Tonight the New York Yankees faced the Tampa Bay Rays in game 3 of a 4 game set. Aaron Judge started in center field for the second time in his career. Jordan Montgomery faced Shane McCallahan for the Rays. It was Lou Gehrig Day across all of baseball. The Yankees wore the number 4, Gehrig’s number, on parts of their uniform.
Montgomery faced Randy Arozarena, and he walked but was picked off when he tried to steal second. Yandy Diaz flew out to left fielder Frazier. Austin Meadows struck out to end the half. The Yankees came up in the bottom with DJ Lemahieu at the plate; he ground out back to the pitcher McCallahan. Then, Giancarlo Stanton singled to left field. Aaron Judge hit into a force out of Stanton at second. Then, Gio Urshela hit a two-run homer to right field. Gleyber Torres went down looking, but the Yankees took the early lead in the game. New York Yankees 2 Tampa Bay Rays 0.
At the top of the second inning, Mike Brosseau got a single up the middle. Manuel Margot hit into a force out at second. Francisco Mejia singled to left, moving Margot to second. Joey Wendle went down swinging. Taylor Walls lined out to Urshela to end the half. Rougie Odor leads off the bottom by striking out swinging. Gary Sanchez got a one-out-double. Miguel Andujar struck out. Clint Frazier, who had the walk-off last night, walked, bringing up DJ LeMahieu with two outs and two on LeMahieu flew out to center to end the inning, leaving two men on base. New York Yankees 2 Tampa Bay Rays 0.
Brett Phillips led off the third inning by lining out to Odor. Arozarena struck out. Diaz grounded out to short to end the half. At the bottom, Giancarlo Stanton flew out to right. Aaron Judge struck out swinging. Urshela went down swinging for the 1-2 3 inning for McCallahan. and the fast inning for both pitchers. Yankees 2 Rays 0.
Meadows led off the fourth inning with a single to middle center. Brosseau doubled, moving Meadows to third base. Margot singled, but Brosseau was out at third. Mejia flew out to center. Wendle, with two outs, popped out to the infield for the final out. At the bottom, Gleyber Torres led off the bottom by leading off for a double down the left-field line. Odor singled to right, moving Torres to third base with no outs. Sanchez walked to load the bases with Yankees and no outs. Andujar struck out. Frazier would face the new Rays pitcher, Ryan Thompson, and he would get a two-run single. LeMahieu struck out. Stanton walked, loading the bases again. Judge ground out to end the inning, but the Yankees picked up another two runs. New York Yankees 4 Tampa Bay Rays 1.
The top of the fifth was led off by Taylor Walls, who walked. Phillips reached on a bad throw by Odor, making everyone safe. With men on the corners and no outs, Arozarena struck out. Diaz had a sac fly scoring Walls. Meadows ground out to second, but the Rays added a run in the inning. At the bottom, Urshela led off against the new pitcher Collin McHugh, and he struck out. Torres fought off pitches until he singled to second. Odor went down on strikes. Sanchez, with one on and two outs, struck out to end the inning. But Choi got an RBI single. Yankees 4 Rays 3.
The sixth remained scoreless lowly a single to second. At the top f the Rays Fairchild. Urshela doubled in the seventh inning half, and Torres walked on four pitches. Odor with two on and no outs with a ball in the dirt, Urshela was out at third for the 28th out on the bases for the Yankees. Odor flew out to center field. Torres got caught leaning for an out at first and the end of the inning. Yankees 4 Rays 3.
Brandon Lowe pinch hit for Brosseau led off the eighth with Chad Green on the mound; he struck out swinging. Margot walked. Mejia hit it hard but right to Judge in right. Wendle lined out to first to end the top. At the bottom, Sanchez went down looking. Brett Gardner pinch-hitting for Andujar struck out. Frazier, with two outs, walked for the second time in the game. LeMahieu flew out to right to end the inning scoreless. New York Yankees 4 Tampa Bay Rays 3.
With last licks on the line for the Rays, the Yankee closer took the mound. In the top of the ninth. Walls walked as the tieing run in the ninth. Mike Zunino pitch hit for Phillips, and he also walked. Kiermaier pinch ran for Zunino. Arozarena struck out. Ji Man Choi struck out for out number two. Austin Meadows bounced back to Chapman for the Yankee win. The final score was the New York Yankees 4 and the Tampa Bay Rays 3. The winning pitcher was Jordan Montgomery, the loser was Shane McCallahan, and although he struggled, the save (12) went to Aroldis Chapman.