The New York Yankees are able to take the series from the Tampa Bay Rays

The New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays by the score of 5-3 on Thursday night. The game took place at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx,NY. CC Sabathia started for the Yankees and was outstanding. He had it all working on this night. Rafael Soriano earned the save in the game as new closer David Robertson had worked two days in a row and thrown a lot of pitches. David Price started for the Rays and the Yankees were able to get to him. Robinson Cano had a strong game as he is coming out of his early season slump. Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson also had good games, Rodriguez also seems to be swinging the bat better. 
Sabathia pitched eight innings giving up two unearned runs and seven hits. He walked one and struck out ten. Sabathia got his fifth win of the season against no losses. Soriano pitched an inning giving up a hit and a run, it was his first save of the season. Price took the loss his second of the season, pitching seven innings and giving up 11 hits and five runs. He walked three and struck out four. Burke Badenhopp pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts.

Derek Jeter drew a walk, Nick Swisher had a hit and Robinson Cano had three hits and two RBI. Rodriguez had two hits, Mark Teixeira drew a walk and Granderson had a hit and an RBI. Andruw Jones had a hit and an RBI, Eduardo Nunez had two hits and drew a walk and Chris Stewart had a hit and an RBI. Rodriguez and Jones each had a double. Granderson and Cano each hit a homerun, the Yankees were 3-9 with runners in scoring position and they left eight men on base. Nunez had two stolen bases and also committed two errors. Swisher had an outfield assist.

Sean Rodriguez had two hits and an RBI for the Rays. Jeff Keppinger had a hit, Carlos Pena had a hit and an RBI and Elliott Johnson had two hits and drew a walk. Gimenez had two hits and Will Rhymes had an RBI. The Rays were 2-11 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. Johnson had a stolen base, Price and Rodriguez each committed an error.

In the first inning Pena had an RBI single giving the Rays a 1-0 lead. Rodriguez had an RBI single in the second to give the Rays a 2-0 lead. The runs came after Nunez committed errors which put them in position to score so they were unearned runs. In the bottom of the second Granderson hit a solo homerun and Stewart had an RBI single to tie the game at two. Cano hit a two run homerun in the fifth to break the tie and put the Yankees ahead 4-2. Jones hit an RBI double to make it 5-2. The Rays scored in the ninth on a Johnson single, stolen base and two groundouts to score him.

The Yankees took two out of three in this series and are tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for third place. The Rays are tied with the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the tough AL East. The Yankees saw their record improve to 17-14 and the Rays record dropped to 20-12. The Yankees will begin a three game series at home against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. Andy Pettitte will make his return on Sunday afternoon for the Yankees. It should be a fun and emotional weekend at the stadium. The Yankees are 2 ½ games behind the Rays and Orioles for first place.