New York Yankees even their series with the Tampa Bay Rays with a shutout

The New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.  The game took place at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida and the final score was 5-0.  CC Sabathia started for the Yankees and he pitched five strong innings.  He was helped by some really good defense.  The bullpen also pitched well.  Jacoby Ellsbury and Chase Headley led the offense with a couple of hits each. 

Sabathia pitched five shutout innings giving up three hits.  He walked two and struck out two and won his first game of the season.  Bryan Mitchell pitched a perfect inning, Tyler Clippard pitched a perfect inning with a couple of strikeouts and Jonathan Holder pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up two hits and he struck out one.  Dellin Betances pitched 2/3 of an inning with a walk and a strikeout and Aroldis Chapman pitched a perfect inning with a couple of strikeouts. 

Jake Odorizzi started for the Rays and he pitched six innings giving up seven hits and four runs with two walks and four strikeouts.  Odorizzi took his first loss of the season, Jumbo Diaz pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout, Austin Pruitt pitched an inning giving up two hits and a run and Tommy Hunter pitched an inning giving up a walk. 

Brett Gardner had a hit and drew a walk, Greg Bird had a hit and drew a walk and Matt Holliday had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk.  Ellsbury had two hits, Headley had two hits and two RBI and Aaron Judge had a hit.  Ronald Torreyes had a hit and two RBI, Gardner, Holliday, Bird and Ellsbury each hit a double.  Torreyes and Headley each hit a homerun and the Yankees were 3-9 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.  Headley had a stolen base. 

Steven Souza Jr. had two hits, Kevin Kiermaier had a hit and Evan Longoria had a hit and drew two walks.  Tim Beckham had a hit, Peter Bourjos drew a walk and the Rays were 0-4 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. 

In the third Torreyes hit a two-run homerun giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead.  Holliday hit an RBI double and it was 3-0 Yankees.  In the sixth Headley hit a solo homerun to push the lead to 4-0 and in the eighth Headley hit an RBI single to extend the lead to 5-0 which would be the final score. 

The two teams will play the rubber game of the series on Wednesday night.  Michael Pineda will go for the Yankees and Alex Cobb will go for the Rays.  The Yankees will have an off day on Thursday and then play a three game weekend series beginning Friday night in Baltimore.