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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)
May 24th, 2013
New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays
Final Score: Yankees 9 Rays 4
The New York Yankees were able to start
their weekend series in Tropicana Field with a win Friday night over
the Tampa Bay Rays behind a good offensive performance. The win moves
the Yankees to (29-18) on the season, and they are still one game
ahead of the Boston Red Sox.
Yankees Starter David Phelps has seemed
to gain a stranglehold on the fifth spot in the rotation, as he
picked up his third win of the season on Friday night. Phelps was
cruising in the game until the sixth inning, but with an eight run
lead the game was never in jeopardy for Phelps. He finished the game
going 7.2 innings allowing four runs on on six hits, with three
strikeouts. Ivan Nova was back with the Yankees, but instead of
getting the start was sitting in the bullpen, so it would appear that
Joe Girardi will be sticking with Phelps for the foreseeable future.
The bullpen didn’t have to do much
with the long start from Phelps, as Boone Logan finished up the
eighth inning with a strikeout, and then Shawn Kelley finished the
game off in the ninth with a scoreless frame.
Lead-off hitter Brett Gardner, who is
not by any means known for his power, provided the only homerun of
the game with a two-run homerun in the fourth inning off Roberto
Hernandez. For Gardner it is his fourth homerun of the season
already, and his career-high is just seven, which he had in 2011.
The bottom half of the order was a
difference maker in this game, as rookie David Adams led the way, and
continued his great hitting since being called-up. Adams went two for
five at the plate with two runs scored.
First Baseman Lyle Overbay, whose
playing time is going to certainly be cut a lot with the return of
Mark Teixeira looming, but he made the most of his at-bats on Friday.
Overbay went two for five, with two runs, two RBIs, and hit his 11th
double of the season.
Jayson Nix also provided some run
producing hits from the eighth spot in the lineup, as Nix went two
for four with a triple, a walk, one run, and two RBIs for a very nice
game.
Catcher Chris Stewart was back in the
lineup after missing about a week, and it didn’t look like he was
rusty at all at the plate. Stewart went two for four with a run, and
RBI in his first game since May 16th against the Seattle
Mariners.
Despite the nice win over the Rays the
Yankees did suffer yet another injury blow, as Curtis Granderson will
be heading back to the DL with a broken pinkie finger after he was
hit by a pitch in the fifth inning.
The Yankees will be sending Vidal Nuno
(1-1, 1.13) to the mound to start his second game of the season
against Matt Moore (8-0, 2.29), who is looking like the favorite
right now for the AL Cy Young.
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