Randy Arozarena homered again and Richie Palacios hit his first career home run to lead off a game as the Tampa Bay Rays went deep four times for the second straight day in a 6-4 victory over the host New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon.
Jose Siri added a two-run homer in the seventh and Jose Caballero contributed a solo shot in the ninth for the Rays, who have hit 41 of their 95 homers this season in the past 28 games.
The Rays, who improved to 17-11 in those 28 games, beat the Yankees for the fourth time in the past six meetings with their American League East rivals.
A Brooklyn native, Palacios opened the game by hitting a full-count cutter from New York starter Marcus Stroman (7-5) into the right field seats.
Arozarena hit his fifth homer against the Yankees this season, driving a 1-2 slider into the left-center-field seats in the fourth inning. Following Arozarena’s 420-foot blast, New York second baseman Gleyber Torres made an error to allow Josh Lowe to reach base, and after Lowe stole second, Caballero singled him in for a 3-0 lead.
Siri homered off Jake Cousins in the seventh, but Aaron Judge hit a three-run blast in the bottom of the inning for the Yankees. Judge leads the majors with 35 homers.
Juan Soto hit an RBI double in the ninth as the Yankees lost for the 20th time in 29 games since getting to 50 wins on June 14.
Tampa Bay starter Shane Baz escaped bases-loaded jams in the first two innings and went 3 1/3 shutout innings, despite allowing four hits and five walks.
Baz allowed singles to Soto and Judge before walking Austin Wells to load the bases in the first inning, but he escaped by retiring Torres and Alex Verdugo. He issued a one-out walk to rookie Ben Rice to load the bases in the second and fell behind 3-0 to Soto before getting him to ground into a double play on the next pitch.
Baz opened the fourth by walking Anthony Volpe and Trent Grisham and was lifted after fanning Oswaldo Cabrera.
Garrett Cleavinger (6-2), Manuel Rodriguez and Colin Poche combined for 2 2/3 hitless innings before Jason Adam allowed Judge’s homer.
Edwin Uceta pitched a perfect eighth, and Pete Fairbanks earned his 18th save after walking Rice, allowing Soto’s RBI double and balking the slugger to third.
Stroman allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.
–Field Level Media
