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Alex Cobb, big inning help Rays beat Red Sox

 
Evan Longoria slides into home to score on James Loney’s two-run single, which caps the Rays’ five-run eighth inning that erases a 1-0 deficit.
Evan Longoria slides into home to score on James Loney’s two-run single, which caps the Rays’ five-run eighth inning that erases a 1-0 deficit.
Published Sept. 24, 2014

BOSTON — Rays manager Joe Maddon and pitching coach Jim Hickey would prefer not labeling any of their starters an ace. But like James Shields and David Price before him, Alex Cobb is going to push the limits of their lexicon.

Cobb delivered a typically solid performance in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Red Sox, allowing five hits and one run over seven strong innings.

That was the 13th time in his past 14 starts Cobb allowed fewer than two runs and 18th in 26 overall, lowering his ERA for the season to 2.75, sixth best in the American League, and a majors-best 1.49 since the All-Star break.

And as the Rays move into next season, having traded Shields and now Price, Cobb is expected to be, likely from the April 6 opener on, their leading man.

"Shields to Price to Cobb — I think it's stacking up that way," Maddon said. "Cobb to me is one of the best pitchers in the American League. He has been, and now he's validating that. None of what he's doing surprises me at all. His stuff is that good, his competitive nature is that aggressive.

"In the vernacular of baseball in general, he would be considered an ace, ace material. … He does all that."

Cobb wasn't particularly sharp Tuesday, especially with his fastball, but still quite effective, another sign of his development.

"I knew early on it was going to be one of these nights where I didn't have my best stuff," Cobb said. "But one thing I've started to learn as I've got more experience is I can go out and I can battle without my best stuff."

The only run Cobb gave up came in the fourth. Yeonis Cespedes singled off first baseman James Loney's glove then scored when Daniel Nava's liner to left ticked off Matt Joyce's glove as he leaped at the wall.

Cobb broke the team record for innings without allowing a homer, running his total to 811/3; Jake McGee had the record of 76, snapped this month.

"He did battle," Maddon said. "He's done that before. … He is that good, because you combine that when he has everything working, then he's even more difficult to hit."

Blanked as Boston's Clay Buchholz ran his scoreless streak against them to 29 innings, the Rays broke through with a five-run eighth, the big hit a two-run double by Ben Zobrist, in the lineup only because Kevin Kiermaier wasn't feeling well.

The Rays kept alive their slim chance of avoiding a losing record by improving to 76-81 with five games left. They did lose shortstop Yunel Escobar, likely for the season, with a left knee sprain.

Though Cobb and the other starters are of similar age, he is the obvious choice to become the staff leader based not only on what he has done, including his strong effort in last year's wild-card game, but how he handles himself.

Fellow starter Jake Odorizzi said Cobb has earned the designation.

"Cobb's going to be the guy that's looked at, now he's our ace, he's our leader, he has to go out and set the tone," Odorizzi said. "You know what to expect when he goes out there. … He's the guy that's going to be our new David/Shields type of guy that's looked upon."

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Contact Marc Topkin at mtopkin@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Rays.