In the eighth, it was announced that Rodriguez left the game with left oblique tightness and was headed for an MRI.
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“I love going the other way, so anytime I drive the ball the other way, that’s my game plan”, Souza said.
NY got on the board with booming double off Alex Rodriguez’s bat in the fourth inning.
“He didn’t have movement [on his fastball], he didn’t have cut”, manager Joe Girardi said. “Taking a few swings in the cage”.
Steven Souza Jr., celebrated his 27th birthday by hitting a pair of home runs to pace the Rays’ power show Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
Curtis Granderson’s first grand slam for the New York Mets helped them to a 6-3 win at the Atlanta Braves, as the Boston Red Sox smashed the Houston Astros 6-2 and the Philadelphia Phillies trumped the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2. He also walked just one and pounded the strike zone regularly, throwing 69 of his 103 pitches for strikes.
“I liked the sound of pitching tomorrow”, Snell said.
In sharp contrast to Pineda, Tampa Bay lefthander Drew Smyly (1-2) pitched seven innings, spacing out six hits, allowing one run and striking out six.
Pineda (1-2) retired his first two batters and was ahead 0-2 on Evan Longoria before he doubled off the center-field fence. With the count full to Brett Gardner, Ellsbury bolted toward home plate right as lefty Matt Moore began his wind-up – and it worked to perfection. A couple of batters later, Brad Miller hit a double which scored Steve Pearce to make it 3-0 Rays.
After allowing just two runs over six innings in his last two starts, Pineda was blown out of the water early on when he allowed five runs in the top of the first inning. After recording two easy outs in the first, the wheels came off for Pineda and the Yankees chances at a three-game winning streak.
“The ball Souza hit to right was extremely impressive”, Rays manager Kevin Cash said. While he gave up a career-worst four home runs, Pineda also struck out nine and issued one walk, becoming the first pitcher in Yankee history to allow seven runs and four home runs and get nine strikeouts. Including the postseason, he’s 1 for 7 with five strikeouts against Smyly.
Lobaton, a backup catcher, had two hits in his first two at-bats against Twins starter Kyle Gibson – a two-run single in the first and an RBI triple in the third. “I will think about all that later”, Snell said.
The Yankees have had a poor home stand, losing two games to the Mariners, getting swept by the Athletics, and losing another game against the Rays.
Rays: LF Desmond Jennings was rested, with Dickerson playing left field and Forsythe the DH.
NOTES: New York OF Aaron Hicks did not play Sunday due to the sore left shoulder he injured Friday, and there is not a clear timetable for his return.
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Rays: All-Star RHP Chris Archer (0-4, 7.32 ERA) faces Baltimore RHP Kevin Gausman (season debut) in the opener of an eight-game homestand Monday night. At first he was reluctant to learn new pitches and took him time for him to dominate minor league hitters. He was 9-16 with 3.49 ERA previous year.
