Game 1: Nate Schultz was outstanding and the Rays got some late-game magic to beat the Yankees 4-2 at Publix Park. The Rays righty held the Yankees largely in check, going 7 4 2 1 0 9, although a Sal Mota homer in the 7th tied the game at 2 and cost him a shot at a win. Instead the decision went to Kikuo Kawase, who pitched a scoreless 8th but somehow only struck out one batter and notched his first MLB win. With the Yankees' tough lefty run of Mario Aguilar, Ivan Vega and Mota due up in the 9th, Mike Wherry got the call and retired them in order to pick up his 4th save. The Rays had built an early 2-0 lead on 2nd inning homers from (who else?) Victor de Jesus, homering (#15) for the 8th time in 9 games and Bo Angeac (#8). And in the 8th Ricky Widmar hit an RBI triple to break a 2-2 tie and scored on Dayle Jenkins' sac fly. Widmar's triple was only their 4th hit of the game, which is how many the Yankees had as well in a rare low-offense game at the Pub.
So this happened for the first time in the 14 seasons of this save (and by definition, only the 19th time in MLB history):
This is the first time it's happened since JD Martinez did it with Arizona in 2017 and the first time in the AL since Josh Hamilton in 2012. Waters isn't without power, but maybe about the 150th guy I would have guessed would do it.
Game 2: Through 7 innings the Rays held a 5-0 lead and Jon Soranno was cruising with a 2-hit shutout. By the time the top of the 9th was over it was a 5-5 game, but Nate Clark hit HR #18 leading off the 9th to give the Rays a 6-5 win after all. Soranno got the first out in the 8th and then gave up a single and a walk. He was starting to give up some loud outs but his pitch count was still in the 80s so the lefty was left in to face lefty hitter Tyree Reed, and that backfired as Reed drilled a 3-run HR into the RF bullpen. Soranno ended 7.1 4 3 3 2 5 and Tim Siqueiros got the final two outs of the 8th. And in the 9th Jordan Diaz, who despite an opening day hiccup hadn't given up an earned run this season, had his first real meltdown as he gave up a single and a double to put the tying runs in scoring position and Andrew Benintendi hit a 2-run single to tie the game. Diaz finished the inning and vultured his 2nd win when Clark hit his walk-off blast. Earlier they had built a 5-0 lead on a 2-run Dayle Jenkins shot (#5) in the 1st and a 3-run dinger from Luis Corpus (#7) in the 4th. Omar Rodriguez was on base all 4 times today, going 3-3 with a walk.
Game 3: The Rays battered Yankee pitching for 10 runs and 17 hits in a 10-4 rout of New York to sweep the series and make it 5 straight wins. The boiling lava-hot Victor de Jesus led the attack, and although he didn't go yard for a change he was 3-3 with 2 doubles, 2 walks and 2 RBI, while Rodolfo Rivas and Dayle Jenkins each had 4-hit games with the former driving in 2 and the latter 1 (on his 6th HR). Bo Angeac also added a solo shot (#9). Andy Aparicio started and was solid enough to go 6 8 2 2 1 5 and improve to 7-2, 3.30 although he gave up a pair of solo homers. Also giving up a pair of solo homers was Chris Hicks but his came in 2/3 of an inning as he continues to find it difficult to replicate his great 2032. Bob Sirna went the final 2 1/3, walking 3 and whiffing 3.
Team record: 36-10. Next up: The Angels come to visit for 4 games and we'll see Jon Hayes in the first game. We won't see Christian Little though as he pitched today and had to leave in the 1st inning with biceps tendinitis which will set him back for a couple of weeks.