The Yankees are doing what they have to do: Beat the good teams. Last night was the middle game of a home series with the Tampa Bay Rays, and when the outcome was still in doubt, they took care of business.
Nestor Cortes started, and allowed just 1 hit and 2 walks over the 1st 5 innings. And he got the support he needed, from another home run by Aaron Judge (his 25th on the season), and another home run by Kyle Higashioka (his 3rd on the season, and also his 3rd on the week). He had a 4-0 lead.
But he fell apart in the top of the 6th, and Wandy Peralta was brought in to stop the bleeding, which he did, after only 1 run had been allowed. Peralta also pitched a scoreless 7th. In the 8th, Aaron Boone brought Miguel Castro in to pitch, and after getting the 1st 2 outs, he allowed a double and hit a batter. Boone brought in Lucas Luetge, and he allowed back-to-back RBI singles, before getting a flyout to end the threat 1 run shy of tying it.
Clay Holmes allowed a leadoff single in the 9th, but got the next 3 batters to end it. Yankees 4, Rays 3. WP: Cortes (6-2). SV: Holmes (11). LP: Shana McClanahan (7-3). That's 6 in a row, 13 of the last 14, and 46-16 on the season, a 120-win pace.
The win puts the Yankees 11 games ahead of the Rays in the American League Eastern Division. The Toronto Blue Jays won last night, so they remain 9 games back.
The series concludes tonight. Clarke Schmidt starts for the Yankees, Jalen Beeks for the Rays.