In spite of their success this season, we kept getting told that, "The Yankees can't beat the good teams in the American League."
So far, the Yankees are 8-4 against the American League Eastern Division-challenging Toronto Blue Jays, 6-2 against the AL East-challenging Tampa Bay Rays, 2-1 against the AL East-challenging Boston Red Sox, 2-1 against the AL Central Division-leading Minnesota Twins... and haven't yet played the AL Western Division-leading Houston Astros, but will, this week. Total: 14-8.
Always something more to prove, until you're pulling ticker-tape out of your hair.
Last night, the Yankees went down to St. Petersburg, and began another 3-game series with the Rays. Now, I know that the 2-time defending Champion Tampa Bay Lightning were playing in Tampa, across the Bay, in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals at the same time (and won, closing to within 2-1 of the Colorado Avalanche), but, still, this was a big game for the Rays, and only 16,504 people showed up.
And most of them seemed to be rooting for the Yankees. They gave Gerrit Cole a standing ovation when he left the game. Broadcaster Michael Kay has called Camden Yards in Baltimore "the Really South Bronx," so what does he call Tropicana Field?
Never mind cryptocurrency: The Rays need cryptofans. Or, they need to be moved.
Anthony Rizzo hit a home run in the top of the 1st inning, and it looked like that would be all that Cole would need. He took a perfect game into the 5th, walked 2 batters but got out of it, got a 2nd run of support in the 7th, and still had a no-hitter with going into the 8th.
But he allowed a single, and that led Aaron Boone to get Clay Holmes warmed up. After Cole got a flyout, Holmes was ready, and Boone brought him in for a 5-out save. But he allowed double, RBI groundout, game-tying single and walk, before ending the inning with a strikeout. So Cole began the inning with a no-hitter, and ended it as no longer even standing to be the winning pitcher.
With 1 out in the top of the 9th, Josh Donaldson singled, and Aaron Hicks thought he hit a home run. He admired it before realizing that it was going to carom off the right field wall. He still ended up with a triple that drove Donaldson home with the go-ahead run. It could have been worse: Rays right fielder Manuel Margot crashed into the wall trying to catch it, and had to leave the game with a knee injury. According to the Rays organization, he's going to miss "significant time." Jose Trevino then brought Hicks home with a sacrifice fly.
Boone brought Wandy Peralta in for the bottom of the 9th. No matter who he brings in as the closer, he never seems to make it easy. He issued a leadoff walk (as we've discussed, those can kill teams), before getting a pop fly. Then came a grounder to 3rd, and Donaldson threw it away, putting a runner on 2nd and the tying run on 1st with 1 out.
Peralta struck Josh Lowe out. The batter was Francisco Mejia, and he hit a looper into short left. There were 3 Yankees with a chance to get it, but it looked like it might drop, and at least get the Rays to within 1 run. Fortunately, Hicks caught it, to end the game.
Yankees 4, Rays 2. WP: Peralta (2-1). No save. LP: Jason Adam (0-2). The Yankees are now 50-17. That is not a typographical error: Fifty wins and seventeen losses. They now lead the Blue Jays by 12 games, the Red Sox by 13 1/2, and the Rays by 14. That's right: The Rays, defending AL Champions, are now in 4th place in the East.
The series continues tonight: Nestor Cortes starts against Jalen Beeks. Sounds like the name of an annoying character in Star Wars.
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