Dioner Navarro hit a two-run homer to
lead the Tampa Bay Rays in a 5-3 victory over the New York Yankees in the
middle test of a season-ending three-game set from Tropicana Field.
Jason Bartlett went 2-for-4 and drove in a run for the Rays, who have won the
first two games of this series and six of seven overall. B.J. Upton scored
twice in the win.
Jeff Niemann (13-6) got the win after going five innings and giving up two
runs on six hits while fanning five and walking just one. Grant Balfour threw
a 1-2-3 ninth to notch his fourth save.
"I felt pretty good, I felt like everything was there for the most part
tonight," said Niemann. "I just went out there and pitched, didn't try to
generate anything extra."
Mark Teixeira drove in a run for the AL East champion Yankees, who have lost
three in a row. Jerry Hairston Jr. knocked in a run and was hit twice by
Niemann pitches. Johnny Damon drove in the other run in defeat.
Andy Pettitte (14-8) took the loss after giving up five runs -- three earned
-- on six hits in 4 1/3 innings of work.
"He (Pettitte) got some balls up tonight, he wasn't as sharp as he has been in
the second half," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "I'm just trying to tune
these guys up (for the playoffs)."
The Rays took the lead in the second stanza. Upton led off with a walk
and crossed home two outs later as Navarro homered to left field. Later in
the frame, Bartlett's RBI single made it 3-0.
The Yanks got on the board in the fifth inning. Eric Hinske had a one-out
single, Hairston was again hit by a pitch and Brett Gardner grounded into a
force to make it first and third. Damon then stroked an RBI single to center
and Teixeira followed suit to close it to 3-2.
The Rays wasted no time in getting those runs back. Ben Zobrist and Upton had
one-out walks in the home fifth, and Alfredo Aceves was brought in from the
bullpen. Aceves immediately caught Zobrist in a rundown, but his throw to
third sailed just past Hinske's glove and into foul territory and both runners
scored.
Nick Swisher drew a two-out walk in the sixth and was pinch-run for by Freddy
Guzman, who nabbed second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Hinske then drew
a walk and Hairston hit what looked like an inning-ending grounder, but Evan
Longoria's throw to second pulled Akinori Iwamura off the bag and it was 5-3.
Game Notes
The Rays were 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left six men on
base. The Yankees were 3-for-11 with RISP and stranded eight...Niemann was
winless in his last six outings coming in...New York has won 10 of its 17
matchups with the Rays this season.
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