Over the last month-plus, the New York Yankees have re-entered the American League playoff race.
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It also helps to have someone like Gary Sanchez, the rookie catcher who has been the biggest single key to this Yankees run.
Tanaka (13-4) allowed one run, five hits and no walks in 7 1⁄3 innings, striking out a season-high 10, and Jacoby Ellsbury and Sanchez hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. “The guys feel really good about themselves”. “You look at the second half, he has really stepped it up and performed at a high level”.
Archer is 4-5 with a 3.03 ERA in his 10 starts since the All-Star break and his ERA is the lowest since it was 3.60 following his first start of the season.
The Rays are coming off of a weak pitching game where they recorded six strikeouts. Then, New York became much more than just a fun team.they became a good team. But I sensed that if I kept at it, eventually they would go after those, and I could get a lot of outs early in counts.
“We’re trying to get in”, Yankees closer Dellin Betances said. He had 41 pitches through the second inning but after breezing through a six-pitch seventh, Tanaka started the eighth. Logan Forsythe opened the sixth with a long double and was sacrificed to third by Nick Franklin, but remained there due to an outstanding defensive play by right fielder Rob Refsnyder. The over is 10-4 in the Yankees last 14 home games. Tanaka hit the jersey of the next batter and Girardi went to his bullpen, sending Tanaka off the field to a standing ovation.
“Hitters never know which way the ball is going to move”, said Yankees reliever Adam Warren, who took over for Tanaka in the eighth inning on Saturday and induced a key double play. A weight had been lifted off the roster’s shoulders, a brighter future had been created, and, well, the Yankees were fun again. Ellsbury is 19 for 34 (.559) with two homers against Archer, the most hits by anyone off the right-hander. Ellsbury added a two-run shot on Saturday to improve to 9-for-21 with five RBIs and six runs scored in his last six games and is 4-for-7 versus Sunday starter Matt Andriese. “I think you have to be prepared because if they throw it over the plate, it’s probably going to be one of the softer pitches you see in your career”. “I just got it back to where I want it to be”.
Sanchez ended his 35th game by increasing his RBI total to 24 with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Sanchez already has two intentional walks in his young career, and Rays manager Kevin Cash planned to make that three with runners at second and third and nobody out in the eighth inning on Saturday.
“Sometimes, it just happens”, Girardi said.
While the Yankees lauded Sanchez’s swing, it hardly thrilled the Rays. Before the game, Rays manager Kevin Cash said he would keep Archer in the rotation if he neared 20 losses. “That’s embarrassing, but we’re not going to talk about it any farther than that”.
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NY added two in the third when Sanchez sent a full count fastball from Snell over the center field fence and Teixeira scored on a wild pitch. Andriese owns an 0-2 mark with a bloated 7.53 ERA while allowing NY to bat an impressive.362 against him in four career encounters.Cessa recorded his second straight no-decision on Tuesday despite yielding two runs on six hits in five 5 1/3 innings against Toronto.
