Rays 8, Yankees 7: Don’t forget it’s Mother’s Day

It was a beautiful, sunny and 70-degree day, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it was raining with all the batted balls flying through the sky.

After dropping each of the last two games by a one-run margin, it was nice to end ahead on this afternoon Mother’s Day fare.

Much of the early going for the Rays was small ball, tapping base hits and fielders choices through where they can to score one here or there, but things really came together when Taylor Walls was at the plate.

Walls has an easier time putting his power on display in Yankee Stadium, and nearly hit one out of the park but first settled for a triple. Later he’d belt one to literally the same spot, but just a little farther for a grand slam. Thanks, right porch!

The Yankees also benefited from their silly field, with Oswoldo Carbrera hitting a homerun that would only have left the park in this field.

Yankees rookie shortstop Volpe hit his sixth homerun of the year to left field on an uppercut swing, making it a one-run game against a Trevor Kelley fastball in the eighth inning to close the gap for the Yankees to 8-7.

Kevin Cash brought on Jason Adam to close things out, and with two outs Aaron Judge gave one a RIDE to... 395 feet? Jose Siri grabbed it easily, and the Rays won.

Game Notes:

• Rays starter Zach Eflin pitched six innings with 9 strikeouts and 7 hits today, 1 walk, and 4 runs, which brings his season long ERA up to 3.38. He reached 101 pitches.
• Yankees starter only made it 4.2 IP and was credited with seven runs allowed. He also ran over the Rays third base coach.
• Yandy Diaz left the game after stopping awkwardly at third base.

• Harrison Bader gave Randy Arozarena the Randy treatment by diving and snagging a line drive should-have-been base hit.

• Here’s the field view of Walls’s grand slam

• Finally, congrats to DRB writer Brian Menendez on his wedding! Wishing y’all the best!