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Yankees Game 128: Homer happy Rays get Kuroda

Hiroki Kuroda allowed a season-high seven runs on a career-high four home runs tonight. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

New York Yankees 2 — Tampa Bay Rays 7

 

A rare bad start by Hiroki Kuroda in tonight’s 7-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Yankees got behind the speed of Brett Gardner for the offense tonight. He would start the game with a walk and would steal second base during Curtis Granderson’s at-bat. Granderson would fly out to center field and Gardner advanced to third. Robinson Cano would strike out swinging but Alfonso Soriano would succeed, hitting a ground ball single to right field when the Rays’ infield was shifted to the left. The Yankees had a one-run lead and Hiroki Kuroda would have one of the worst starts of his fantastic season.

With two on and two out, catcher Jose Lobaton hit a three-run home run high off the right field foul pole to give the Rays a 3-1 lead. After a walk to start the third inning, Kuroda would induce a double play to erase that. Unfortunately the next batters would go back-to-back on Kuroda with Evan Longoria and Matt Joyce each hitting home runs.

David DeJesus would score on a Jose Lobaton single in the fourth inning and Ben Zobrist would join the long ball party in the fifth inning. Kuroda would be able to get through six innings but the damage was some of the worst off of Kuroda.

In six innings, Hiroki Kuroda allowed a season-high seven runs on nine hits while walking on and striking out three. The four home runs that Kuroda allowed is a career-high. Bad timing to set highs in bad categories but any stellar season has a bump in the road.

The Yankees had a hard time solving Rays starter Chris Archer. Brett Gardner was hit on the right hand in the third inning but in the sixth inning, he got the offense started again. He hit a deep fly ball to left center that center fielder Desmond Jennings couldn’t run down and the speedy Yankees center fielder slid into third with a lead off triple. Curtis Granderson would unproductively pop out in foul territory on the first pitch following the triple but Robinson Cano would ground out to bring home Gardner.

Brett Gardner would try to get the offense going with a single to lead off the eighth inning but with one out he was caught flat footed off of first base and got picked off. Two hits, two runs, a stolen base, a pitch off his hand and two outs made at first base; a mixed bag of results for the spark plug of the Yankees offense.

 

Win – Chris Archer (7-5)

Loss – Hiroki Kuroda (11-9)

 

Notables

Yankees

*Brett Gardner – 2 for 4, 2 R, BB, 3B

*Alfonso Soriano – 1 for 4, RBI (80)

Rays

*Jose Lobaton – 2 for 3, R, 3-Run Home Run (6) in the 2nd, 4 RBI (27)

*Matt Joyce – 2 for 4, 2 R, Solo Home Run (17) in the 3rd, RBI (42)

 

Current Yankees Record: 68-60

 

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