Rays sweep past Yankees to move into first in AL East
The Tampa Bay Rays completed their first sweep at Yankee Stadium in six years and took over first place in the AL East, getting a threerun homer from Mike Zunino in a 10-5 victory over New York on Thursday.
Tampa Bay beat the Yankees for the sixth time in seven meetings in the abbreviated 10-game season series. The Rays also became the first team to sweep a three-game series at Yankee Stadium since Cleveland on Aug. 2830, 2017. Tampa Bay previously swept series of three games or more at New York in 2013 and 2014.
The Rays became the fifth team in major league history to sweep a series of at least three games at Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium on the same trip, according to STATS. The 1990 Oakland Athletics were the last team to achieve the feat.
Zunino homered to left field off Luis Avilán in the sixth inning to give the Rays an 8-4 lead. His second homer in as many games elicited audible cheers from the Rays dugout in the empty stadium.
ASTROS 10, ROCKIES 8 >> Abraham Toro homered in the second of two five-run innings by the Astros as Houston extended its major-league best winning streak to eight games with the victory. Jose Altuve had two hits, including a two-run double that fueled a five-run second inning, when the Astros batted around against German Marquez (2-4). It was Altuve’s second straight multihit game since being returned to the No. 2 spot in the batting order after three games in the No. 6 hole.
Ryan McMahon hit two homers for the Rockies, who have lost seven of eight, including all four games of a home-and-home set against Houston.
BLUE JAYS SWEEP PHILLIES >> Rowdy Tellez homered and hit a go-ahead two-run single in a seven-run sixth inning, and Toronto rallied from a seven-run deficit to beat Philadelphia 9-8 and sweep a doubleheader.
In the first of the seven-inning games, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. chopped a single over a drawn-in infield in the seventh to give Toronto a 3-2 win.
The Blue Jays made the most of a one-day visit to their adopted Buffalo home in between trips to Baltimore and Tampa Bay.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred was in attendance for the first time since Sahlen Field took its place as the Blue Jays’ home for the shortened season. He was seen before the first game walking in front of the first-base dugout toward the foul-territory bullpens, but did not speak to reporters.
WHITE SOX 9, TIGERS 0 >> Lucas Giolito matched his career high of 13 strikeouts in seven dominant innings, hot-hitting Tim Anderson stroked his fourth home run of the series as Chicago beat Detroit to complete its first fourgame sweep of the Tigers in 15 years.
Giolito (2-2) allowed three hits and one walk to earn the victory, his fifth in seven career decisions against Detroit, as Chicago completed a 5-2 homestand with its fifth straight win.