Rays rout COVID-19 impacted Yankees
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Rich Hill joined Cy Young and Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers to strike out nine against the Yankees at age 41 or older, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat coronavirus-impacted New York 9-0 Thursday night to avoid getting swept in a three-game series.
Yandy Diaz hit a two-run single in the first inning off Jameson Taillon, Austin Meadows doubled the lead with a two-run homer in the fourth and Randy Arozarena added a three-run homer in the sixth for the first runs off Michael King this season.
Hill (2-1), who became the oldest player in the major leagues when the Los Angeles Angels cut Albert Pujols last week, allowed three hits and three walks in 62⁄3 scoreless innings.
New York announced before the game that shortstop Gleyber Torres tested positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated and having previously contracted the coronavirus during the offseason.
Torres is among eight so-called breakthrough positives among the Yankees — people who tested positive despite being fully vaccinated. Also testing positive were pitching coach Matt Blake, third base coach Phil Nevin, first base coach Reggie Willits and four traveling staff.
Hill (2-1) scattered three hits, walked three and struck out nine.
Taillon (1-3) gave up four runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings, raising his ERA to 5.40. He struck out nine and walked two.
New York, which got a run-scoring double-play grounder from Clint Frazier in the ninth inning, scored five runs in the series but still managed two wins behind the strong starts of Jordan Montgomery and Gerrit Cole. The Rays scored one run in the first two games.
Arozarena was homerless with two RBIs in his previous 16 games,. Arozarena has four homers this season after hitting 10 homers in 20 playoff games last year for the AL champion Rays.
King entered with 121⁄3 scoreless innings.
Meadows added a tworun double in the eighth. New York finished with five hits, including two in the ninth off Hunter Strickland.
RED SOX 8, ATHLETICS 1
BOSTON — Xander Bogaerts and Bobby Dalbec each hit a two-run home run, and the Boston Red Sox avoided a sweep with a win over the Oakland Athletics.
The Red Sox jumped on A’s left-hander Sean Manaea, pounding out 10 hits and seven runs in the first three innings on the way to snapping a three-game skid. Boston finished with 13 hits on the night.
Garrett Richards (3-2) took advantage of the early support and allowed no runs and five hits, striking out four over six innings. He’s won three of his last four starts. Garrett Whitlock gave up one run over three innings to get his first career save.
Bogaerts had three hits after going 1 for 12 in his previous four games.
Boston’s offensive onslaught came after it totaled just three runs in the first two games of the series.
Manaea (3-2) took the loss after failing to get an out in the third inning and getting pulled.