The Tampa Bay Rays snapped a three-game skid on Saturday, jumping on Michael Pineda early, then holding on to a four-run lead en route to a 9-5 win over the Yankees.
Matt Moore, who took the mound for Tampa Bay on Saturday, started his outing similarly to Chris Archer the day prior, by allowing the first two batters to reach with no outs. And much like Archer, Moore got out of the first inning jam by coaxing a double play out of Carlos Beltrán before collecting a whiffy strikeout of Alex Rodriguez. Being able to get out of the inning unscathed was huge, and the Rays took a three-run lead in their half of the first.
Brandon Guyer led off the bottom of the first by getting hit by a pitch for the 14th time this season. Afterward he went to third on Brad Miller’s line drive double to left. Longoria followed with a sacrifice-fly to left for a one run advantage. Steve Pearce followed by lining a single to left, putting runners at the corners, before Logan Morrison rolled a swinging bunt toward third, scoring the second run of the afternoon. Steven Souza Jr. was able to beat out a potential double play ball to short before Corey Dickerson capped the rally with an RBI single to left for a 3-0 advantage, over the visibly upset Pineda.
Tampa Bay added to the lead in the second after Miller tripled to right past a sliding Carlos Beltran, and Longoria belted a two-run homer into the Ducky’s deck in left-center field.
This was @Evan3Longoria‘s 30th HR vs. the @Yankees—1 shy of @JoeyBats19 for most since 2008.#LongoingBack2Calihttps://t.co/QOiVUYfIYq
— #VoteRays (@RaysBaseball) May 28, 2016
Following the game, Longoria a co-owner of Ducky’s, said he promised the team free corn-dogs for the accomplishment, only to walk back the offer for a simple fact — the restaurant doesn’t serve corn dogs.
When I got in the dugout, I said it was free corn dogs for everybody. We don’t even have corn dogs on the menu. I don’t know why I said that. It just sounded funny at the time.
Longoria said he told friends that he would reach the Ducky’s Deck at some point this season.
I’m glad it finally happened, now the pressure’s off.
That was all the Rays would need in the contest, and it surely made things easier for Moore. Although he didn’t have a clean, 1-2-3 inning at any point in the afternoon, the southpaw was able to work into the seventh inning for the first time since April 27th (vs Baltimore) thanks in large part to an excellent curveball.
Moore threw his curveball 35 times (25 for strikes), and used when he was ahead in the count to put hitters away, and depended upon it to get even when he fell behind.
Moore did surrender a solo homer to Beltrán (12) in the fourth inning, but only after the game was all but Tampa Bay’s. Make no bone about it, this was the best Moore has looked since April.
The Rays re-took the five-run lead in the bottom of the fourth when Longoria singled to left center, scoring Hank Conger, who reached on a double, and chasing Pineda. They also piled on three more runs in the sixth against relief pitcher Luis Cessa.
Conger, who ended the day with three extra-base hits, crushed a three-run homer to right (his first of the year) after Logan Morrison doubled to right field, and Souza walked.
First homer in a #Rays uniform for @PandaCrusher35 put the #RaysUp, 9-1!
WATCH: https://t.co/3Vv0EsL46W pic.twitter.com/eOU1RkaE3N
— #VoteRays (@RaysBaseball) May 28, 2016
The Yankees did make things interesting late, after a one out shallow pop-fly off the bat of Chase Headley was misplayed into a single — the “hit” dropped in between Steve Pearce and Brad Miller — in the seventh. The clearly frustrated Moore walked Didi Gregarious on four pitches, before he gave up an RBI single to Austin Romine to make it a seven run game game. Jacoby Ellsbury followed with a base hit to left, consequently loading the bases. Moore put down Aaron Hicks (swinging) before he was was lifted in favor of Enny Romero after throwing 111 pitches.
Romero walked Ronald Torreyes on six pitches to force home a run, but then struck out Alex Rodriguez to end the threat. Romero continued to make things interesting in the eighth after he allowed four consecutive one-out singles. Now forced to rely on the A bullpen, the Rays skipper called upon Xavier Cedeño to clean up Romero’s mess.
Cedeño got Ellsbury to ground to second for the second out of the frame. Then, with a pair of runners in scoring position, Hicks grounded to third to keep the Rays up by four runs. Alex Colome worked a perfect ninth to nail the coffin shut on the Yankees, although the outcome was much closer than it needed to be.
The New What Next
The Rays will play the rubber game of the three-game set against New York on Sunday. Jake Odorizzi will take the mound opposite of Nathan Eovaldi. Odorizzi threw five scoreless innings against the Marlins his last time out. Even though his fastball was the best it’s been all season, Odorizzi needs to be more efficient after using 107 pitches in his last start. Eovaldi has been one of New York’s top starters, allowing just one total run in his last two starts. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Rays 5/29/16 Starting Lineup
Guyer LF
Miller SS
Longoria 3B
Pearce 2B
Morrison 1B
Souza RF
Dickerson DH
Mahtook CF
Casali C
Odorizzi RHP
Noteworthiness
— Logan Forsythe (left shoulder) will take his first swings Monday or Tuesday after incurring a fractured shoulder in early May.
— Brad Boxberger, who should return soon from adductor surgery, likely will not immediately resume the closer role.
I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do just to stick him out there in a 2-1 ballgame the first day he comes out, Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
It isn’t yet clear what roster move will be made in order to reactivate Boxberger.