The Little Engine That Could keeps chugging along.
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The Yankees have a few nice hitters in their order as well. Dellin Betances allowed two hits in the ninth and the game was halted a third time with a 2-2 count to Brad Miller and runners at first and thirdWhen the game resumed, Betances fanned Miller, allowed Morrison’s third hit and struck out Souza for his 10th save.Tampa Bay rookie Blake Snell (5-8) labored through 2 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits.The Yankees took a 1-0 lead two batters in when Refsnyder’s double got past left fielder Corey Dickerson and drove in Jacoby Ellsbury, who had singled.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.Tampa Bay cut the lead to 3-2 when Morrison and Souza homered with one out in the fourth.
Souza hit his 15th homer of the year and third in the past two days and has hit five in his last 18 games (15 starts). After the Rays closed to 3-2 in the fourth, rookie catcher Gary Sanchez threw from his knees to pick off Dickerson at second base.
From the jump, Tampa Bay showed why its the only team in the AL East not involved in a pennant race. The Yankees got on the board in the first inning after Jacoby Ellsbury hit a lead-off single, and Rob Refsnyder followed with an RBI single.
The Indians led 2-1 when Lonnie Chisenhall attempted to check his swing on a pitch in the dirt.
Girardi usually gives Teixeira a heads up the night before he’s going to play, and Teixeira goes through 1½ to two hours of pregame treatment “just to make sure I’m feeling good”, he said. During that span he’s allowed five home runs. The long ball was followed by Tampa giving NY another run with poor defense.
After the rain delay, Kevin Jepsen came in to the game and allowed an infield single, a walk to load the bases, and a grand slam to Mark Teixeira. He almost had a third home run in the ninth off Enny Romero but flied out to the warning track in deep right field.
Given a 7-2 lead, Yankees starter Michael Pineda lasted just 4 2/3 innings.
Yankees rookie Tyler Austin being congratulated by manager Joe Girardi after hitting a walk-off home run against Tampa Bay Rays reliever Erasmo Ramirez on Thursday night. Dickerson followed with a double, but the inning-and the Rays rally-came to a halt thanks to an fantastic pick-off throw from Sanchez.
Following a 21-minute rain delay, Teixeira made it 7-2 when he sent a 1-1 fastball from Kevin Jepsen into the NY bullpen beyond the right-center field wall. When play returned, the Bronx Bombers broke the game open. NY led 7-2 through four.
On Friday (after three rain delays), NY made it two in a row with a 7-5 victory. The game stayed tied until McCann lifted a 1-2 fastball into a similar location as Kiermaier’s second home run with one out in the fourth.
Chasen Shreve got through the fifth, but allowed a rally in the top of the sixth. Blake Snell (5-8, 3.62 ERA) is tagged for the loss for the Rays. Bobby Wilson plated Souza with a 2-out single to cut the deficit to 7-4.
The rains then returned for a second delay. Kiermaier had two hits, extending his career-best hitting streak to 13 games.
Pineda is coming off an outing where he gave up two earned runs in only four innings pitched against the Baltimore Orioles.
In Seattle, Kyle Seager hit a two-run homer and Lee Dae-ho added a solo shot as the Mariners handed Texas its fourth loss in five games.
Betances surprisingly re-emerged to take the mound after a 51 minute delay. One batter later, Betances ended the marathon by retiring Souza on a strikeout.
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He was slated to start Game 4 of Scranton/Wilkes Barre’s playoff series Saturday if necessary. “I’m confident he’ll be in the strike zone more”.
