New York Yankees Defeat Tampa Bay Rays 3-2

Mood Music - Break On Through by The Doors

In a day dominated by the start of March Madness, there was also New York Yankees baseball, with the Yankees hosting the Tampa Bay Rays. While there was no TV coverage of the game, and so all of my descriptions will be thoroughly second hand, I will do my best to recount the action.

Phil Hughes got the start for the Yankees and went 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, striking out 3 and walking 1. While he was again victimized by a home run (off the bat of John Jaso), Hughes was pretty solid and settled down in the later innings. After Hughes, the Yankees pieced together the final three frames using mainly guile. 

Boone Logan again looked lost against right handed batters, giving up a long double to B.J. Upton, but managed to escape without giving up a run. Romulo Sanchez walked the bases loaded with two outs before being bailed out by Steve Garrison. Finally, Luis Ayala, who has been pleasantly surprising, pitched a clean 9th inning.

Offensively, the Yankees only managed three hits, but they made them count, with two home runs (Alex Rodriguez, Nick Swisher) and a triple (Curtis Granderson). A-Rod's home run came in the second inning over the batter's eye in center field, while Swisher's was a two run shot in the 7th inning and the eventual game winner.

Jesus Montero caught all nine innings for the Yankees and looked very solid behind the plate. He blocked some tough pitches in the dirt, and caught one out of three potential base thieves. After gunning down Johnny Damon, Montero did not throw to second on the next attempt (there was a speedy runner on the third, so he didn't throw through), and delivered a strike to second base on the final attempt, but the runner avoided the tag.

The Yankees will take on the Toronto Blue Jays tomorrow at 1:05.