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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Matt Moore doesn't get much into pitching rivalries, so he wasn't going up against his old teammate David Price on Wednesday afternoon so much as his Tampa Bay Rays were facing the Boston Red Sox. Having said that, Moore stepped up in a huge way by taking a no-hitter into the sixth and throwing seven strong innings as the Rays got to Price for nine hits in a 4-0 victory at Tropicana Field.
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"It was a little different getting to square up against one of your buddies," said Moore (4-5), who struck out six as the Rays took two of three games from the Red Sox for the second time in as many series this season. "The trash talk wasn't really there."
Moore (4-5) held Boston to three hits, all in the sixth, and helped the Rays (33-44) secure a series victory from the Red Sox (42-36). Price (8-5) has just one win in his last seven starts, and he's now 0-3 as a visitor to The Trop since being dealt from the Rays two years ago.
"I'm just putting us behind the eight-ball early in games," Price said. "I'm not setting the tone the way I need to. It's tough, but I've got to get better."
Boston has been shut out three times this season, and two have come in its six games against Tampa Bay.
The Rays were able to get to Price, who gave up four runs on six hits in the first three innings. Tampa Bay's bullpen came through with two scoreless frames to close out the win.
Brandon Guyer opened the scoring with a solo home run to left in the second - his seventh of the season - in his first at-bat back after three weeks on the disabled list.
Price struck out the next three batters to retire the side, but ran into trouble in the third, however, with singles by Logan Forsythe and Brad Miller. An RBI double by Evan Longoria, an RBI groundout by Desmond Jennings and another RBI double from Guyer staked Tampa Bay to a 4-0 lead.
Boston quickly went from no hits in the sixth inning to having the tying run at the plate. Christian Vazquez singled to break up the no-hitter, and Mookie Betts followed with a single as well. Moore got Dustin Pedroia to pop out to left, but Xander Bogaerts singled to load the bases with one out. Moore got David Ortiz to pop out to third base and Hanley Ramirez to pop out to right to end the inning.
"Even with the bases loaded there, just being able to get a couple of those outs and stay on track was probably the biggest reason," Moore said.
Price gave up a season-high 12 hits and six earned runs in 2 1/3 innings in a loss to Texas in his previous start. He gave up eight earned runs in 3 2/3 innings in a start against Tampa Bay in Boston in April.
"On a day when I thought he had probably his best stuff of the season, in terms of velocity and shape of his secondary pitches, they bunched a couple of hits together," Red Sox manager John Farrell said.
Ramirez left the game after three at-bats with what Farrell said was a strain in his right side. He's day-to-day with Thursday as a day off for Boston.
NOTES: The Rays activated Guyer off the 15-day disabled list prior to the game. He had been sidelined more than three weeks with a hamstring but still leads the majors with 15 hit-by-pitches this season. Guyer played in right field and batted fifth Wednesday against Boston. ... Tampa Bay designated rookie OF Jaff Decker, who was hitting just .138, to make room for Guyer. ... The Rays had a creative lineup in giving 1B Logan Morrison a day off. Rookie OF Taylor Motter made his first MLB start at first base -- he has already played second, short, third, left and right field -- and INF Nick Franklin played in left field for the first time. Oddly, Franklin has played eight career games at first and none in left. ... Red Sox OF Brock Holt, out since early May with a concussion, has played seven rehab games at Triple-A Pawtucket, with five in the outfield and two at shortstop, and is hitting .364. ... C Ryan Hanigan, also on the DL with a neck strain, is also in Pawtucket and has played five games in his rehab assignment, going 3-for-16. There is no immediate timetable on when they will be back in the majors but could be anytime.
