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Yankees stop Rays to take series at Citi Field – Metro US

Yankees stop Rays to take series at Citi Field

Yankees stop Rays to take series at Citi Field

Maybe the New York Yankees should look into playing at Citi Field more often.

The Bronx Bombers took down the displaced Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon to take two-of-three games in the series that was moved to the Mets’ home in Queens because of Hurricane Irma.

All three of their runs were scored in the second inning thanks to a pair of singles from Todd Frazier and Brett Gardner.

Gardner’s single was a two-run knock, scoring Jacoby Ellsbury and Frazier, who had singled home Starlin Castro in the at-bat before.

The Yankees received a solid effort from pitcher Jaime Garcia, who was making his first start since Aug. 30. However, it might have been a little shorter than he wanted.

Going 4.2 innings, Garcia allowed one run on five hits while striking out four before he was pulled. He was one out short of qualifying for the win when manager Joe Girardi yanked him.

Garcia appeared to say something to Girardi while he left the mound and the two had a discussion in the dugout shortly after.

In stepped reliever Chad Green, who kept the Rays at bay.  He, Tommy Kahnle and Dellin Betances combined to limit the Rays to just three hits over three innings.

But Betances was pulled after allowing a single to Evan Longoria for Aroldis Chapman, who has been unable to find his groove this season.

With two outs in the inning, Chapman walked Steven Souza Jr., the first man he faced, and allowed a single to Adeiny Hechavarria that drove home Longoria to cut the Yankees’ lead down to one.

New York had a golden opportunity to add some insurance when a pair of singles put runners on the corners in the top of the ninth with no outs, but it came up empty to make the last half inning uneasy.

Especially when Chapman walked Curt Casali to start the inning. The fireballer bore down though to strike out the next three batters to snuff out any kind of Rays comeback.

While the series relocation to Queens was an unexpected one, the Yankees finished off a successful 2017 schedule at the venue.

Of five games they played at Citi Field this year, the Yankees won four including a two-game sweep of the Mets on Aug. 16-17.