The question of whether the Tampa Bay Rays hitters would ever get going was answered Thursday, as Austin Meadows and Randy Arozarena each homered to help salvage the finale of their three-game series with the New York Yankees, taking a 9-1 decision at Tropicana Field.
The Rays, who had scored just one run in the first two games of the series, jumped on Yankees starter Jameson Taillon from the outset, using a two-out rally in the first to get on the scoreboard first. Manuel Margot started the rally with a soft single to center, and Brandon Lowe followed with a line drive double off the wall in right. Yandy Diaz then brough both runners in with a line drive base hit to center and a 2-0 lead.
The lead was doubled in the third as Arozarena led off by drawing a walk from Taillon, and Meadows followed with a blast to right for his eighth home run of the year.
Arozarena stretched the lead to 7-0 in the sixth, as his three-run homer off Michael King with two outs brought in Joey Wendle, who walked to start the inning, and Kevan Smith, who singled Wendle up a base.
Meadows pushed the lead to nine runs in the eighth, as his double with the bases loaded scored Smith and Mike Brosseau.
Rich Hill (2-1) pitched shutout baseball into the seventh, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out nine. Louis Head retired the four batters he faced, finishing the seventh and working through the eighth.
New York’s only run came in the ninth off Hunter Strickland, who gave up a base hit to Gio Urshela, a double to Gary Sanchez, and walked Mike Ford before Clint Frazier grounded into a double play, allowing Urshela to score. Miguel Andujar‘s fly ball to left ended the game.
The win gets the Rays back above .50 on the season at 20-19.
The New York Mets come to town beginning Friday for three games. Tyler Glasnow (4-2, 2.37 ERA) will get the start in the opener, taking on David Peterson (1-3, 5.54 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
