Font, Rays relievers come through in win over Yankees
NEW YORK — Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash has had to defend his strategy using relievers as starters time and time again.
At least this time, the defense came after the formula led his team to a victory.
Wilmer Font held the high-scoring Yankees in check and the Rays stopped New York 3-1 Sunday to avoid a four-game sweep.
“We’re doing everything we can (and) what we think is right to win games,” Cash said. “When we win, yeah, we like it. When we lose, it’s grueling.”
In his third start of the season, Font turned in his best performance of the year in any role, allowing just one run in 42⁄3 innings with five strikeouts. The right-hander, who also has eight relief appearances, matched a career-high with 74 pitches.
Tampa Bay, which has been hurt by injuries to its rotation, employed a reliever to open for the 14th time in
28 games. Entering the game, relievers working as starters had allowed 13 earned runs in 18 innings.
“Today he gave us a huge boost,” Cash said of the
28-year old right-hander. “He probably got a little deeper in the game than what we even anticipated.”
Matt Duffy drove in two runs with a second-inning single for his first multi-RBI game in over a month. The infielder, who missed 2017 while undergoing two Achilles surgeries, is hitting .352
(25 for 71) with seven RBI over his last 18 contests.
“I typically don’t see CC too well,” Duffy said. “That wasn’t the greatest pitch to hit, but when you’re going well, those seem to fall.”
Carlos Gomez had an RBI double as Tampa Bay scored all three runs in the second against CC Sabathia (4-2). The left-hander pitched into the eighth inning for the first time this season and struck out 10 for just the second time since the start of 2014.
“I just tried to be really aggressive because they were aggressive,” Sabathia said.
Tampa Bay defeated New York for the first time this season. The Yankees opened the season with five straight wins, outscoring the Rays 31-10 over the games, and was trying for a four-game sweep. The Rays are 5-18 in their last 23 games at Yankee Stadium.
Chaz Roe (1-1) pitched two scoreless innings for the victory. Sergio Romo, who has also drawn five starts this season, closed for his third save in six chances.