SIX RAYS pitchers combine to shut out Yankees.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

RAYS 1, YANKEES 0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Pinch-hitter Michael Perez hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning on his 28th birthday, six Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a two-hitter, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the American League East-leading New York Yankees 1-0 on Friday night.

“I think so, yeah,” Perez said through a translator when asked whether this was the best gift he could have given himself.

Yoshi Tsutsugo drew a leadoff walk from Adam Ottavino (2-1) in the eighth and went to second with one out when Kevin Kiermaier walked. Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch before Perez drove in the game’s only run with his fly to center.

Chaz Roe (2-0) went the final two innings for the win as the Rays got their second win in the last eight games.

“Can’t say enough about the pitching,” Rays Manager Kevin Cash said.

Masahiro Tanaka allowed 1 hit and struck out 5 over 5 innings, retiring his final 13 batters after giving up a first-inning single to Yandy Diaz. The Yankees’ right-hander needed just 59 pitches in his second start after beginning the season on the concussion list after being struck in the head by Giancarlo Stanton’s liner during a July 4 summer camp simulated game.

“That’s as good as you’ll see Masa right there,” Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said. “Split was good for him. Command was excellent, change of pace with the breaking ball and slider and keeping them off with a good fastball, too. Another really good step for him.”

Three New York pitchers also limited the Rays to just two hits.

“I think there’s going to be games like this where both teams aren’t really able to score,” Tanaka said through a translator. “So you just kind of have to leave this and just go into tomorrow. I think it’s really important for us to just kind of move forward. Just kind of change the mood.”

After being held hitless by Blake Snell and Andrew Kittredge through five innings, the Yankees got their first hit when DJ LeMahieu lined a single to right with one out in the sixth off Pete Fairbanks.

“The Yankees are a great team, so when we beat them it’s always a good feeling,” Snell said.

Snell needed 59 pitches to get through 3 innings, striking out 5 and walking 2. Kittredge followed with two perfect innings.

The Yankees loaded the bases, on three walks, with two outs in the seventh, but Nick Anderson struck out Gary Sanchez on three pitches.

Mike Tauchman had a leadoff double in the eighth but was thrown out for the first out on LeMahieu’s grounder to shortstop Willy Adames.

New York’s season-opening stretch of homering in 12 consecutive games ended. Only four teams have had a longer run.

ROYALS 3, TWINS 2

Ryan McBroom hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning, and host Kansas City defeated Minnesota.

WHITE SOX 2, INDIANS 0

Dylan Cease worked his way through five shutout innings, and Chicago beat Aaron Civale and Cleveland.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

MARLINS 4, METS 3

Francisco Cervelli hit a three-run home run, Humberto Mejia impressed in his abbreviated major-league debut, and visiting Miami kept up its surprising surge by beating New York.

INTERLEAGUE

ORIOLES 11, NATIONALS 0

Jose Iglesias went 4 for 4, and visiting Baltimore collected 19 hits in a victory over Washington. Tommy Milone (1-1) allowed 3 hits and struck out 3 in 6 innings.