HEALTHY CUTS
After bad reaction to vaccine, Gio returns to give Yanks boost
ST. PETERSBURG — Just two days after he was too weakened by the COVID-19 vaccine to play, Gio Urshela lifted the Yankees as they staved off a sweep with an 8-4 victory in 10 innings over the Rays at Tropicana Field.
The Yankees (4-5) snapped a three-game losing streak, but dropped their second of three series this season. The Rays (45) took their fifth straight series from the Bombers, including the 2020 ALDS that ended the Yankees’ 11th consecutive season without a World Series appearance.
Urshela, who was scratched from Friday’s game because of side effects from the Johnson & Johnson shot he received with the team on Wednesday night, hit his first homer since Aug. 31, 2020. That snapped an 87 at-bat streak without a home run. The no-doubter went 453 feet, the second longest of his career.
Urshela also tied a career-high with four hits, the biggest being the single in the top of the 10th that drove in two insurance runs.
After Jordan Montgomery’s two-homer, two hit-batter performance in five innings, the Yankees bullpen once again saved them. Chad Green gave the Yankees 2.1 perfect innings. Darren O’Day finished off that third out for Green while Albert Abreu, called up Sunday morning, pitched a perfect 10th. Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth.
The bullpen has been excellent so far this season. The offense, not so much.
“It was a rough series all around. We weren’t able to get anything going really offensively. Kind of missing that big hit,” Aaron Judge said. “But today we had Gio Urshela
kind of lead us just from his first at-bat on. We needed a big hit and he hit that homer and then later, adding a couple more runs for us.”
Gleyber Torres lined a single into left field in the eighth to tie the game at 4-4.
Rougned Odor, starting his first game with the Yankees since he was acquired on Tuesday, got things started in the 10th with a two-out single that brought in the go-ahead run. Gary Sanchez also singled in a run before Urshela’s line drive to right got past Manuel Margot to score two runs.
“I am feeling more comfortable at the plate,” said Urshela, who had a slow spring and start to the regular season after surgery to remove a bone chip from his right elbow this winter. “I had a good day today so it is getting really really close.”
“Close,” is good enough for a team that was shut out the day
before. The Yanks drew a season-high eight walks and out-hit the Rays 10-6 on Sunday.
Montgomery, who was not as sharp as he was in his first start of the season, at least gave the Yankees five innings after two straight short outings by Corey Kluber and Domingo German. Montgomery allowed four earned runs on five hits, including home runs to Randy Arozarena and Mike Zunino. He walked two, struck out four and hit Austin Meadows twice.
“I was a little concerned about the second hit batter. Definitely no intent, but I understand their anger. You see Meadows get hit up around the shoulder, I’d be upset on our side, whether it’s intentional or not,” Aaron Boone said. “I think it was clear that Monty was just really struggling to find his command there in the first couple of innings. It kind of got away from him.”