New York Yankees clinch AL Championship as they beat Tampa Rays 4-2 – MLB Update
After confirming a place in the post-season series and clinching their 12th American League Championship in 16 years, the New York Yankees overpowered the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 in the night outing of the day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium in
New York on Wednesday, September 21.
Yankees did not lose their impetus as they landed with increased power, with both bat and ball. Robinson Cano led the game off with a 378-feet lone one-run homer off the Rays’ starter Jeremy Hellickson in the second inning.
In the fourth inning, promising rookie Jesus Montero, playing as a designated hitter, ground into a double play started from the short-stop, who threw it to first base and Curtis Granderson scored while Mark Teixeira reached to third base. Robinson Cano
ground out at second base.
Until that time, Carsten Charles Sabathia held the Rays scoreless and was looking for his 20th win of the season but in the fifth inning gave away a home-run to Kelly Shoppach. Sabathia was still in condition to be the second player to grab 20
wins in the American League, but he was tagged for another home-run by Sean Rodriguez in the seventh.
Sabathia had to leave the mound after he gave a hit and then walked Evan Longoria up the middle of the eighth inning. The hurler was not at his best as he took 127 pitches to toss just over seven innings. However, he added six more strike-outs to his season
record and improved them to 230 with a 3.00 ERA.
David Robertson and Rafael Soriano were at his back to close down the game. Soriano worked the last inning and earned his second save allowing one hit and taking one strike-out over 18 pitches.
Rays are still at the same place and are now sharing the fourth spot with the Los Angeles Angels. Rays will now be looking to make an unexpected comeback in all of their remaining outings. Their batting has gone down in a time when the Rays needed it the
most. They now have appeared in the last outing of the four-game series against the Yankees and it will be an added advantage if they can make it through.
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