The Yankees take the first game of their series with the Tampa Bay Rays

The New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays by the score of 5-3 on Tuesday night. The game took place in the Bronx,NY at Yankee Stadium. Ivan Nova started for the Yankees and pitched very well. The Yankees new tandem of Rafael Soriano and David Robertson were able to close the game out. Raul Ibanez led the Yankees offense. James Shields started for the Rays and lost his first game of the season. 
Nova pitched seven innings giving up two runs on six hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. He improved his record to 4-1 on the season and hopes this will start a new winning streak. Rafael Soriano pitched an inning giving up a hit and a run with a walk and he struck out the side and Robertson earned his first save of the season pitching an inning and giving up a hit and two walks. He did strike out two batters. It was the Yankees first save situation since Mariano Rivera went down with a season ending injury. Robertson made it interesting but he got the job done. Shields pitched six innings giving up three runs on four hits. He walked three and struck out four. Burke Badenhop pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up two hits and a run, Jake McGee pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit and a run and striking out one and Joel Peralta pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit.

Derek Jeter had a hit, Curtis Granderson had a hit and an RBI and Alex Rodriguez had a hit and drew a walk. Robinson Cano had a hit and drew a walk, Mark Teixeira had a hit, RBI and drew a walk and Ibanez had two hits and three RBI. Eduardo Nunez had a hit, Cano and Teixeira each had a double. Ibanez hit two homeruns and Granderson had a homerun. The Yankees were 1-9 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.

Ben Zobrist had two hits and drew two walks for the Rays. Matt Joyce drew a walk, Luke Scott had a hit and an RBI and Jeff Keppinger had a hit and drew a walk. Will Rhymes had two hits and drew a walk, Sean Rodriguez had a hit and Jose Molina had a hit and an RBI. Rhymes had a double and Zobrist had a triple. Molina and Scott each hit a homerun. The Rays were 0-7 with runners in scoring position and they left eight men on base. Zobrist was caught stealing and Upton committed an error.

The Yankees got on the board first in the fourth inning on an Ibanez two run homerun. Granderson would make it 3-0 with a solo homerun in the fifth inning. The Rays would score their first run of the game in the sixth on a Molina solo homerun. In the seventh the Rays cut the lead to 3-2 on a Scott solo homerun. The Yankees got the run back in the bottom of the seventh on a Ibanez solo homerun. In the eighth the Rays would cut the lead to one again on a wild pitch by Soriano after he gave up a leadoff triple but came back to strike out the next two guys. It was a 4-3 game. The Yankees would get that run back in the bottom of the inning on a Teixeira RBI double. In the ninth Robertson got the first out but then walked Rhymes, Rodriguez singled and after a strikeout he walked Zobrist. The bases were loaded and he struck out Pena to end the game. It was a little different then having Mariano Rivera out there that is for sure.

The Yankees improved their record to 16-13 as they won their second game in a row. The Rays record fell to 18-11 and they are tied for first place with the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees are 2 ½ games back tied with the Toronto Blue Jays. The two teams will play the second game of their three game series on Wednesday night weather permitting. The two teams will complete their series on Thursday night.