Tampa Bay Rays climb back up to a 1/2 game deficit as they crush the New York Yankees, 10 – 3 (pt 2)
The Tampa Bay Rays went into the game in a bid to claw their way back into the series against the New York Yankees. With 10 days left till the conclusion of the season and the beginning of the post league matches, the Rays were looking to outplay them at the Yankee Stadium. With 2 games down, the possibility of an East league lead was not on the cards anymore.
The Rays had no chance in usurping the Yankees during the series but they did have the chance to regain some ground in their last two games. On Wednesday, the ball club was successful in gaining a point advantage but two more games were needed to press on the hosts for a pressure play in the latter half of the division matches.
The game on Thursday began with the Yankees’ pitcher Carsten Charles Sabathia, who is ranked as the number 1 pitcher in the AL (American League). On the other hand, David Price, ranked at the 2nd sport in the AL, featured for the Rays on the mound. The game between the two top performers had been witnessed earlier this month on the 13th as well. That game was tied at 0-0 till the time these two Cy Young Award nominees pitched their innings. Rays’ late hitter Reid Brignac was the one to pull the winner and he did so in the 11th innings with a home run.
Both players were back on the mound once again and the Rays began the bout with the bat in hand. The Yankees, however, were the first ones to score, leading into the bottom 2nd. Marcus Thames was the one to do the deed for the hosts as he stringed Price for a 379 feet homer to the left. Robinson Cano was already on the first base when the hit was stretched to the stands. With the shot, Cano converted his single to a run and that led the Yankees on to a powerful 2 – 0 lead.
Tampa Bay was up to the task to respond and they did so in the top 3rd. Jason Bartlett singled to the centre to start the innings. Carl Crawford followed it up with a single to the centre. With both hitters on the basses, Ben Zobrist came in to hit a Runs Batted In (RBI) single. Bartlett scored and the team was back into the game with a 1 – 2 score line. There was no further scoring run coming in before the bottom 5th as Greg Golson became the player to make his mark on manager Joe Girardi. He did so by first doubling to the left and then moving to the third base when Derek Jeter singled to the right. Golson finally scored off Nick Swisher’s single to the right.
The game was swaying New York’s way and CC Sabathia looked much stronger than Price in pitching. Yankees were now 3 – 1 up and it looked like it was going to be a series winner for the home team. However, that wasn’t a notion to build on in the top 6th as the Rays bested the versatile Yankees for 7 runs in the innings. It all started with Carl Crawford who reached infield single to shortstop. He moved to the third base when Evan Longoria doubled to the right. He ran home clear for the 2nd run when Rocco Baldelli reached on an infield single to the pitcher. The run got the Rays to a 1 run deficit and Baldelli was replaced with Desmond Jennings.
Willy Aybar then came in and singled to the centre to get Longoria to a run, equalizing the score line. Kelly Shoppach came in next and he was walked by Sabathia. The basses were full and Sean Rodriguez made the league’s number one pitcher pay as he got a walk as well, to get Jennings to 3 runs. That marked the last time Sabathia featured in the fixture as he was replaced by Joba Chamberlain to continue.
Tags: