James Shields held the Texas Rangers to two hits, center fielder B.J. Upton hit three home runs and the Tampa Bay Rays cruised to a 6-0 victory to stay within two games of the New York Yankees in the American League East. Shields stifled the Rangers lineup all afternoon, limiting Texas to singles by right fielder Nelson Cruz and left fielder David Murphy. Roy Oswalt took the loss for the Rangers, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk in two innings.
Oswalt surrendered one of Upton's homers and gave up a two-run shot to catcher Jose Molina, his sixth of the season. Upton's three homers give him 21 in 2012, and his 3-for-5 day raised his batting average to .256.
The win in Sunday's rubber match gave Tampa Bay a tightly-contested series victory. The first two games went to extra innings, with the Rays winning in 11 innings on Friday and the Rangers winning in 10 innings on Saturday. The Rangers lead the American League West by four games over the Oakland Athletics, who have won seven of their last 10.
For more on the Rays, visit DRaysBay. For all your Rangers news, check out Lone Star Ball.