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Rays 13, Yankees 4 (Game #3) [2-1]
49,255 witnessed the Rays demolish the Yankees, 13-4. The Rays were leading 6-0 when Bronx Bombers were staging a comeback, scoring four runs in the third inning. I started to worry that this would be like the last game against Baltimore with numerous unanswered runs and poor pitching, but Andy Sonnanstine was able to refocus and get Robinson Canó to foul out. Nothing really happened between innings four and seven. The eighth inning was music to my ears with seven runs for the Rays. It started with Cliff Floyd and ended with him. 230-pound Floyd hit his first home run of the season, extending the Rays lead, 7-4. Shawn Riggans, coming in for the injured Dioner Navarro, who fell down the dugout steps during the third inning, grounded out to the LaTroy Hawkins. Newly acquired Eric Hinske doubled to left while Nathan Haynes singled to Derek Jeter. With Hinske at third, Haynes stole second base and Jason Bartlett singled to left center which cleared the bases, 9-4. Aki singled to left center, Bartlett to third. With Hawkins making his final pitch of the inning, Carl Crawford singled to left, scoring Bartlett, 10-4. The next pitching victim was Kyle Farnsworth. Carlos Pena homered to deep right, upper deck, scoring Crawford and Aki, 13-4. Even though B.J. Upton had a single with two outs, the inning was over with a Floyd strikeout. Not too shabby. The game was missed by Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who had an upper respiratory infection. Good for him, missing the game, obviously. Recently, close games between the Rays and Yankees are infrequent. More often than not, one team is dominant and tonight's 15-hit, 13-run battering of the Yankees demonstrated that premise. Let's hope tomorrow's early game featuring Edwin Jackson and Andy Pettitte on the mound will prove to be another W for this exciting Tampa Bay team. I'm a little worried about Jackson's performance tomorrow. He had a terrible start last season when he went 1-9 with a 7.23 ERA in 17 appearances. I'm encouraged by his pitching at the end of the season, posting a 4-6 record with a 4.48 ERA in 15 starts. The great news is Jackson has pitched well at Yankee Stadium, 1-1 with a 4.38 ERA in four appearances. "Go Jackson, go!" I always wanted to say that.
49,255 witnessed the Rays demolish the Yankees, 13-4. The Rays were leading 6-0 when Bronx Bombers were staging a comeback, scoring four runs in the third inning. I started to worry that this would be like the last game against Baltimore with numerous unanswered runs and poor pitching, but Andy Sonnanstine was able to refocus and get Robinson Canó to foul out. Nothing really happened between innings four and seven. The eighth inning was music to my ears with seven runs for the Rays. It started with Cliff Floyd and ended with him. 230-pound Floyd hit his first home run of the season, extending the Rays lead, 7-4. Shawn Riggans, coming in for the injured Dioner Navarro, who fell down the dugout steps during the third inning, grounded out to the LaTroy Hawkins. Newly acquired Eric Hinske doubled to left while Nathan Haynes singled to Derek Jeter. With Hinske at third, Haynes stole second base and Jason Bartlett singled to left center which cleared the bases, 9-4. Aki singled to left center, Bartlett to third. With Hawkins making his final pitch of the inning, Carl Crawford singled to left, scoring Bartlett, 10-4. The next pitching victim was Kyle Farnsworth. Carlos Pena homered to deep right, upper deck, scoring Crawford and Aki, 13-4. Even though B.J. Upton had a single with two outs, the inning was over with a Floyd strikeout. Not too shabby. The game was missed by Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who had an upper respiratory infection. Good for him, missing the game, obviously. Recently, close games between the Rays and Yankees are infrequent. More often than not, one team is dominant and tonight's 15-hit, 13-run battering of the Yankees demonstrated that premise. Let's hope tomorrow's early game featuring Edwin Jackson and Andy Pettitte on the mound will prove to be another W for this exciting Tampa Bay team. I'm a little worried about Jackson's performance tomorrow. He had a terrible start last season when he went 1-9 with a 7.23 ERA in 17 appearances. I'm encouraged by his pitching at the end of the season, posting a 4-6 record with a 4.48 ERA in 15 starts. The great news is Jackson has pitched well at Yankee Stadium, 1-1 with a 4.38 ERA in four appearances. "Go Jackson, go!" I always wanted to say that. 
