Inland Waterways » Astros defeat the Rays 3-1 Friday night. Cosart

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Jarred Cosart has spent a lot of time studying David Price. In the last year, the young Houston right-hander has spent a lot of time outpitching him, too. Cosart threw eight shutout innings to beat Tampa Bay once again, and rookie George Springers two-run homer helped the Astros defeat the Rays 3-1 Friday night. Cosart (7-5) gave up six hits in winning his third straight start. He walked one and struck out two, retiring 12 straight at one point. The 24-year-old Cosart topped the Rays last Saturday in Houston, the Astros last victory before losing four in a row. The pitching matchup against Price (5-7) was a rematch of Cosarts major league debut at Tampa Bay last July 12 in which he took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and finished with eight shutout innings and a win. "Hes a guy Ive watched for years, and hes one of the best in the league and hes proven that, and thats where were all trying to get," Cosart said. "I was trying to compete with him pitch-for-pitch, and you know hes not going to make too many mistakes. Tonight he made one, really." After striking out in his first five at-bats against Price, including his first try Friday night, Springer hit his 13th home run off the D-ring catwalk at Tropicana Field. It came in the third inning after the first of Jose Altuves three hits. "I was a little bit in front of it and just didnt want to hook it," said Springer. "I was actually saying to myself: Just stay fair!" Price "had some success off me the last game and he still has some success off me. It was one of those things where I was just able to hit it," Springer said. Price gave up six hits while striking out 12 in eight innings. It was his fourth straight game with double digits in strikeouts, tying Bostons Jon Lester (in 2010) for the longest such streak since 2008. Price is 1-3 in those four starts for the Rays, who have lost 18 of 24. A second-inning strikeout of Chris Carter was the 1,000th of Prices career. "It (the strikeout) is cool, cant deny that," Price said. "But it stinks. You want to win out there and were not doing that right now so its frustrating." Jonathan Villar added a solo homer for the Astros in the ninth off reliever Juan Carlos Oviedo. The Rays scored an unearned run in the ninth off reliever Chad Qualls, who got his ninth save. Yunel Escobar hit an RBI single with two outs before Ryan Hanigan struck out. Altuve leads the majors with 101 hits. Batting second in front of Springer, the Houston second baseman is 11 for 18 in four games since returning from a hand injury. "It really puts the pressure on the opposing pitcher with a guy that leads the league in hits," Astros manager Bo Porter said. "Hes going to be on base a bunch, and then you have a guy in the batters box that can change the game with one swing. Its a pretty good dynamic for our lineup." Brandon Guyer and Jose Molina each had two of Tampa Bays eight hits, all singles. NOTES: The Astros optioned RHP Paul Clemens to Triple-A Oklahoma City and called up RHP Jake Buchanan, who will start Saturdays game against Tampa Bay RHP Jake Odorizzi. ... Price leads AL pitchers in innings (115 2-3) and strikeouts (133), along with hits (116) and home runs (16) allowed. ... With the signing of LHP Brock Burke, the Rays announced they have signed all 11 of their picks in the first 10 rounds of the draft. 00:23ET 21-06-14 Frank White Jersey .Impact president Joey Saputo confirmed Thursday that he is part of a group of investors whose offer to buy the 105-year-old Italian club was accepted by the teams board of directors. George Brett Jersey . MacLean clocked 8:24.91 seconds, eclipsing the previous mark of 8:27.59 set by Brittany Reimer of Victoria at the 2005 FINA World Championships in Montreal. MacLean and Tabitha Baumann of Ottawa -- second in 8:32.37 -- both went under the qualifying standard to be nominated to the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific teams. http://www.royalsteamproshop.com/Royals-Drew-Butera-Kids-Jersey/ .Y. - For once, Clayton Kershaw was glad to see a long shutout streak end. Alcides Escobar Jersey .com) - Chris Kreider tallied a goal and an assist as the New York Rangers capped a successful California road trip with a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. Danny Duffy Jersey . THE THUNDER & PACERS BENCHES: In a nutshell, not impressive at all.MELBOURNE, Australia - It wasnt until Serena Williams forced herself to relax, and not focus too intently on a milestone Grand Slam title, that she rediscovered the art of winning the biggest events in tennis.Now shes on the verge of a 19th major championship after beating 19-year-old Madison Keys 7-6 (5), 6-2 on Thursday and setting up an Australian Open final against long-time rival Maria Sharapova.Williams has won all five Australian Open finals she has contested and won her last 15 matches against No. 2-ranked Sharapova, a five-time major winner who will be playing her fourth final at Melbourne Park.While the 33-year-old Williams is peerless among active players, there was a period last year when she wanted so desperately to win her 18th major that it proved too distracting. After winning the U.S. Open in 2013, she lost in the fourth round at the Australian Open, the second round at the French and the third round at Wimbledon.I was so hyped on getting to 18 and I lost every Grand Slam early. I didnt make it to any quarterfinals, Williams said. Then after Wimbledon I decided to just — not necessarily not care — but just relax. It all kind of came back for me after that ... and I think its been working.That approach helped her win the U.S. Open and, if it works again on Saturday against 2008 champion Sharapova, it will help Williams move above Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on the list of major winners. She would be behind only Steffi Graf, with 22 titles, among champions in the Open era.The statistics point to another win for Williams, but shes not getting ahead of herself.Again. I have to win. Everyones expecting me to win. But well see, Williams said. Shes playing unbelievable. She was almost out of the tournament and has been playing better every single match. Its impressive.Williams, who has struggled with a cold for a week, said shed benefit from a tough workout in the all-American semifinal against Keys, who pounded her with heavy groundstrokes and a big serve for the first set.Keys, playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal, saved seven match points on serve in a penultimate game that lasted more than 11 minutes. Williams closed with an ace in the next game to reach her 23rd major final.She pushed me really hard the first set .dddddddddddd.. and I had to really dig deep mentally to get through that, Williams said. It was a little frustrating. I had like nine or 10 match points and couldnt close it out. That doesnt happen so much. She played like she didnt have anything to lose.Sharapova, who beat No. 10-seeded Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-2 in an all-Russian semifinal, has won only two of her 18 career meetings with Williams — both in 2004. She started 2015 with a title at the Brisbane International and, ever since saving two match points in her second-round match against Russian qualifier Alexandra Panova, has been growing in confidence.I think my confidence should be pretty high going into a final of a Grand Slam no matter who Im facing and whether Ive had a terrible record, to say the least, against someone, Sharapova said. It doesnt matter. I got there for a reason. I belong in that spot. I will do everything I can to get the title.In mens play, Andy Murray reached the Australian Open final for the fourth time, and is desperate to end a title drought Down Under.The sixth-seeded Murray beat No. 7 Tomas Berdych 6-7 (6), 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 in a semifinal laced with heavy hitting, flashes of anger and profanities.Murray lost finals here to Roger Federer in 2010 and Novak Djokovic in 11 and 13. Since then, he has won the U.S. Open and Wimbledon to end long title droughts for British men. Hell get another chance to claim the Australian title on Sunday, against the winner of Fridays semifinal between Djokovic and defending champion Stan Wawrinka.Tension was high before the match because Murrays former coach, Dani Vallverdu, is now working for Berdych.You wanted there to be tension, Murray said. A lot was made of Dani, my ex-coach, working with him. I felt it was a little unfair and unnecessary. This is sport, theres more to life than sport. It was a little unfair and created extra tension.An aggravated Murray bristled when Berdych spoke a few words to him after the first-set tiebreaker, and yelled profanities throughout the match. TV cameras appeared to show his fiancee, Kim Sears, uttering expletives in support.Murray said the emotional reactions were understandable given the hype leading into the match. 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