The Yankees cruise to victory with another well pitched game

The New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays by the score of 4-1 on Wednesday night. Ivan Nova started for the Yankees and pitched really well. Rafael Soriano closed it out for the Yankees. The Yankees offense produced a couple of homeruns and not one player had more then a hit. Alex Cobb started for the Rays and pitched ok. Desmond Jennings had half of the hits for the Rays, they only managed four in the game. 
Nova pitched 8+ innings giving up one run on four hits. He walked one and struck out five. Nova earned his seventh victory of the season. He tried to complete his first game of his career but couldn’t do so. Rafael Soriano came on and pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout. Soriano earned his eighth save in as many chances. Cobb lost his second game of the season pitching seven innings and giving up five hits and four runs. He walked one and struck out four. Badenhopp pitched to two batters and retired them both and J.P. Howell faced one batter and retired him.

Alex Rodriguez drew a walk, Robinson Cano had a hit and an RBI and Mark Teixeira had a hit and an RBI. Raul Ibanez had a hit, Nick Swisher had a hit and an RBI and Eric Chavez had a hit and an RBI. Swisher and Chavez each had a double and Cano and Teixeira each hit a homerun. The Yankees were 1-4 with runners in scoring position and left one man on base.

Jennings had two hits, B.J. Upton had a hit and an RBI and Matt Joyce drew a walk. Sean Rodriguez had a hit which was a double. Jennings and Upton each had a triple and the Rays were 1-7 with runners in scoring position and they left four men on base.

In the second inning Teixeira hit a solo homerun giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead. Cano hit a solo homerun in the fourth to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead. The Yankees in the eighth inning expanded their lead on back-to-back RBI doubles by Swisher and Chavez. It was 4-0 and the Rays scored their only run in the ninth inning on back-to-back triples by Jennings and Upton who had the RBI.

The Yankees have won the first two games of this three game series. The Yankees have moved ahead of the Rays in the standings and in a tie with Baltimore for first in the loss column. The Orioles still remain ½ a game ahead overall. The Yankees have now won three games in a row and ten of their last 13. Their record improved to 31-24 and the Rays to 31-25. The two teams will play the third and final game of the series on Thursday night. The Yankees will then remain home to play the New York Mets in the first game of the Subway Series on Friday night.