ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — CC Sabathia threw a complete game. It wasn't enough to keep his personal winning streak going.
Tampa Bay Rays All-Star James Shields won for the first time in nearly a month, outpitching Sabathia and beating the New York Yankees 2-1 on Thursday night.
"You've got two guys that are throwing the ball extremely well," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Both have been pretty much on a roll and just continued it."
Sabathia (14-5) lost for the first time since June 9, ending a streak of victories in seven consecutive starts. Slumping Evan Longoria homered and finished with two of the five hits off the Yankees ace. Sam Fuld drove in Tampa Bay's second run with a fifth-inning triple.
"CC has been pitching like that for a long, long time," Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. "Yeah, you'd like to see him get a win. He pitched well enough to win. We just couldn't get anything going off Shields."
The loss dropped New York two games behind first-place Boston in the AL East.
Shields (9-8) allowed six hits, walked three and struck out six over 72?3 innings in his second duel with Sabathia in 12 days. The right-hander lost 1-0 to the major leagues' wins leader on July 10 at Yankee Stadium, yielding the game's only run on an errant pickoff throw to third base.
"Last time it was a pitcher's duel," Jeter said. "He's tough. He mixes it up. His changeup is as good as anyone in our league. He really keeps you off balance."
Shields ended a personal four-game skid, winning for the first time since a 5-1 complete-game victory at Houston on June 24. The right-hander allowed one runner past first until the eighth, when Jeter doubled.
ANGELS 1, RANGERS 0: At Anaheim, Calif., Jered Weaver won a riveting duel with fellow All-Star C.J. Wilson, and Los Angeles converted an error by Texas center fielder Endy Chavez into an unearned run. The Angels moved within three games of the AL West leaders. Weaver (13-4) scattered seven hits in seven-plus innings and struck out six to win his seventh straight decision and reduce his major league-best ERA to 1.81.
BLUE JAYS 7, MARINERS 5: At Toronto, Rajai Davis hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and the Blue Jays handed Seattle its 12th straight loss. Miguel Olivo erased a 5-1 deficit by hitting Seattle's first grand slam of the season in the top of the eighth. Reliever David Pauley (5-4) got two quick outs in the bottom half before Mike McCoy doubled to left and Yunel Escobar walked. Davis followed with a double over the head of Ichiro Suzuki in right, scoring both runners.
TIGERS 6, TWINS 2: At Minneapolis, Justin Verlander threw eight dominant innings, Jhonny Peralta drove in three runs with three hits in the Tigers' 10th straight win over the Twins. Brennan Boesch hit a two-run homer, and Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Peralta — batting fourth, fifth and sixth — were all over Twins starter Carl Pavano (6-7).