The New York Yankees met tonight for the middle game of three against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in Tampa. Going into last night’s game, the Yankees were 1-5 against their nemesis. But last night, the Yankees beat them 3 to 1 on the excellent pitching of Jordan Montgomery. Tonight the Rays were faced with the Yankees Ace Gerrit Cole facing the Rays; Collin McHugh hoped to take the series by winning this game. The Yankees won 1-0.
In the first inning, McHugh faced DJ LeMahieu, who led off by flying out to right. Giancarlo Stanton went down swinging. Aaron Judge chopped to short for the 1-2-3 inning for McHugh. At the bottom Randy Arozarena against Gerrit Cole, he went down on strikes. Austin Meadows hit the catwalk at Tropicana Field for a double. Margot ground out, but Meadows went to third. Brandon Lowe struck out to end the inning. No score.
Gio Urshela led off the second inning, and he struck out swinging. Luke Voit walked for the first base runner for the New York Yankees. Aaron Hicks hit into the double play to end the half. At the bottom, Yandy Diaz led off by singling to Aaron Judge. Joey Wendle hit into the force out. Mike Zunino hit into a double play to end the inning scoreless.
At the top of the third, with Ryan Yarbrough on the mound, Clint Frazier flew out to the centerfield warning track. Kyle Higashioka, with the most home runs per inning, popped out to Lowe in center. Tyler Wade struck out for a 1-2-3 inning for Yarbrough. Willie Adames led off the bottom by striking out looking. Brett Phillips struck out for Cole’s fourth strikeout and his 1,500 strikes out of his career. Arozarena ground out for the final out of the inning. No score.
DJ LeMahieu led off the fourth by line driving to short. Stanton struck out on a questionable low ball. Aaron Judge singled to the right side. Gio Urshela, with one on and two outs, singled to center, moving Judge to second. Luke Voit still hitless since his return ground out to short to end the half still scoreless. Meadows led off the bottom lining to Urshela for the first out. Margot ground out. Lowe singled. Diaz struck out for the scoreless inning on a night when baseball celebrated Yogi Berra, who would have celebrated his 96th birthday. No score.
Aaron Hicks led off the fifth by striking out. Frazier was called out on strikes, objected, and was thrown out of the game by the home plate umpire. Higashioka hit it well but to the right fielder to end the half. At the bottom, Wendle took to the plate as Brett Gardner took over for the thrown-out Frazier in left field. Wendle lined out to third. Zunino ground out to Urshela, and Adames struck out swinging to end another scoreless inning.
At the top of the sixth inning Tyler Wad led off, and he lined to first. LeMahieu against Ryan Thompson struck out. Stanton struck out swinging as the Yankees went down in order. Brett Phillips tied off the bottom. by striking out. Arozarena doubled. Meadows ground out, and Margot struck out swinging to end the in still scoreless.
Aaron Judge led off the seventh inning by singling for his second hit on the night. Gio Urshela hit a ball to the right-center wall, with Judge ending up at the third base and no outs. Luke Voit at the plate ripped to third for the first out. Aaron Judge would face new pitcher Jeffery Spings and would sac fly for the Yankee lead in the game with Urshela going to third. Gardner hitting for Frazier ground out to second, but the Yankees got the one-run lead. New York Yankees 1 and the Rays 0. Lowe started at the bottom of the seventh by striking out for Cole’s 9th strikeout. Diaz lined out to Judge. Wendle popped out to Urshela in foul territory to end the inning. New York Yankees 1 Rays 0.
Kyle Higasioka led off the eighth inning by going down on strikes. Tyler Wade speed beat out a single. Lemahieu faced reliever Luis Head and lofted to right for the second out. Giancarlo Stanton at the plate Wade was called out at second to end the half. At the bottom, Mike Zunino struck out on Cole’s 98th pitch. Adames struck out for the eleventh strikeout for Cole. Phillips struck out with Cole being filthy for 12 strikeouts and no walks on 106 pitches to end the inning. New York Yankees 1 and the Rays 0.
At the top of the ninth inning, Stanton lined out to right. Judge got his third hit of the game with a single to left. Gio Urshela popped out to shallow right for the second out of the inning. Luke Voit, hitless since his return to the lineup, struck out for the end of the half. At the bottom, Aroldis Chapman took over for Cole, facing Randy Arozarena, who flew out to Judge. Mike Brosseau, pinch-hitting for Justin Meadows, struck out on a 101 mph fastball. Manuel Margo was out for the final out of the game and the New York Yankees one-run win. It’s the first series win against the Rays since 2018.
Final score New York Yankees 1 the Tampa Bay Rays 0. The winning pitcher was Gerrit Cole, the loser Ryan Thompson, Aroldis Chapman recorded his ninth save of the season.