Rays 8, Yankees 3
NEW YORK -- Matt Moore pitched 6 1/3 innings for his first win in nearly three weeks as the Tampa Bay Rays opened a four-game series at Yankee Stadium with an 8-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday night.
Evan Longoria hit two solo home runs and drove in three runs for Tampa Bay, which won for the fourth time in its last 12 games. Desmond Jennings had three hits, and Yunel Escobar also homered for the Rays.
Moore (9-3) allowed three runs -- all in the sixth -- and gave up four hits while winning for the first time since May 31. He had been 0-3 with a 13.86 ERA in his previous three starts but at times resembled the pitcher who was 8-0 with a 2.29 ERA in his first 11 outings.
The Yankees' sixth-inning rally included a potential game-changing at-bat by Robinson Cano with the bases loaded, no outs and Tampa Bay leading 4-0.
On the second pitch, Moore bounced a curveball in the dirt, allowing Reid Brignac to score on a wild pitch as the other runners advanced. The encounter ended on the seventh pitch when Cano lifted a fastball to deep center field for a sacrifice fly after fouling off two changeups.
Moore gave up the third run on Travis Hafner's groundout to shortstop Yunel Escobar, who was shifted to the right of second base. Vernon Wells grounded back to Moore on the next pitch to end the inning.
Moore's night ended after allowing a one-out double to Lyle Overbay in the seventh. Jake McGee ended the seventh with a pair of groundouts, Jamey Wright pitched a scoreless eighth, and Kyle Farnsworth finished up.
Andy Pettitte (5-5) dropped his second straight start after winning his 250th career, allowing five runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings. He was lifted after allowing an RBI double to Sean Rodriguez that gave Tampa Bay a 5-3 lead.
Tampa Bay jumped on top in the first inning. Wil Myers lined a single up the middle, took second on a base hit by Yunel Escobar, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Jose Loboton's sacrifice fly to shallow right field.
The Rays scored twice in the third, capitalizing on an error by center fielder Brett Gardner, who allowed a Desmond Jennings single to elude his glove. Jennings scored Tampa Bay's second run on a Ben Zobrist single, and Longoria lifted a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.
NOTES: On a fourth-inning strikeout, Cano seemed to forget there were only two outs, as he began to put his helmet on the ground. ... LHP David Price is scheduled to make his first rehab start Friday for Class A Charlotte (Port Charlotte, Fla.). Price has been on the disabled list since May 16 with a left triceps strain. ... New York 3B Kevin Youkilis underwent surgery two days after the Yankees announced he would be out 10 to 12 weeks with a herniated disk in his back. According to a statement released by the team, Youkilis had a microscopic lumbar discectomy procedure performed by Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles. ... The Rays played in their 2,500th game. ... Dave Miley of the Yankees' Scranton/Wilkes-Barre affiliate was selected the manager for the International League team at the Triple-A All-Star game.
