TANAKA STRIKES OUT CAREER-HIGH 14 IN GEM AS YANKS BEAT RAYS 6-1
NEW YORK» Masahiro Tanaka took a perfect game into the sixth inning and struck out a career-high 14, pitching the Yankees past the Rays 6-1 on Friday night for their fifth straight win.
Brett Gardner hit a leadoff home run, Aaron Judge lined his AL-leading 33rd homer and Clint Frazier added a threerun shot to boost Tanaka (8-9). With their spurt, the Yankees moved past Boston into the AL East lead for the first time in a month.
On Thursday night, Gardner won the opener of this four-game set with a homer in the 11th. Judge lost half of his front left tooth in the celebration — he got a temporary fix on Friday.
Tanaka struck out the first five batters, all swinging. He set down 17 in a row before Adeiny Hechavarria grounded a sharp, two-out single up the middle, past diving shortstop Didi Gregorius. Tanaka impassively watched the ball roll into center field and, after a brief ovation from the fans, went back to work.
FRIDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
Salvador Perez and Mike Moustakas homered off emergency starter Rick Porcello, who took over when David Price went back on the disabled list because of inflammation in his left elbow, and the Royals beat the Red Sox 4-2 for their season-high ninth straight win. Boston has lost five of six and nine of 14. Porcello (4-14), who had been scheduled to pitch Saturday, leads the major leagues in losses. He allowed four runs and six hits in seven innings. Jason Vargas (13-4) gave up one run and five hits in six innings. … Brent Suter tossed seven scoreless innings and the Brewers slipped past the Cubs 2-1 to move within a half game of first place in the National League Central. Suter (2-1) limited the Cubs to four hits. He struck out five and walked one in a career-long outing. Milwaukee pushed across a run in the second on Manny Pina’s run-scoring groundout. … Aaron Altherr homered twice and Jake Thompson pitched five scoreless innings in an emergency start to lead the Phillies toa 10-3 victory over the Braves. … Parker Bridwell pitched a career-high 7L innings to win his third straight decision, C.J. Cron hit a two-run homer and the Angels beat the Blue Jays 7-2. Mike Trout had two RBIs and Yunel Escobar had two doubles and an RBI for the Angels. … Josh Reddick hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, lifting the Astros to a 6-5 victory over the Tigers. The Astros trailed 5-3 to start the eighth. The Astros won despite getting three innings from starter Dallas Keuchel in his return from a neck injury. … Jose Ramirez had four hits, including a homer, Carlos Santana and Michael Brantley also homered, and the Indians beat the White Sox 9-3. … Adrian Beltre had two RBI singles to increase his hit total to 2,998, Elvis Andrus homered and the Rangers beat the Orioles 8-2. … St. Louis starter Michael Wacha pitched six innings and Jedd Gyorko drove in the lone run with one of his three hits, leading the Cardinals to a 1-0 victory over the Diamondbacks. Arizona starter Robbie Ray left the game in the second inning after getting hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of rookie Luke Voit. The ball caromed in the air into foul territory where third baseman Daniel Descalso caught it for the out. … J.T. Realmuto had three hits, including a tiebreaking home run, to spark a four-run seventh inning and help the Marlins toa 7-4 victory over the reeling Reds.