Tanaka does the trick for NY Yankees
NEW YORK: Masahiro Tanaka pitched a two-hitter and was backed by two homers, as the New York Yankees opened a 10-game homestand with a 3-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.
Tanaka (5-5) turned in a third straight strong start against the Rays, allowing only a leadoff single to Austin Meadows in the fourth and a two-out single to Willy Adames in the fifth.
In three starts this season against Tampa Bay, Tanaka has allowed one run on 10 hits and one walk in 22 innings, with 23 strike-outs.
Tanaka struck out 10, walked one, threw 76 of 111 pitches for strikes, faced two above the minimum and produced his 14th career double-digit strikeout game.
DJ LeMahieu and Cameron Maybin went deep for the Yankees, who homered for the 20th straight game. It is the second-longest streak in team history, behind only a 25-game streak from June 1-29, 1941.
At Minneapolis, JD Martinez and Xander Bogaerts each went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Rick Porcello threw seven shut-out innings to outduel Jose Berrios and lead the Boston Red Sox past Minnesota 2-0.
It was a season-high sixth straight victory for Boston, who also moved six games above .500 for the first time this season.
Porcello (5-6) allowed four hits and a walk while striking out eight to pick up his first road victory in four decisions.
Ryan Brasier pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his seventh save. Berrios (8-3) gave up one run on five hits with 10 strikeouts over eight innings.
At St Louis, Miles Mikolas pitched six scoreless innings, Matt Carpenter and Dexter Fowler slugged home runs, and the Cardinals earned a 5-0 win over Miami.
Mikolas (5-7), a native Floridian who lost to his hometown Marlins last week, was much better this time around, allowing six hits — all singles — and no walks while striking out four in the process.