Tampa Bay Rays 4 – New York Yankees 8
The future is now as two Baby Bombers make their New York Yankees debut with back-to-back bangs.
After a scoreless first inning by Rays’ Matt Andriese and Masahiro Tanaka, the Yankees got a taste of a bright future. With two outs in the second inning, Tyler Austin stepped to the plate for his first major league plate appearance and made an instant impact when he hit a solo home run into right field, sneaking it just inside the foul pole. To follow him, Aaron Judge stepped up for his first major league plate appearance and like Austin, made an instant impact. On a monster shot to center field, Aaron Judge went deep.
Back-to-back home runs in the first plate appearance by Austin and Judge is the first time such a feat occurred in MLB history. The future is now.
Masahiro Tanaka retired the first nine Rays to come the plate but a bunt single by Kevin Kiermaier in the fourth inning with one out broke the streak of 10 in a row. Following his single, Evan Longoria hit a single and Brad Miller took Tanaka deep to left for a three-run home run to put the Rays ahead, 3-2.
In the bottom half of the inning, Starlin Castro responded by taking Andriese deep to center field for a game-tying solo home run. In the fifth inning, the long ball kept coming. With Judge and Jacoby Ellsbury on base, Aaron Hicks hit a no-doubt three-run home run into the second deck to put the Yankees back ahead.
Masahiro Tanaka could go without seeing Brad Miller for a while as the Rays’ first baseman took him deep for the second time today in the sixth inning. The solo home run reduced the Yankees lead to two.
In seven innings, Masahiro Tanaka allowed four runs on five hits with no walks and eight strikeouts.
With one on and two out in the seventh inning, Didi Gregorius took reliever Erasmo Ramirez deep for a two-run home run that gave the Yankees a four-run lead.
Tyler Clippard and Anthony Swarzak added an inning of relief behind Tanaka as the Yankees secured their fourth win in a row.
Win – Masahiro Tanaka (9-4)
Loss – Matt Andriese (6-4)
Notables
Rays
*Brad Miller – 2 for 4, 2 R, 2 HR (22; Three-run & Solo) in the 4th & 6th, 4 RBI (52)
*Evan Longoria – 2 for 4, R
Yankees
*Aaron Judge – 2 for 4, 2 R, Solo home run (1) in the 2nd, RBI (1)
*Tyler Austin – 2 for 4, R, Solo home run (1) in the 2nd, RBI (1)
Current Yankees Record: 60-56
