Rays Take One-Run Opener From Yankees

ST. PETERSBURG (620 WDAE) -- Willy Adames had a pair of hits and drove in a run, while C.J. Cron's fifth-inning sacrifice fly proved to be the difference, as the Tampa Bay Rays patched together a five-hit performance between six different pitchers to defeat the New York Yankees 2-1 Friday at Tropicana Field.

Both teams failed to convert on opportunities early in the contest.  New York got a pair of runners on against Ryne Stanek in the first, but failed to get a run across, and also had a similar situation in the second against Ryan Yarbrough after a double and a walk also could not get the scoring started.

Tampa Bay loaded the bases against CC Sabathia in the first, but Daniel Robertson, in his first plate appearance after being activated from the disabled list, lined out weakly to end the inning.

The Rays finally got on the board in the fourth, as Robertson doubled into the left field corner against Sabathia, and after Carlos Gomez was hit by a pitch, Adames made it 1-0 with an RBI single.

Tampa Bay doubled their lead an inning later, as Matt Duffy reached on an infield single and moved to second on a throwing error by Sabathia.  Wilson Ramos singled him to third base and C.J. Cron drove him in on an opposite-field home run bid caught by Giancarlo Stanton at the top of the right-field wall.

Yarbrough (6-3) would exit one out into the fifth, and Diego Castillo would get the game into the seventh with a two-run lead.  Chaz Roe allowed an RBI single to Aaron Judge, but Jose Alvarado would strike out Didi Gregorius and then work a perfect eighth.  Sergio Romo gave up a ninth-inning base hit to Miguel Andujar, but got Gleyber Torres to fly to left and induced a double play from Brett Gardner to end the game and earn his fifth save.

The win is just the fifth one-run victory this season for Tampa Bay against a team with a .500 record or better.

SATURDAY'S MATCHUP

Tampa Bay Rays (35-40) vs. New York Yankees (50-23),  4:10 p.m. first pitch with coverage on WDAE beginning at 3:00 with The Inside Pitch presented by Crown Eurocars.

Rays starter - RHP Wilmer Font (0-3, 7.56 ERA)

Yankees starter - RHP Sonny Gray (5-4, 4.89 ERA)


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