Nathan Karns started the game by walking the first two batters and throwing nine straight pitches out of the strike zone. After Karns put down Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann went back-to-back with RBI singles for the 2-0 advantage. Yet the Rays righty settled in, and put together a gritty five inn in performance, fanning six along the way. After another a pair of back-to-back singles in the second, Karns retired 10-of-11 during his most dominant stretch.
The Rays notched their first run in the first inning when Steven Souza Jr. crushed a solo no-doubter to centerfield off Adam Warren — his team-leading sixth homer.
They took a 3-2 lead, which they wouldn’t relinquish, by plating two runs in the second. Logan Forsythe led off with a double to left-center to start the inning, and scored the tying run on Asdrubal Cabrera’s 1000th career hit — a double to left-center as well. Joey Butler followed with a Jeter-like blood hit to right, plating Cabrera for a 3-2 advantage.
Adam Warren down during the middle frames, although the damage was done.
The Outlaw Kevin Kiermaier preserved the Rays’ lead in the fifth, as he helped Karns out of that inning. The Yankees put together three consecutive two-out singles, yet Kiermaier threw out Mark Texiera at the plate on Carlos Beltran’s single to center. Although the play was contentious…at least to Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who requested that the play be reviewed, Bobby Wilson left a lane for Texiera and made a good tag to complete the play.
Xavier Cedeno got four outs (one strikeout) and allowed just a single in the sixth. Brandon Gomes took over one out in the seventh and finished the frame by striking out Teixeira and Brian McCann after giving up a one-out single to Alex Rodriguez. Kevin Jepsen took over in the eighth and worked around a two-out single for a scoreless inning. The de facto closer Brad Boxberger earned his 10th save of the year with a 1-2-3 ninth. He fanned Rodriguez (swinging) on a fastball on the outside corner to end the game.
The New What Next
The Rays wrap up their current four-game series — and eight-game home stand — on Thursday. Erasmo Ramirez will toe the rubber opposite of RHP Chase Whitley. In spite of the fact that Ramierz allowed two runs on Monday, he seems to have improved. As for Whitley, he got tagged for five runs on six hits (including three home runs) and two walks in 5-2/3 innings Saturday against the Orioles, striking out five. Whitley was very good against the Rays in April, allowing only one run on six scattered hits. Tampa Bay’s hitters hope to see the latter Whitley, not the former. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Rays 5/14/15 Starting Lineup
Kiermaier CF
Souza RF
Longoria 3B
Loney 1B
Forsythe 2B
DeJesus LF
Cabrera SS
Butler DH
Rivera C
Ramirez RHP
Noteworthiness
— The Rays bullpen has 1.48 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 24-1/3 innings on this home stand.
— Look out Fernando, Boxy has his sights on your record:
10 saves in a row for @Brad_Boxberger, most by a #Rays reliever to start a season since Fernando Rodney (15) in 2012. pic.twitter.com/FBq3mZPKOA
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 14, 2015
— The Tampa Bay Rays formerly placed LHP Drew Smyly on the 60-day DL with a torn left labrum. They also announced the acquisition of RHP reliever Preston Guilmet off waivers.
#Rays transfer LHP Drew Smyly (torn L labrum) to 60-day DL, claim RHP Preston Guilmet off waivers from Toronto. He reports to @DurhamBulls.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 13, 2015
As of now, Smyly will see Dr. Keith Meister, for a second opinion, before making the decision to have surgery, or to try and rehab the shoulder, with a slight glimmer of hope of returning in September.
#Rays move Smyly to 60-day DL. He will see Dr. Meister in Texas, still deciding between surgery and rehab
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) May 13, 2015
As for Guilmet, the righty features what has been called “monster whiff/walk rates” — a description that holds water when considering that he fanned 27% of batters and walked around 5% (5/1 K/BB) in each of his last two minor league seasons.
As Danny Russell (DRaysBay) wrote:
When he was promoted to the Orioles, he tallied 12 K’s in 10 games. As a last man in the bullpen he was lost in a roster crunch and claimed by Toronto from the Pirates during the off-season, and it’s in the Pirates section of the B-Pro annual that you’d find his name after he’d been acquired for cash.
Charlie Walmoth (Buc’s Dugout) was also complimentary of Guilmet:
Guilmet is a very good Triple-A closer who’s never gotten much of a chance at the big-league level because his fastball can’t break a paper bag. His stats actually suggest he might be useful in the majors, but no one who employs him ever seems to think so.
The fastball/splitter/sinker throwing reliever will join the Durham Bulls as depth, and could play a role on the Rays this season.
You can read more about Guilmet, courtesy of Bradley Woodrum (DRaysBay), here.
— Chris Archer went from this:
Best wishes to @Acobb53 who is undergoing Tommy John surgery today. We love you and can’t wait to have you back.
— Chris Archer (@ChrisArcher42) May 14, 2015
to this:
Strange that we don’t draw more of a crowd. “12,000” last night. The Yanks usually pull more than that in Tampa, lol. Thx to those who came.
— Chris Archer (@ChrisArcher42) May 14, 2015
in a matter of two hours.