Recap: Tampa Bay vs. NY Yankees
Sports Network | September 03, 2008
St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Alex Rodriguez moved into 12th place on baseball's all-time home run list with his 549th homer, a play which saw the first use of instant replay, as the New York Yankees earned an 8-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Rodriguez finished 3-for-4 with four RBI for the Yankees, who have won three straight and five of seven to stay within seven games of Boston in the wild card race and 10 of the Rays in the AL East. Jason Giambi drove in a run, extending his streak to eight games with an RBI. Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano and Ivan Rodriguez each had an RBI in the win. Starter Carl Pavano lasted four-plus innings and was touched for three runs on six hits in the no-decision. Edwar Ramirez (5-1), Phil Coke and Brian Bruney combined for four innings of one-hit relief. Gabe Gross hit a two-run homer for the Rays, who have lost two straight and four of nine. Cliff Floyd and Akinori Iwamura drove in a run each in defeat. The Rays still own a three-game lead over the Red Sox in the AL East. Edwin Jackson (11-9) was dealt the loss after getting touched for six runs on 10 hits in just 3 1/3 innings of work. With two gone in the ninth, Bobby Abreu worked a grueling 12-pitch walk off Troy Percival and Alex Rodriguez crushed what appeared to be a homer over the left field foul pole. Umpire Brian Runge signaled homer, but Rays catcher Dioner Navarro protested. Umpires left the field and used instant replay to determine the call and the result was that the ball hit off the catwalk behind the pole, giving the Yankees an 8-3 lead. Iwamura laced a double off Jose Veras in the bottom of the ninth to plate Gross. Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. B.J. Upton clubbed a one-out double to Johnny Damon in center, and came around two batters later as Floyd slapped another two-bagger to center. New York rallied to claim the lead in the second frame. Xavier Nady worked a one-out walk and, after Matsui popped out, Cano belted an RBI double to left. Ivan Rodriguez kept it going with an RBI double to right, and the Yanks had a 2-1 advantage. With one out in the third inning, consecutive doubles from Abreu, Alex Rodriguez and Giambi plated two runs. Nady then grounded out, which moved Giambi to third, and Matsui laced an RBI single back up the middle, making it 5-1. Damon led off the fourth with a single and stole second before moving to third on Derek Jeter's single. Abreu popped up, but Chad Bradford was still called on in relief. Alex Rodriguez greeted him to the contest with an RBI single and it was a 6-1 margin. The Rays started a two-out rally in the home half as Navarro doubled over the head of Damon in center. Gross followed with a long homer to right field. Tampa Bay loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth, but Ramirez got Willy Aybar to line into a double play, and Eric Hinske popped out. Game Notes Giambi's eight-game RBI streak ties him with Josh Hamilton for the longest in the AL this season...Damon stole his 26th base of the year in the fourth...It was the Yankees' first series win against a team above .500 since July 25-27 (Red Sox)...The Rays are 12-2 in series since the All-Star break...The use of instant replay on Rodriguez's homer in the ninth only took two minutes and 15 seconds...Jackson had won six of his last seven starts prior to Wednesday's setback...The Yankees hold a 9-5 advantage in this year's season series with Tampa Bay and have won five of the eight meetings between the clubs at Tropicana Field in 2008. Game Notes Giambi's eight-game RBI streak ties him with Josh Hamilton for the longest in the AL this season...Damon stole his 26th base of the year in the fourth...It was the Yankees' first series win against a team above .500 since July 25-27 (Red Sox)...The Rays are 12-2 in series since the All-Star break...The use of instant replay on Rodriguez's homer in the ninth only took two minutes and 15 seconds...Jackson had won six of his last seven starts prior to Wednesday's setback...The Yankees hold a 9-5 advantage in this year's season series with Tampa Bay and have won five of the eight meetings between the clubs at Tropicana Field in 2008.
