NEW YORK — When the Rays were last at Yankee Stadium for a mid-June series, they pitched very well, didn’t hit much and lost all three games.
Monday night, they pitched very well, didn’t hit much and won the opener of a three-game series, 4-0.
Isaac Paredes knocked in David Peralta after a fourth-inning leadoff triple to give the Rays a 1-0 lead, and they carried that into the ninth, then tacked on three more. A big part in getting them there were relievers Ryan Yarbrough and Ryan Thompson getting huge outs in key situations.
While the Yankees have been struggling mightily, losing 21 of their last 32 games, they still have a healthy American League East lead at 72-44 and are likely to win the division.
The Rays are immersed in a six-team battle for the three AL wild-card spots, so every game matters immensely. Monday was their third straight win and seventh in 11 games after a 3-8 start after the All-Star break, and improved them to 61-53.
The Rays took the lead in the fourth, with a big assist from Yankees centerfielder Aaron Hicks, who had a bad night overall.
Peralta drove a fly ball to deep centerfield that Hicks misplayed badly from the start, going back, turning to his left, then to his right, then lunging awkwardly. Peralta ended up on third, and Paredes quickly scored him with a single to left off Yankees starter Gerrit Cole.
Yarbrough, who took over after a two-inning opener stint by Jalen Beeks, worked four solid innings (allowing three hits) and held the lead.
He got a couple of big assists from catcher Francisco Mejia in what could have been a messy home fourth.
Miguel Andujar led off with a single, and Yarbrough mishandled and kicked Andrew Benintendi’s sac bunt, putting two Yankees on with no outs. Catcher Jose Trevino followed with another bunt, and Mejia made a strong play in grabbing the ball and firing to third to get the lead runner out.
After Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled to load the bases, Hicks hit a comebacker that Yarbrough fielded and threw home, and Mejia made another strong throw to first to complete the inning-ending double play.
Thompson worked a quick seventh for the Rays, then came back to start the eighth. He allowed a leadoff single to Gleyber Torres, then facing Aaron Judge — with much of the crowd of 41,192 chanting “MVP, MVP” — got a double-play grounder. Brooks Raley finished the eighth, and Jason Adam worked the ninth.
The Rays added three runs, all with two outs, in a messy ninth inning by Yankees pitchers. With two on via walk and two outs, Jose Siri delivered an RBI single to make it 2-0. Mejia was hit by a pitch to load the bases, then Yandy Diaz, whose two hits Monday were one fewer than his total for the previous nine games, singled in two more.
Yarbough got his first win since Sept. 24, 2021, with 14 appearances (eight starts) in between.
