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 Any way you put it, the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees
appeared destined to play deep into Tuesday morning the way the
zeros were lining up on the scoreboard through 8 1/2 innings at
Tropicana Field.
However, center fielder Ben Zobrist's RBI single to right field
broke up the scoreless tie in the bottom of the ninth inning and
sent the Rays to a 1-0, walk-off win over the Yankees.
"You've got to be thankful in those situations, any way you can get
them," Zobrist said. "I was just fortunate to come up in that
situation and be able to get it done this time."
Neither team was able to put together any sort of sustained
offensive attack before the game-winning rally. Entering the bottom
of the ninth, only one player for either team made it to third base
-- and that was in the second inning.
Rays starter Alex Colome shut down the Yankees for 6 2/3 innings,
and relievers Steve Geltz, Jeff Beliveau and Kirby Yates got the
Rays (73-78) to the ninth inning. Joel Peralta (3-4) pitched a
scoreless frame, capping off the Rays' 21st shutout this season and
setting up their walk-off rally.
Second baseman Logan Forsythe and first baseman James Loney recorded
back-to-back, one-out singles off reliever Shawn Kelley (3-6), and
pinch hitter Matt Joyce drew a walk with two outs. That brought up
Zobrist, who lined a 1-1 pitch to right field for his fifth career
walk-off hit.
Tampa Bay needed every bit of offense it could scrape together after
being held to only two hits over the first eight innings. New York
lefty Chris Capuano pitched six scoreless innings, and reliever Adam
Warren tossed two more before Kelley surrendered the winning run.
"Just didn't attack the zone, didn't do what I normally do," Kelley
said. "And you saw what happened. It cost me."
The Yankees (76-73) fell six games behind the Kansas City Royals in
the American League wild-card standings, their faint postseason
chances dimming even further. New York was officially eliminated
from the American League East race Monday, with the Baltimore
Orioles on the verge of clinching the division title.
"I feel like things have been slipping away for a few weeks,"
Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner said. "To be honest, I haven't
looked at the standings the last couple of days because at this
point they don't really matter. We've got to win every day."
Colome and Capuano went back and forth early on, trading zeros and
mostly silencing the opposing lineup.
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Colome was recalled Monday afternoon for his fifth big-league start
in his third stint with the Rays this season. He also could be used
out of the bullpen this month; he will be out of minor league
options next season.
Colome, considered Tampa Bay's No. 5 prospect before the season,
spent most of the season with Triple-A Durham, putting together a
7-6 record and 3.77 ERA in 86 innings over 15 starts.
On Monday, he pitched like a man trying to earn a job on the 2015
Rays.
"I have to be better than ever," Colome said. "But the only thing I
want is that they give me the ball, and I'll do what I can do."
Capuano, meanwhile, bounced back from an ugly outing against the
Rays on Wednesday, when he gave up four runs while recording only
one out.
"A loss is a loss, no matter how you lose them at this time,"
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It's not what you want, but we
have to respond."
NOTES: Yankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka (partially torn ulnar collateral
ligament) threw five scoreless innings in an instructional league
game at the Yankees' minor league complex in Tampa, Fla., on Monday
afternoon. He gave up six hits and struck out four. He could make
his next start for the Yankees this weekend, depending on how he
feels Tuesday. "It's a possibility," Yankees pitching coach Larry
Rothschild said. ... Along with RHP Alex Colome, Monday's starter,
the Rays recalled LHP C.J. Riefenhauser and promoted INF Nick
Franklin, who was part of the three-team trade that sent David Price
to the Tigers. Franklin will primarily play second base for the
Rays. ... Yankees SS Derek Jeter, entering his final series at
Tropicana Field amid an 0-for-24 skid, was given the day off Monday.
... Rays CF Ben Zobrist was 0-for-11 with the bases loaded this
season and in a 1-for-20 slump in such at-bats since the start of
2013 before he delivered in the ninth inning Monday.
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