YANKEES TAKE 2 OF 3 FROM RAYS

Beginning with Friday’s game, Clarke Schmidt shut down the Rays and the Yankees won 2-0. Schmidt pitched 6 2/3 innings, struck out 6 and only gave up 5 hits. The Yankees two runs came from Anthony Rizzo. Aaron Judge scored on a Rizzo single in the 4th inning and Rizzo had a solo home run in the 9th inning. Clay Holmes struggled in the 9th inning walking two batters and giving up a single but got out of the inning giving up no runs and clinching his 12th save. Taj Bradley got the start for the Rays in his season debut and despite the team losing he had a strong outing. Bradley pitched 6 innings, gave up one run and struck out 7.

Rays earn the win Saturday night with a score of 7-2. Nestor Cortes pitched against Zack Littell. Littell held the Yankees to 2 runs pitching 5 2/3 innings and allowed only four hits. Cortes pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up 5 runs.  Yandy Diaz homered in the first inning and Randy Arazarena had a three run home run in the third inning. The Rays other runs came in the 7th inning with doubles by Diaz and Arazarena and a sacrifice fly by Isaac Paredes. Pete Fairbanks got the save for the Rays in a 1-2-3 inning after returning from a 19 game absence. The Yankees only two runs were from Anthony Rizzo and Austin Wells scoring on a single by Anthony Volpe in the second inning.

Yankees bullpen almost blows 6 run lead in the 7th inning in Sunday’s game. Luis Gil had a fantastic game, pitching 6 innings and gave up no runs and only 3 hits. Tyler Alexander, on the other hand, pitched 7 innings and gave up 6 runs. The Yankees took the lead early in the first inning when Anthony Volpe scoring on a sacrifice fly by Juan Soto. Then followed that up with a a series of home runs in the next few innings by Jahmai Jones, Jose Trevino, and Aaron Judge putting the Yankees up 6-0. This was Jones’ first major league home run with the Yankees.  Caleb Ferguson came in to pitch the 7th inning and struggled, giving up a single, a double and a walk to make the bases loaded before giving up a home run to Jose Siri all on one out. Nick Burdi came in and also struggled, walking two and hitting Randy Arozarena with a pitch making the bases loaded again and still only one out. Now Luke Weaver comes in and hits Isaac Paredes which brings in another run for the Rays making the score now 6-5. The Yankees got some hits in the 8th inning including home runs by Gleyber Torres and Jose Trevino, which added 4 more runs to the score. Ian Hamilton pitched the 9 inning and despite giving up a solo home run to Yandy Diaz was able to close the game. The Yankees won 10-6.

The Yankees are now 27-15 and face off against the Twins on Tuesday.