But that’s exactly the wacky play that helped the Yankees knot the game en route to a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Tampa Bay. That was his 2nd home run of the season and what a way to get it.
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Blake Snell of Tampa Bay allowed one run and two hits in five innings and was in line to become the first starting pitcher to win his major league debut in NY since Anibal Sanchez on June 25, 2006, for the Florida Marlins. Dellin Betances struck out all three batters in the eighth and Andrew Miller closed for his fourth save as a light sprinkle fell. “It’s unfortunate for a catcher, you get whacked in the hand, but it happens”.
Tanaka, speaking through a translator, said of what worked in this one, “I really couldn’t find anything that was working perfectly for me, but I think the key was that I was able to hang in there through key moments”.
“I felt like I just had to calm myself down and get into my rhythm”, Snell said. The Rays are clearly trying to limit Snell’s innings early this season in the hope of having him as a permanent part of their rotation in a potential playoff chase in the second half. “The previous starts in the spring and the previous starts I had during the season, I tried to go out there and hopefully it went away, but as the game went on it just kept getting a little bit worse and worse, each and every pitch that I made”. “He builds up pretty gradually and being a left-handed pitcher, you can’t really see that”.
Yankees: OF Aaron Hicks had an MRI that revealed inflammation in his sore left shoulder. Smyly, who has received three runs of support in three starts this year, yielded one hit and struck out 11 in eight shutout innings Tuesday at Boston.
Moore said after Friday’s game that he didn’t expect Ellsbury to run, because it would risk a scoring opportunity, especially when he needed one more strike to retire Gardner.
Logan Forsythe hit a two-run double and scored on an RBI single by Brandon Guyer for Tampa Bay. He threw seven strong innings for the second straight start, this time allowing just two runs and five hits.
The Rays have so much confidence in RHP Erasmo Ramirez that they feel he can handle any situation.
The Yankees now trail division-leading Baltimore by 3.5 games with Michael Pineda scheduled to face the Rays in the series closer on Sunday afternoon.
The Yankees, who had lost nine of their first 14 games to start the 2016 season, have now won two straight and are at 7-9.
Masahiro Tanaka gave NY seven quality innings opposite Snell, perhaps baseball’s premier pitching prospect. “That’s first and foremost”, manager Kevin Cash said.
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Joe Girardi said he gave the green light from the dugout. Pinder was placed on the disabled list Friday and the original diagnosis was a strained right elbow.
