Against what could only be described as the Yankees’ B-Team, it looked like a special night was brewing right away for the Rays’ ace Blake Snell. Masahiro Tanaka, meanwhile, appeared to have a tougher test against a potent and healthy Rays offense. Yet it was Tanaka who prevailed when all was said and done, leading his Yankees to a 7-1 win over the first-place Rays and their third consecutive series victory.
Snellzilla absolutely terrorized the Bombers’ bats in the early going. Whether he was serving up 97 mph fastballs that took off above the zone or devastating curveballs that plummeted down below it, the Yankees simply had no answer for the reigning AL Cy Young, who was perfect through three innings after taking a perfect game into sixth in his last outing.