Yankees Game 47: Masahiro Tanaka spins seven scoreless in victory
A-Rod and Beltran supply the power to a Masahiro Tanaka seven inning, two-hit gem.
New York Yankees 4 – Tampa Bay Rays 1
After losing two in a row, the Yankees turned to their ace on the road to get them back in the left lane.
In the first inning, Jacoby Ellsbury greeted Chris Archer with a single and advanced to second after Brett Gardner walked but three consecutive outs stranded the table-setters.
While Chris Archer was holding the Yankees away from the scoreboard, Masahiro Tanaka was perfect.
Through the first four innings, Masahiro Tanaka did not allow a base runner. Perfection was denied in the fifth inning when Steve Pearce hit a single to center field. After a wild pitch advanced him to second, a comebacker to Tanaka featured heads-up defense as he caught Pearce off of second base and got the lead runner out to get the first out of a scoreless fifth inning.
In the top of the sixth inning, Brett Gardner was walked with one out. On a pick off attempt, Archer threw behind the runner and it went into right field for a two-base throwing error on the pitcher. With the infield in, Carlos Beltran hit a ground ball to second baseman Taylor Gotter, who was unable to handle it but kept it in the infield put runners on the corners with one out. On a ground ball to Logan Morrison, the Rays first baseman was unable to come up with it clean, settling for a fielder's choice at second base, scoring the first run of the game. Alex Rodriguez came up with a huge hit with the inning extended by taking Archer deep to left-center for a two-run home run.
Masahiro Tanaka added a pair of scoreless innings to a very strong start that the Yankees needed. In seven innings, Masahiro Tanaka allowed no runs on two hits while walking none and striking out four.
Carlos Beltran added a fourth Yankees run with a solo home run into right field as Andrew Miller got the eighth inning. After striking out the first batter, Miller surrendered an infield single and hit a batter before striking out one more on the way to finishing the inning.
In the ninth inning, Kirby Yates came on and got the first two outs but Steve Pearce proved to be a nuisance as he fought to get a solo home run to end the shutout. Aroldis Chapman got the call with two outs in the ninth and technically got it with a strikeout of Logan Morrison but the pitch got away from Brian McCann, allowing Morrison to reach. Desmond Jennings got a chance but ultimately went down looking to end the game and give the Yankees the first win of the series.
Win – Masahiro Tanaka (3-0)
Loss – Chris Archer (3-6)
Notables
Yankees
*Alex Rodriguez – 1 for 4, R, Two-run home run (6) in the 6th, 2 RBI (14)
*Carlos Beltran – 1 for 4, R, Solo home run (11) in the 8, RBI (30)
Rays
*Steve Pearce – 2 for 4, R, Solo home run (8) in the 9th, RBI (20)
*Brandon Guyer – 1 for 4, 2B
Current Yankees Record: 23-24