Tampa Bay’s Jonathan Aranda drove in all three runs as the American League East-leading Rays won for the second time in their four-game series with the New York Yankees, blanking them 3-0 on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Aranda went 2-for-3 with a double and raised his RBI total to 61 by knocking in single runs in the third, fifth and seventh innings. Yandy Diaz was 4-for-4 with a double and a run.
Over 6 1/3 innings and 85 pitches, starter Shane McClanahan (8-5) kept the Yankees scoreless on four hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
Reliever Bryan Baker closed out the club’s sixth shutout with three strikeouts in the ninth for his 25thsave in 28 chances.
Jasson Dominguez went 2-for-4, but the Yankees were shut out for the sixth time.
Gerrit Cole (3-4) started for New York and went 6 1/3 innings and gave up three runs on seven hits. He struck out six and walked one.
McClanahan’s glove work kept it scoreless in the second when Max Schuemann’s sacrifice bunt attempt went to the pitcher, who fielded and tossed it with his glove to catcher Nick Fortes to get Dominguez at home.
In the third after Diaz doubled off the left field wall, Aranda lined a single to right to plate Diaz and advance himself to second on the throw home. However, Cole retired Junior Caminero and Cedric Mullins to keep it 1-0.
The Rays tallied again in the fifth after Fortes’ one-out single and Diaz’s third hit. Aranda then doubled into the right-center gap to send Fortes in for another run.
However, just as McClanahan did in the second, Cole was able to get out of it when Jose Caballero threw out Diaz at the plate on a grounder with the infield in. The pitcher then fanned Mullins for the final out.
New York manager Aaron Boone and bench coach Brad Ausmus were ejected the next frame by home plate umpire Doug Eddings after Caballero was caught stealing following a bunt single, but the visitors were denied because they were late with their challenge.
Cole Sulser struck out Anthony Volpe and forced a foulout by pinch hitter Trent Grisham to snuff the Yankees in the seventh.
Aranda’s sacrifice fly in the bottom half scored Taylor Walls, and Baker notched the save by fanning the side in the ninth after Ben Rice’s leadoff single.
–Field Level Media
