Field Level Media
Jun 23, 2018
Wilmer Font pitched a career-high 5 2/3 innings, recorded his first career win and combined with four other pitchers on a four-hitter as the Tampa Bay Rays blanked the visiting New York Yankees 4-0 Saturday afternoon at Tropicana Field.
In his fourth career start and second against the Yankees in six days, Font (1-3) allowed three hits while throwing a career-high 80 pitches. Averaging 93.6 mph on his fastball, Font struck out four and issued one walk.
He held the Yankees hitless in six at-bats with runners in scoring position before turning things over to the bullpen.
Font exited after issuing a two-out walk to Aaron Judge in the sixth and was replaced by Jonny Venters. A passed ball by catcher Wilson Ramos and an infield single by Didi Gregorius moved Judge to third.
Ryne Stanek, who pitched the first inning Friday, ended the threat by striking out Giancarlo Stanton on a 98 mph fastball. Stanek also ended a scoreless seventh by getting rookie Miguel Andujar to bounce into a double play.
Chaz Roe struck out two in a scoreless eighth, and Sergio Romo finished up with a perfect ninth.
Rookie Willy Adames homered and hit an RBI single for the Rays, who beat the Yankees for the third straight time after dropping the first five meetings.
Rookie Jake Bauers and Daniel Robertson contributed RBI doubles for Tampa Bay.
New York's Sonny Gray (5-5) allowed four runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings.
The Yankees lost consecutive games for the first time since May 22-23 and the seventh time overall and were blanked for the second time.
New York went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, is 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position in the past two games and has scored just once since a four-run first inning Thursday against the Seattle Mariners.
Tampa Bay took a 3-0 lead in the opening two innings.
Bauers made it 1-0 with one out in the first by with a double down the left field line.
The Rays added two runs in the second.
C.J. Cron opened the second with a double off the wall in left and over the leaping attempt of Brett Gardner. Cron scored on a double to center field by Robertson, who scored the third run on a single to left by Adames after advancing on a sacrifice bunt by Mallex Smith.
In the seventh inning, Adames chased Gray by lifting the right-hander's 0-2 curveball down the right field line inside the foul pole for his second career homer.
--Field Level Media