Rays 3, Yankees 1
NEW YORK -- James Loney had three hits, including a tie-breaking two-run single with two outs in the top of the seventh inning, as the Tampa Bay Rays salvaged a split of their four-game series at Yankee Stadium with a 3-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday.
Loney had his three hits after hitting into an inning-ending double play in the first after Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead on Ben Zobrist's RBI single.
The Rays struggled to put together much of anything against Ivan Nova (2-2) until the seventh when Desmond Jennings and Zobrist were hit by pitches.
After Shawn Kelley loaded the bases by walking Evan Longoria, left-handed reliever Boone Logan came on to face the left-handed-hitting Loney.
Loney looked at a hanging slider for a called strike. After swinging and missing the pitch for a 1-2 count, he lined a two-run single over the head of shortstop Jayson Nix. That was one of two hits the Rays had in 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
The hit spoiled the return of Nova, who allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings during his first start in nearly two months. He struck out six of seven hitters with his curveball while getting 12 outs on the pitch, including an inning-ending double play by Jose Molina in the sixth.
Chris Archer (2-3) picked up the win for Tampa Bay, allowing one run on Robinson Cano's sacrifice fly in the first inning and six hits over six innings. Jake McGee pitched a scoreless seventh that included a rematch with pinch hitter Vernon Wells.
A day after Wells saw five fastballs and hit a bases-clearing double, McGee threw him a first-pitch slider and Wells flied out to the warning track in left field.
Joel Peralta recorded three fly ball outs in the eighth against the middle of the Yankee lineup, and Fernando Rodney struck out the side in the ninth for his 15th save in 20 opportunities.
NOTES: The Yankees held their 67th Old-Timers Day before the game, with approximately 50 former players in attendance, including Hall of Famers Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Goose Gossage, Rickey Henderson and Reggie Jackson. Other notable attendees included Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neill, David Cone and Orlando Hernandez from the 1996-2000 championship teams as well as former second baseman and Mets manager Willie Randolph ... Tampa Bay LHP David Price threw a bullpen session Sunday at Tropicana Field in preparation for his second rehab start Wednesday for Class A Port Charlotte. ... New York optioned OF Thomas Neal to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room for Nova.
