Game 1: 3-2 W. WP-Castillo (4-1, 5.1 4 2 2 3 4). S-Fairbanks (12). Bullpen was brilliant with 3 2/3 hitless innings to preserve the slender lead. Alika Williams was 2-3 with an RBI single and he scored on Rene Pinto's RBI double that was the difference.
Game 2: 14-8 W. WP-Gau (7-2). Starter-Swanda (4 8 6 5 4 3). HR-Schmitt (7). A remarkable game which saw the Rays score 12 in the final 3 innings to overcome an 8-2 deficit, tying it with a 6-run 7th capped by Vazquez's 2-run single and then going ahead in the 8th on Schmitt's 2-run homer before tacking on 4 in the 9th. Schmitt drove in 4 while Albies and Alika Williams each knocked in 3.
Game 3: 18-6 W. WP-Rasmussen (6-3, 5 6 5 5 1 5). Instead of recapping the homers, I'm just going to post the batting part of the box:
37 baserunners! 16 LOB (it could have been so much more)! By the way combined with yesterday that's 30 runs in their last 12 innings. Also Casey Schmitt has knocked in 17 runs over his last 5 games.
Game 4: 8-7 W. WP-Pressly (5-0). S-Fairbanks (13). Starter-McClanahan (5 7 2 2 0 9). HR-Mears (13). 8 more runs, why not? They needed all of them after blowing a 7-2 lead thanks to Sandy Gaston loading and bases and letting a run in before Chris Gau gave up a Paul Goldschmidt grand slam. But they loaded the bases in the 9th and Vaughn was hit by a pitch to force in the winner, they completed the 4-game sweep, and extended their win streak to 8. Vaughn was 3-3 with a walk, the HBP and 4 RBI as he's about doubled his YTD output in the last two games.
Team record: 47-28. The Yankees split their 4 games with Baltimore so the lead has grown to 5 1/2. Next up: Back home against Pittsburgh, which in the past would have sounded like a gimme but the Pirates are really good this year at 42-33.
Rays News: Josh Lowe's calf strain is not healing as well as hoped and he'll be out another two weeks.
MLB News: Miami's Mike Moustakas is done for the year with a broken bone in his elbow.