BRONX WOES
Yanks botch chance with bases loaded in ninth, lose series with Rays >>
NEW YORK » Rookie left-hander Adam Kolarek pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the ninth inning to lift the Tampa Bay Rays over New York 3-1 on Thursday to win their first series at Yankee Stadium since 2014.
Tampa Bay had lost 12 straight series in the Bronx, a record since the ballpark opened in 2009.
The Rays’ bullpen mostly cruised following Blake Snell’s five sharp innings until Sergio Romo allowed consecutive singles to Didi Gregorius and Gleyber Torres in the ninth — Torres’ bloop ended his 0-for-17 skid. Romo walked Neil Walker on four pitches, then was replaced by Kolarek, a side-arming lefty.
Lefty-hitting Greg Bird popped out in foul territory on Kolarek’s first pitch, and then Brett Gardner struck out.
Kolarek then got Austin Romine to chase a high fastball for another strikeout, ending his first career save.
Tommy Pham helped the Rays jump on Masahiro Tanaka (9-3) with an RBI double during a two-run first inning, and Snell (14-5) and the bullpen took over from there.
The left-handed All-Star made his third start since a DL stint for left shoulder fatigue and struck out six over five innings of two-hit ball. He was coming off five perfect innings against Toronto, though he was pulled from that start after just 47 pitches. He threw 76 pitches Thursday.
The struggling Yankees lineup, still without injured sluggers Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, scored just six runs during the three-game series.
The Rays got to Tanaka with four straight hits to open the game. Mallex Smith lined a single the other way, stole second, then scored on Joey Wendle’s double to the right-center gap. After Jake Bauers’ single, Pham got his first hit with the Rays, driving a double off the wall in the left-field corner.
Pham was placed on the DL by Tampa Bay with a broken right foot two games after being acquired from St. Louis on July 31 for a trio of minor leaguers. Pham played one minor league rehab game, homering and getting three hits for Class A Hudson Valley on Wednesday night. He pleaded with manager Kevin Cash to get in the lineup and play his first career game at Yankee Stadium.
Pham added a single in the third, then hit a drive to the warning track in left-center that was caught by center fielder Aaron Hicks leading off the sixth.
Tanaka recovered after his shaky first, pitching scoreless ball for the next five innings before handing off to Zach Britton. Tanaka allowed nine hits, struck out six and also picked off a pair of baserunners.
Bauers squeezed home Smith against David Robertson in the eighth. Bauers’ bunt hugged the first-base line and gave Robertson no chance at a play at the plate.
Giancarlo Stanton hit a ball in the eighth off the wall in the right-field corner that was originally ruled a home run by first base umpire Greg Gibson but overturned to an RBI double after a video review. The ball hit about halfway up the wall and was nearly touched by a fan.
Smith had two hits from the leadoff spot. He entered the game batting .353 with a .450 on-base percentage since being moved atop the order Aug. 5.