The Tampa Bay Rays get out of the Bronx with a split of the four-game set by beating Gerrit Cole and the Yankees 9-2 on Thursday at Yankee Stadium, and made a little team history in the process.
Ryan Yarbrough picked up his first win as a starter since 2019 in the most unlikely of ways, throwing a complete game, the first in 731 games for the Rays, stretching back to 2016. The last Tampa Bay pitcher to do so was Matt Andriese against the Oakland A's on May 14, 2016
Yarbrough snuffed Yankee bats when they threatened with runners at second and third with no one out in the fourth and the Yankees trailing 2-1 after the Rays took that lead on an Austin Meadows two-run homer off Cole in the top of that inning.
Conversely, Cole could not hold back the Rays in the top of the fifth under similar circumstances. Brandon Lowe, who had walked prior to Meadows' homer in the third, hit a two-out single to drive in Mike Zunino, who also walked to lead off the inning after fighting back from an 0-2 count. Yandy Diaz then provided the dagger, driving in two with another single off Cole, giving the Rays a 5-1 lead.
Tampa Bay added four more off Yankees reliever Nick Nelson in their half of the seventh, highlighted by a bases-clearing double for Meadows, who went 2-for-5, driving in a career-high five runs.
The Rays now head to Texas to face the Rangers, game time 8:10 p.m. You can hear all the action here on 95.3 WDAE!
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