Toe blister not hindering Betances' results

NEW YORK -- After tossing a perfect eighth inning during Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Rays, Yankees right-hander Dellin Betances was limping on his way back to the dugout.

Betances revealed after the game that he has been dealing with a blister on his left big toe that he aggravated while running toward first base after inducing a ground ball off the bat of Evan Longoria. Betances said he has been dealing with the blister for some time. He was not even really sure when he first noticed it, and dismissed it as a non-issue.

"I'm good," he said. "I could have gone back out."

Betances showed no signs of distress on the mound as he retired the Rays in order with two punchouts. It marked his sixth consecutive appearance that he has struck out at least two batters without allowing a hit, the longest such streak by a Yankee reliever since 1914. Opposing batters are hitless against Betances in their last 25 at-bats, a new career high, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Yankees' bullpen has been dominant all season -- and especially as of late, allowing just one run in 7 1/3 innings Wednesday. Since April 22, Yankees receivers have allowed three runs in 30 2/3 innings (0.88 ERA) with 38 strikeouts.

Yankee receivers owned a collective 1.75 ERA -- the second-best mark in the Majors, trailing only Kansas City's minuscule 0.82 bullpen ERA -- at the completion of New York's game Wednesday afternoon.

"All of us have different pitches and we're pounding the strike zone, which is the important thing out of the bullpen," Betances said. "It's just a different look for everybody."