Rays gonna Ray: 8th-inning rally propels Tampa Bay to 5th straight win

NEW YORK -- Gerrit Cole lived up to the hype in his long-awaited return from Tommy John surgery on Friday night. The Yankees ace breezed through six scoreless innings, looking a lot like his Cy Young Award-winning self.

When Cole was out of the game, the Rays showed Yankee Stadium what they’re all about, too.

Down by a run after seven innings, Tampa Bay came back in classic Rays fashion and pulled out a 4-2 victory over the Yankees in the series opener between two of the American League’s top teams.

The Rays have won five straight games and 22 of their last 26, improving their MLB-best record to 34-15. They also continued their dominance against their own division and league, moving to 14-2 against the AL East and 24-4 against the AL as a whole.

The Rays didn’t have a chance to do much of anything against Cole, who needed only 72 pitches to complete six innings. They had a golden opportunity in the seventh, with runners on second and third and one out, but Nick Fortes and Taylor Walls struck out against Fernando Cruz.

Then came the eighth, and the Rays wouldn’t be denied again.

Chandler Simpson, a thorn in the Yankees’ side throughout a three-game sweep at Tropicana Field last month, got the rally started against Tim Hill with a grounder that shortstop José Caballero couldn’t quite corral. Junior Caminero blasted a single up the middle, sending the speedy Simpson to third.

Up came Jonathan Aranda, who showed bunt at one point before swatting a two-strike sinker to center for a game-tying double. It was Aranda’s AL-leading 38th RBI of the season.

The Yankees intentionally walked Yandy Díaz to bring up the left-handed-hitting Richie Palacios, but the native New Yorker made another memorable moment in the Bronx. Palacios hit a chopper that tipped off Hill’s glove and just cleared the leaping Caballero before rolling into the outfield for a go-ahead, two-run single.

The Rays padded their lead when Ryan Vilade -- in the game for apparently injured outfielder Jonny DeLuca -- lofted a sacrifice fly to left that scored pinch-runner Carson Williams.

Not to be lost in the late-inning drama was another brilliant start by veteran Nick Martinez, who held the Yankees to just one run -- on a homer by Austin Wells -- despite allowing nine hits over six innings. The 35-year-old right-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his first 10 starts this season.