The Rays scored runs across four different innings, while left-hander Rich Hill put together a gutsy six-inning start, as Tampa Bay snapped its four-game skid on Friday, defeating the Yankees 10-5.
After all of the Opening Day pomp and circumstance, Hill took the mound with a monkey on his back after he allowed four runs in his four-inning Rays’ debut. The veteran lefty retired his first eight batters before Tyler Wade sparked a two-out rally in the third inning, reaching on an infield hit near second base. D.J. LeMahieu followed with a ground-rule double that bounced over the wall in center field, putting runners at second and third, before Giancarlo Stanton hit an RBI single against the shift, plating a pair of runs and tying the game at two. Aaron Hicks capped the four-run rally with a two-run homer.
Yet, Hill settled down and settled in, retiring the final 10 batters he faced in order and collecting two of his seven strikeouts in a 10-pitch inning that followed New York’s uprising. Hill ended up throwing six efficient innings and tossed 61 of 83 pitches for strikes (73% strike rate, 13.8 pitches per inning) without walking a batter.
He was outstanding the entire game.
— Kevin Cash
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay took the initial lead in the second inning against veteran right-hander Corey Kluber. Yandy Díaz reached on a one-out throwing error by de facto third baseman D.J. LeMahieu, who was playing in place of Gio Urshela after he was placed on the COVID-19 related IL.
Joey Wendle moved Díaz up 180 feet when he rolled a single into right before Willy Adames doubled off the top of the right-field wall for a one-run lead. Brett Phillips capped the scoring on a sac-fly to center.
Then, down by a pair in the third, Tampa Bay moved in front for good against Kluber and Nick Nelson. Yoshi Tsutsugo ripped a single off the wall in right before Austin Meadows walked to put two on for Randy Arozarena, who plated a run on a base hit to right. Díaz walked to load the bases, and Yankees skipper Aaron Boone had seen enough.
Nick Nelson entered in relief, and Joey Wendle welcomed him with a two-base hit over the head of Mike Tauchman in left, scoring two and putting Tampa Bay up by one.
But, Tampa Bay wasn’t done, as they added three more runs in the following frame.
After Mike Zunino was hit by a 1-2 pitch, Tsutsugo earned a free pass, and Meadows lined a single to right, loading the bases. Lowe made up for a caught-looking strikeout the inning prior by lining a double to the left-center gap, scoring three and putting the Rays up by four. Díaz plated one last run in the inning, ripping a base hit to right.
Willy Adames capped Tampa Bay’s offensive onslaught with a seventh-inning homer to right field.
All told, the Rays scored 10 runs on 13 hits, three walks, and a hit by pitch, while going 6-for-16 wRISP (.375 BA). Every Ray plated a run except Phillips who drove in an RBI.
Hunter Strickland, who was recalled Friday morning when Pete Fairbanks went on the IL, followed Hill for two innings, striking out three and walking one while allowing a solo homer to Giancarlo Stanton. Chris Mazza closed things out, working around a pair of singles in the ninth to end the game on a high note.
The New What Next
The Rays will face the Yankees in the second game of the three-game set on Saturday afternoon. Chris Archer (0-1, 13.50 ERA) will get the start for Tampa Bay, pitching opposite of Domingo Germán (0-1, 9.00 ERA).
Chris Archer entered Saturday’s contest against the Marlins in the fifth inning following Rich Hill and allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk across two innings. He struck out two. For his part, Archer was able to get first-pitch strikes on eight of the 11 batters he faced, although it took him a whopping 52 pitches to get just six outs. Then again, if his FIP and BABIP against speak to anything, it’s that Archer was the recipient of bad luck due to misplays by the fielders behind him. Yes, he gave up the run-scoring hits and allowed a lot of hard contact, but his final line does not give an accurate depiction of how he performed in his first outing of the season. The right-hander is 6-7 with a 3.14 ERA in 18 career starts against the Bronx Bummers.
Domingo Germán surrendered three runs on four hits and a walk while fanning two across three innings on Sunday against Toronto. Germán tossed nine scoreless frames during Spring Training, striking out 13 and walking just one, yet he wasn’t able to replicate those results in his season debut and lasted just three innings before being lifted. He is 3-0 with a 5.14 ERA in five outings (four starts) against Tampa Bay, and 1-0 with an 8.10 ERA in three outings (two starts) at Tropicana Field. In 2019, his last big league season, Germán relied primarily on an 82 mph curveball and a 94 mph four-seam fastball, while also mixing in an 87 mph changeup and a 94 mph sinker. Key Matchups: Yandy Diaz (2-6, HR, RBI), Brandon Lowe (1-3), Austin Meadows (3-6, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI)
You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup and Noteworthiness are below.
Rays 4/10/21 Starting Lineup
- Tsutsugo DH
- Meadows LF
- Arozarena RF
- B. Lowe 2B
- Díaz 1B
- Wendle 3B
- Adames SS
- Phillips CF
- Mejía C
- Archer RHP
Noteworthiness
— The Tampa Bay Rays raised their championship banners before the game, and boy do they look pretty.
