Everyone stays cool as insults fly, Yankees prevail
YANKEES 4, RAYS 3
NEW YORK — CC Sabathia shouted salty insults at the Tampa Bay Rays and said he tried to hit one of their batters, but both sides otherwise kept cool as the New York Yankees rallied for a 4-3 victory Friday night on Gio Urshela’s game-ending single.
New York scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning and moved into first place in the AL East.
“When Gio came up, I said: ‘Turn off the lights,’ ” Sabathia recalled.
Urshela, subbing spectacularly for injured third baseman Miguel Andujar, singled over Kevin Kiermaier’s head in deep right-center field to drive home the winning run with two outs. Luke Voit homered on the first pitch from Jose Alvarado (0-3) to make it 3-2, and New York tied it when pinch-runner Thairo Estrada scored on Alvarado’s bases-loaded wild pitch.
Voit and Urshela had three hits apiece. Kendrys Morales clubbed an early solo shot for his first home run since joining the Yankees.
Willy Adames homered off Sabathia, who pitched six effective innings, and rookie Brandon Lowe hit a tiebreaking double against Chad Green with two outs in the eighth.
Jonathan Holder (3-1) struck out two in a perfect inning for the win.
With their fourth consecutive victory and ninth in 11 games, the injury-ravaged Yankees surged into the division lead for the first time since a March 30 loss.
Tampa Bay had been alone in first place since the end of games on March 31.
The unfriendly rivals play twice more this weekend after New York took two of three from the Rays last
weekend at Tropicana Field.
Sabathia threw three inside pitches to Austin Meadows, including one right near the knees, before walking him with two outs and nobody on in the fifth. As he was coming off the field, a camera caught Sabathia telling teammates he “was definitely trying to hit” Meadows.
ORIOLES 5, INDIANS 1
Dylan Bundy kept host Cleveland’s lineup in check — and in the ballpark — for 52/3 innings as Baltimore ended a three-game slide.
ASTROS 3, RED SOX 1
George Springer hit his American League-leading 17th home run and visiting Houston picked up its ninth consecutive victory by beating Boston.
ATHLETICS 7, TIGERS 2
Frankie Montas pitched two-run ball into the ninth inning and Oakland beat host Detroit for the 14th consecutive meeting.
BLUE JAYS 10, WHITE SOX 2
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered and visiting Toronto used an offensive barrage to beat Chicago.
CUBS 14, NATIONALS 6
Kris Bryant matched a career high with three home runs and drove in five as Chicago routed host Washington.
NATIONAL LEAGUE PHILLIES 5, ROCKIES 4
Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run home run, Bryce Harper lined a two-run double and Cole Irvin tossed six effective innings to lead Philadelphia past visiting Colorado.
DODGERS 6, REDS 0
Cody Bellinger hit the last of the Dodgers’ four home runs, Rich Hill stuck out a season-high 10 and Los Angeles beat host Cincinnati.
MARLINS 8, METS 6
Miami scored for the first time in 27 innings, pounded Jacob deGrom for seven runs and snapped a seven-game losing streak by beating visiting New York.
BRAVES 12, BREWERS 8
Max Fried allowed two hits in six scoreless innings, Dansby Swanson hit a drought-breaking, three-run home run and host Atlanta beat Milwaukee.
DIAMONDBACKS 7, GIANTS 0
Eduardo Escobar hit a three-run triple and David Peralta homered, lifting Arizona over visiting San Francisco.
RANGERS 7, CARDINALS 3
Rougned Odor and Shin-Soo Choo homered in a seven-run second inning, Adrian Sampson got his first career win and host Texas beat St. Louis.
INTERLEAGUE