CINCINNATI -- The middle game of the Rays-Reds series Saturday afternoon brought another pitching duel.Alex Cobb started for the Rays, squaring off against Alfredo Simon, and lots of zeros followed. Like his teammate David Price did Friday night when he bested Reds ace Johnny Cueto, Cobb earned the win Saturday afternoon.The Rays claimed their second consecutive victory by besting the Reds, 1-0, with 35,356 watching. 
Cobb allowed no runs on four hits and a hit batter, while striking out five en route to his first win of the season.Meanwhile, Simon made just one big mistake, which came in the second when James Loney homered on an 0-1 pitch to lead off the inning. When the ball landed 412 feet away in the right-field stands, the Rays had the lead. It was the only run the Rays would get off Simon, who allowed five hits and a walk while striking out four.Stellar defensive efforts backed both starters.The Reds stole base hits from back-to-back hitters in the fourth. First, Loney lined out to Joey Votto, who stabbed the shot at his shoe tops before it could get down the right-field line. Second baseman Brandon Phillips then dove to his left to rob Kevin Kiermaier of a single.Kiermaier returned the favor in the bottom half of the inning when Phillips singled through the middle. The rookie center fielder charged the ball, scooped it up and threw a strike to catcher Ryan Hanigan, who was waiting with the tag for Votto when he arrived at home.Hanigan then threw out Phillips trying to steal third for the second out of the inning, stifling what had appeared to be a promising inning for the Reds.Evan Longoria added to the Rays' superlative defensive effort when he dove to his left to grab a Ryan Ludwick shot, then threw to second base from his knees to get the force out at to end the seventh.Bill Chastain / MLB.com
Cobb allowed no runs on four hits and a hit batter, while striking out five en route to his first win of the season.Meanwhile, Simon made just one big mistake, which came in the second when James Loney homered on an 0-1 pitch to lead off the inning. When the ball landed 412 feet away in the right-field stands, the Rays had the lead. It was the only run the Rays would get off Simon, who allowed five hits and a walk while striking out four.Stellar defensive efforts backed both starters.The Reds stole base hits from back-to-back hitters in the fourth. First, Loney lined out to Joey Votto, who stabbed the shot at his shoe tops before it could get down the right-field line. Second baseman Brandon Phillips then dove to his left to rob Kevin Kiermaier of a single.Kiermaier returned the favor in the bottom half of the inning when Phillips singled through the middle. The rookie center fielder charged the ball, scooped it up and threw a strike to catcher Ryan Hanigan, who was waiting with the tag for Votto when he arrived at home.Hanigan then threw out Phillips trying to steal third for the second out of the inning, stifling what had appeared to be a promising inning for the Reds.Evan Longoria added to the Rays' superlative defensive effort when he dove to his left to grab a Ryan Ludwick shot, then threw to second base from his knees to get the force out at to end the seventh.Bill Chastain / MLB.com
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