Rays come alive late on offense to top Yanks
ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to cap a come-from-behind 4-2 win over the Yankees on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field.
Kevin Kiermaier drew a one-out walk from Nathan Eovaldi to start the eighth-inning rally and moved to third on a Steven Souza Jr. single, which prompted Yankees manager Joe Girardi to bring in Dellin Betances. Evan Longoria swung at the first pitch he saw and drove the ball to deep center field to score Kiermaier on a sacrifice fly.
Brad Boxberger handled the Yankees in the ninth to earn his ninth save of the season.
"The way the game started, I don't know if we saw it coming that way, ending like that," Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
The Yankees scored two in the first on RBI singles by Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran off Rays starter Chris Archer. The 2-0 lead stood until the seventh, when David DeJesus singled home two runs to tie the score.
"You're not going to win them all, but it's a game we feel we could have won," said Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
A wild finish: Eovaldi was dealing in this effort, cruising through the first four innings and pitching out of trouble in the fifth. The Rays finally cracked through in the seventh, as a single, walk and wild pitch set up DeJesus' two-run single up the middle. Eovaldi started the eighth but permitted a walk and single. Betances served up a sacrifice fly to Longoria and uncorked two wild pitches, including one that allowed the fourth run to score. More >
"I'm trying my best to not let those runs score in a tie ballgame," Betances said. "Eovaldi pitched a great game, so I'm trying my best not to give them the lead right there."
Video: NYY@TB: Souza Jr. scores on Betances' wild pitch
Rivera shines: The Yankees have a speedy one-two punch at the top of their lineup in Ellsbury and Brett Gardner. But in the second, the pair proved to be no match for Rene Rivera. The catcher first threw out Ellsbury trying to steal second for the second out of the inning. He then threw out Gardner trying to steal second to end the frame.
"Rene helped [Archer] out a lot getting through that second inning with two great throws," Cash said. "That was very big on Rene's part."
Video: NYY@TB: Rivera throws out Ellsbury, Gardner at second
Staying alive: Archer allowed two runs on four hits and a walk to the first five batters -- and the bases were still loaded with no outs in the first. The right-hander then struck out Chase Headley, retired Stephen Drew on a shallow fly ball to center, then got Garrett Jones to ground out to end the inning. After that inauspicious beginning, Archer added six scoreless innings and finished with seven hits allowed and eight strikeouts. More >
"Archer, he's a very good pitcher -- has very good stuff, electric stuff," Ellsbury said. "Three good pitches. I wish we could have got a little bit more. I thought Eovaldi pitched very well. It's a game we had a chance to win."
Video: NYY@TB: Archer strikes out eight Yankees over seven
A-Rod held at third: The Yanks had the first five batters of the game reach base, but settled for two runs. There was some question if Alex Rodriguez should have been sent home on Drew's one-out fly ball to center fielder Souza, but the 39-year-old was held by third-base coach Joe Espada. Rodriguez is somewhat limited on the bases because of a tight left hamstring.
"Souza throws well and he'll be out," Girardi said.
QUOTABLE
"I've got to do better. It was bad catching. I've got to block those balls and I didn't do it. It was bad. It was poor." -- McCann, on Betances' two wild pitches.
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Boxberger notched his ninth save in nine chances this season. The last Rays pitcher to start the season with as many saves without a blown save was Fernando Rodney, when he started 15-for-15 in 2012.
Video: NYY@TB: Boxberger retires Teixeira to earn the save
All 14 hits in the game were singles. It marked the first time that the Yankees and Rays played each other in a game without an extra-base hit. The last time the Rays were involved in such a game was Sept. 27, 2014 at Cleveland; the Yankees played in one on Sept. 7, 2014 vs. Kansas City.
WHAT'S NEXT
Yankees: Adam Warren (2-1, 4.65 ERA) will face the Rays for the third time this season on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. ET, having logged a pair of no-decisions in his first two efforts, both Yankees victories. In his last start, Warren took a no-decision against the Orioles, permitting two runs and seven hits over 4 2/3 innings. He has yet to complete six innings in a start.
Rays: Nathan Karns (2-1, 3.79 ERA) has not lost a start since April 7 against the Orioles, and he has allowed two runs or fewer in five of his six starts since then, going 2-0 with a 2.86 ERA and 34 strikeouts. He threw 51 more pitches (117) in his last start than he did his previous start (66).
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