LDN - Sports

Yankees top Rays, send ALDS to Game 5

[October 09, 2020] Gleyber Torres and Luke Voit homered as the New York Yankees staved off elimination with a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Thursday night in San Diego.

The decisive Game 5 is Friday. Gerrit Cole is expected to start for the Yankees, while Tampa Bay will start Tyler Glasnow. Cole led New York to a 9-3 win in Game 1, while Glasnow had 10 strikeouts in five innings of the Rays' Game 2 victory.

Torres gave the Yankees a 4-1 lead and some breathing room with one out in the sixth when he drove a Ryan Yarbrough pitch to left field on a shot that nearly landed in the third deck in front of the Western Metal Supply Co. building.

Torres belted his fifth career postseason homer just two innings after he fouled a ball off his leg before lining out.

It was just what the Yankees needed, manager Aaron Boone said after the game.

"A couple big hits, a couple add-on runs, obviously a couple big home runs," Boone said. "Gleyber, that gave us a little breathing room there later in the game because Yarbrough came in and pitched really well against us and kinda held us at bay, so that home run by GT was huge."

Voit, the major league home run champ this year with 22 in the regular season, entered the game 1-for-11 in the series and with no homers in the postseason. He started the scoring with a 453-foot drive to left off Tampa Bay opener Ryan Thompson (0-1) to lead off the second inning.

Voit expressed confidence of winning the series after the game.

"We're going to win. Obviously plan to have Gerrit on the mound, and that's best situation possible for us. We're locked and loaded," Voit said.

"Big win, big momentum for us, but (Friday is) a big game for them too. We know we're going to get their best. They got all their bullpen arms for tomorrow. We going to come out fighting."

DJ LeMahieu drove in the second run for New York with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly later in the second.

Torres reached base three times overall and scored New York's fifth run in the eighth inning. The shortstop, who hit a one-out single and then stole second, easily scored on a two-out single by Kyle Higashioka.

Brandon Lowe's RBI groundout in the third inning, a play on which LeMahieu made a diving stop at second to get a forceout, accounted for Tampa Bay's run. Red-hot rookie Randy Arozarena was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

New York left-hander Jordan Montgomery shined in his first game since Sept. 24 and his postseason debut. He held the Rays to one run on three hits in four innings while working around three walks and striking out four in a 62-pitch outing.

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Yankees starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (47) throws against the Tampa Bay Rays during game four of the 2020 ALDS at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

"That's a big-time outing," Boone said of Montgomery. "We just needed him to give us a little bit. Obviously having not gone to the mound in a couple weeks, was hopeful he could get through two times through the lineup, but anything he could have given us there early, we were going to take.

"He goes out and has a really clean first inning, and then does a great job getting out of two jams. The one run limits them with the bases loaded in the third, and then in the fourth, a couple guys on and he gets out of it. Great job of setting the tone for us, giving us just what we needed to turn it over to the back end," Boone added.

Yankees reliever Chad Green (1-0) pitched two perfect innings, and Zack Britton got three strikeouts while recording the next five outs, getting lifted after fanning Yandy Diaz.

Aroldis Chapman recorded a four-out save in his first appearance of the series. He struck out Arozarena on three pitches to end the eighth after walking Lowe, then pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, ending the game with a strikeout of Mike Brosseau.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said his team had their chances.

"We had some opportunities. We got guys on base, but that big hit just eluded us for whatever reason," Cash said. "When he really needed to, it seemed like (Montgomery) had the ability to make some pitches. I actually thought our at-bats were pretty good. We just weren't able to capitalize on the baserunners we had."

Thompson allowed two runs and two hits in 1 2/3 innings. He threw 44 pitches and was lifted after LeMahieu's sacrifice fly.

Yarbrough allowed two runs on six hits in five innings.

--Field Level Media

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