Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel lowers his head in his dugout during the eighth inning of Game 2 of the World Series with Tampa Bay Thursday. The Rays defeated the Phillies 4-2.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — James Shields walked slowly off the mound and doffed his cap to a cheering crowd, looking a little surprised that he'd been taken out.

No sweat — rookie reliever David Price and the rest of the Tampa Bay Rays were ready to finish the job. Big Game James had already lived up to his nickname.

Shields stymied the slumping Philadelphia Phillies and Price got the final seven outs, pitching the plucky Rays to a 4-2 victory Thursday night that tied the World Series at 1-all.

"I didn't feel too much pressure," Shields said. "The guys in the clubhouse were real relaxed before the game."

After dropping the opener to ace Cole Hamels and the Phillies, the young Rays rebounded from a rare home loss and earned their first World Series win with help from a squeeze play and a checked swing.

Tampa Bay never really got a huge hit, but neither did the Phillies as Jimmy Rollins and crew fell to 1-for-28 with runners in scoring position.

"That might be one of our sloppiest games all year," manager Charlie Manuel said. "I'm concerned about us hitting with guys on base, because it looks like at times we might be trying a little too hard. But we can fix that."

The series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 Saturday night, though rain is in the forecast. ALCS MVP Matt Garza is scheduled to pitch for Tampa Bay against 45-year-old Jamie Moyer, making his World Series debut.

"We came in here knowing it's going to be a tight series," Rays outfielder B.J. Upton said. "Both clubs are a lot alike."

Tampa Bay scored on Jason Bartlett's safety squeeze and built another rally when Rocco Baldelli walked on a checked swing that seemed to confuse players and umpires alike.

Shields threw shutout ball into the sixth, outpitching Brett Myers and working out of trouble just as Hamels did for a 3-2 win Wednesday night.

So, how exactly did a pitcher with 32 major league wins come by that catchy monicker?

"It was kind of a joke at first," Shields said. "I ended up pitching a couple of good games in the minor leagues and they say my whole organization is calling me 'Big Game.' They don't call me by my first name anymore."

The 23-year-old Price, called up in September after he was the top pick in last year's draft, struck out slugger Ryan Howard with two on to end the seventh.

The hard-throwing lefty gave up a pinch-hit homer to Eric Bruntlett in the eighth, then stayed on to close it out against Philadelphia's big boppers.

Carloz Ruiz led off the ninth with a double, and a pitch from Price appeared to graze Rollins' jersey. But it was not called a hit batter, and a frustrated Rollins soon popped out.

Ruiz scored when third baseman Evan Longoria booted Jayson Werth's grounder for an error, but Price fanned Chase Utley and got Howard on a game-ending grounder.