Cole loses no-hit bid, Yankees hold off Rays for 50th win
ST PETERSBURG: Gerrit Cole came within six outs of a no-hitter and Aaron Hicks hit a tie-breaking triple with one out in the ninth inning as the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 in MLB in Florida on Monday.
Anthony Rizzo homered three batters into the game and Gleyber Torres scored on an error as the Yankees won for the 17th time in 19 games and became the fifth team to win at least 50 of their first 67 games since 1930.
Cole lost his no-hit bid when Tampa Bay’s Isaac Paredes hit an 0-1 slider up the middle for a clean single leading off the eighth inning.
Cole wound up with a no-decision after Clay Holmes allowed the tying run, an RBI infield single by Manuel Margot.
The Yankees regained the lead when Hicks tripled to the right field fence off Jason Adam (0-2).
Margot tried to make a leaping catch, but his right knee hit the fence, causing him to fall to the ground. He was eventually carted off the field.
Jose Trevino followed with a sacrifice fly and Wandy Peralta (2-1) pitched a scoreless ninth.
At Atlanta, Orlando Arcia slapped an RBI single to left field with two outs in the ninth inning to give the Braves a 2-1 walk-off win over San Francisco.
Arcia hit a slider from Camilo Doval through the gap to score Phil Gosselin, a pinch runner for Matt Olson, who had coaxed a lead-off walk.
Marcell Ozuna delivered a two-out single, and after Adam Duvall struck out, Arcia responded with the gamewinning hit.
The winning pitcher was Kenley Jansen (4-0), who struck out three in the ninth.
At Pittsburgh, Oneil Cruz and fellow rookie Bligh Madris combined to go 5-for-9 with six RBIs after both were recalled earlier on Monday, leading the Pirates to a 12-1 rout of the Cubs.
Daniel Vogelbach added a two-run double for the Pirates, who have won two straight after dropping 11 of 12.
Pittsburgh starter JT Brubaker (1-7) got his first win since last Aug 24 by pitching six scoreless innings. He allowed five hits and three walks while recording five strikeouts.
Ian Happ hit an RBI single for the Cubs, who have lost two straight and 12 of 14. REUTERS
RESULTS
(home team in CAPS)
NY METS 6 Miami 0; PITTSBURGH 12 Chicago Cubs 1; BOSTON 5 Detroit 2; NY Yankees 4 TAMPA BAY 2; ATLANTA 2 San Francisco 1; CHICAGO WHITE SOX 8 Toronto 7; MILWAUKEE 2 St Louis 0; Kansas City 6 LA ANGELS 2; SAN DIEGO 4 Arizona 1