The New York Yankees were able to take game one against Tampa Bay, and they nearly did it with a no-hitter from their starting pitcher, Michael Pineda. There was no score in the contest through the first 2.5 innings. For the Rays, they racked up four strikeouts as the entire order went down quickly. Left fielder Brett Gardner (.267 avg) started things with a single for the Yankees in the first inning. Designated hitter Matt Holliday (.364 avg) was able to move him to third, but nothing more happened in the frame. That changed in the third inning.
Yankees pick up two in third, fourth inning
Gardner took a strikeout and should have been the second out of the third inning, but he was able to make first base thanks to a wild pitch. It was a costly errant throw as center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was able to connect on a double that brought home, Gardner. In the next inning, the Yankees compiled two consecutive strikeouts, but then right fielder Aaron Judge (.261 avg) was able to smack a homer to left field to make it 2-0. It was his second of the season.
That would end the scoring for a while. Through six innings, Tampa Bay still hasn't been able to register a hit or a walk. The order has gone through twice, and there have been eight strikeouts.
It seemed like two runs would be all that's needed for the win. However, in the top of the seventh, third baseman Evan Longoria (.241 avg) finally broke up the perfect game with a double. It took 21 at-bats for the Rays to register something on the board.
Yankees explode for insurance runs in eighth
New York tacked on the run to make it 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh.
Third baseman Chase Headley started the frame by smacking a home run to right field. It was his second of the season. Tampa Bay finally got on the board themselves with a home run. First baseman Logan Morrison (.333 avg) hit a solo shot off of Pineda. Now that the no-no was over, Pineda was pulled for the bullpen to go to work.
However, any worry about pitching was all for not when the Yankees put the game out of reach with a 5-run 8th inning. Rays starter Alex Cobb stayed in the match but allowed Gardner to steal a second and third base, and that was after he made it to first on another bad throw. Holliday eventually brought in Gardner, and that's when Austin Pruitt would come in for relief.
It didn't help. First baseman Chris Carter (.154 avg) nailed a triple to reel in Holliday. Starlin Castro then took it for a ride out of the park for two more runs. That was his first rocket of the season. Shortstop Ronald Torreyes wrapped up the scoring after he grounded it into a fielder choice that allowed Headley to score. Headley earlier arrived on third by another bad throw from the Rays.
