N.Y. allows 2 hits in loss
Rays use HRS by Walls, Choi, walks, hit batter for split
Taylor Walls and Jiman Choi homered for Tampa Bay’s only hits, and the Rays scored two runs in the seventh inning on four walks and a hit batter in a 4-2 win over the New York Yankees on Sunday that gained a four-game split.
Walls, in a 1-for-34 slide, homered on a 3-1 fastball from Luis Severino (3-1) for a 2-1 lead in the fifth and then made an outstanding defensive play at second to end the eighth inning. With a runner on third, Walls ranged to the shortstop side of the base, diving to grab Aaron Hicks’ grounder. Walls popped to his feet and threw out Hicks by a step at first.
“If we don’t make those plays it could be a different ballgame,” said Walls, who also started an inning-ending double play from third base on Isiah Kiner-falefa’s grounder in the sixth. “The momentum goes to their side, not ours.”
Gleyber Torres had three hits, including a second-inning home run against Shane Mcclanahan (5-2). Torres’ ninth home run of the season matched in 161 plate appearances his total in 516 last season.
Severino walked his first two in the seventh, Wander Franco and Choi, then struck out Manuel Margot and was replaced by Ron Marinaccio.
Marinaccio walked Walls and pinch-hitter Harold Ramirez, forcing in a run. Marinaccio then hit Mike Zunino with a pitch, making it 4-1.
“You’ve got to make ‘em beat you, and today we didn’t do that,” said manager Aaron Boone.
Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 18th home run, a drive off
Colin Poche in the eighth. Judge was the designated hitter after three straight days on the outfield artificial turf.
J.P. Feyereisen pitched a perfect ninth for his first save this season in two chances.
New York, finishing a stretch of 23 games in 22 days, went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and is hitting .198 in its last nine games, scoring two runs or fewer in six of them.
Mcclanahan got his first career win in four starts against the Yanks.