Rays 4, Yankees 3: Bats wake up late

After spending the first two thirds of the game in an offensive coma, the Rays came up off the mat and stunned the Yankees 4-3, winning the series three games to one.

Charlie Morton drew the start, and struggled from the get-go, as the Yankees loaded the bases with one out in the first. But it looked like Morton might get out of the jam when Charlie induced a medium fly from Torres to Renfroe in right for the second out, and DJLM elected not to challenge Renfroe’s arm. Morton then got the count to 2-2 against Mike Ford, but clipped him with a fastball to force in a run. Charlie avoided any further damage when he got Urshela to chop into a force play.

Morton pitched through a rocky but scoreless second, but was removed in the top of the third after walking Aaron Hicks. He threw 50 pitches, 29 for strikes.

Trevor Richards came on and did an outstanding job, working four solid innings. Richards pitched in and out of trouble all day, In all, he gave up four hits and a couple walks while striking out four. He gave up just the two unearned runs.

The unearned runs came in the fifth, when the Yankees put runners on second and third with one out. It looked like Richards might get out of it when Ford popped to second, but a fly to center by Urshela was dropped by Margot for an E-8. Both runners scored, making it 3-0.

Newby John Curtiss continued the good work by the pen, pitching two clean innings and striking out four. He also got some help from his defense.

Meanwhile, Paxton was sensational, working the front six innings and giving up just one hit while striking out 11. But leading off the bottom of the seventh, the Rays finally got to him. It started with a Martinez double into the gap. Then, a pop out by Renfroe later, and Mike Brosseau ran into an 0-2 fastball that caught too much plate for his second homer of the season.

3-2 Yankees.

Brandon Lowe followed with one of his own, hitting an 0-1 heater out, and all of a sudden it was tied 3-3.

The Rays missed a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Choi started it, grounding a leadoff pinch hit single to right. After Diaz reached on a force play, Austin Meadows doubled into the corner, putting men on second and third. An IBB to Martinez loaded the bases. But the threat ended when Renfroe grounded to third for an around the horn double play. Initially called safe on the field, it was overturned on replay. Still all tied at three.

The parade of good relief work continued as Ryan Thompson took over for Curtiss and worked a clean top of the ninth.

The Rays finally took the lead in the bottom of the ninth. With Zack Britton on for the Yankees, Brosseau hit a leadoff double to the wall. But on a ball hit by Lowe to Torres, Brosseau attempted to take third and was thrown out, Lowe then moved up to second on a wild pitch, and Margot worked a walk. Adames followed by tapping to first, moving runners to second and third with two outs. Finally, MIchael Perez then came through with his first hit of the season, a single to right.

Walk it off!