.

For as good as Price was, there was no argument that Johnson was better.

He set down 12 of 13 batters during a dominating stretch that went into the eighth, before the Rays gave him a scare.

A double by John Jaso and a single by Crawford gave Tampa Bay runners on the corners with two outs. But after setting up Evan Longoria with two 96 mph fastballs, Johnson got the Rays' All-Star to pop out to short right-center with an 84 mph changeup, ending the threat.

It was just the second time in Johnson's career that he struck out nine batters without issuing a walk. He did it Aug. 4, 2009, against Washington, a game in which he carried a 4-0 lead into the seventh only to have the Marlins lose 6-4.

No chance of that Sunday. Nunez got his second 1-2-3 save of the series.

With no game to play Monday, Florida tweaked its lineup a bit, giving No. 3 hitter Hanley Ramirez (tight hamstring) and No. 4 hitter Jorge Cantu (rest) the day off. Dan Uggla batted third for the third time this season, and Ronny Paulino hit cleanup for the seventh time in his career.

With Johnson pitching, the Marlins didn't need much offense.

Florida opened the scoring when Mike Stanton drove in his ninth run on a fielder's-choice grounder in the second. Tampa Bay answered in the fourth on Crawford's seventh homer, a solo shot to right-center.

The Marlins reclaimed the lead in the fifth, with some help from the Rays.

Coghlan hit a one-out liner to center off the heel of B.J. Upton's glove and bounced to the grass. He scored one batter later when Sanchez's hit to right-center scooted past Ben Zobrist toward the wall for an RBI triple that put Florida up 2-1.

Another misplay aided the Marlins in the sixth. Ross hit a popup into short right, and Rays second baseman Sean Rodriguez overran the ball, losing it in the sun. It landed behind Rodriguez, Ross hustled into second and came in on Helms' two-run homer to left for a 4-1 lead.

NOTES: Since returning from Tommy John surgery in July 2008, Johnson is 30-8 with a 2.95 ERA. ... With his 44th hit, Crawford passed Luis Castillo as the career leader in the Tampa Bay vs.Florida games known as the Citrus Series. ... Rays TV announcer Dewayne Staats called his 4,999th big league game.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.