Yankees 11, Rays 5: Gary Sanchez hits another two home runs

If it weren’t for Gary Sanchez, the main story of this game might have been Brian McCann’s four hits. If it weren’t for Gary Sanchez, the story might be the four home runs given up by Masahiro Tanaka. However, Gary Sanchez exists and once again he is the story.

Sanchez hit another two home runs, taking his total to 19 for the year, and driving in five runs in total. Sanchez’s display carried the Yankees to a 11-5 win over the Rays.

The game couldn’t have started much better for the Yankees. After Brett Gardner singled, Jacoby Ellsbury walked to put two on with nobody out for Sanchez. It wasn’t a monstrous home run (those were coming though), but Sanchez’s dribbler up the middle was enough to score a run. McCann then singled, plating another run. After Alex Cobb got the next two outs, Ronald Torreyes added another RBI single. The inning ended with the Yankees up 3-0.

In the second inning, the Yankees again put their first two hitters on. Donovan Solano and Gardner both reached on singles before Ellsbury grounded out. He didn’t dinger in his first at bat, but in the second, Sanchez homered to left. That made it 6-0 Yankees.

After McCann singled, Mark Teixeira hit a turf/Jaff Decker-assisted double, knocking Cobb out of the game. The runs didn’t stop there however, as Didi Gregorius plated McCann with a sacrifice fly. By the time the inning ended, it was 7-0.

The Rays got right back in it in the third thanks to some dingers. Bobby Wilson led off the inning with a home run, getting the Rays on the board. After Tanaka got the next two outs, Evan Longoria, Brad Miller, and Corey Dickerson then went back-to-back-to-back off Tanaka. Suddenly, it was 7-4.

In the top of the sixth, Sanchez was due back up. After the first two hitters went down, Sanchez hit his second home run of the day. He is good.

Adam Warren came in to start the seventh inning, ending Tanaka’s day. Other than the third inning, it was a decent day for Tanaka, but that third inning happened, and it was not very good. He bounced back after that inning, though. In the end, he went six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks with five strike outs.

In the top of the eighth, Sanchez walked, which was boring. In the bottom of the eighth, Warren got one out before allowing a solo home run to Miller, causing him to get pulled. Tommy Layne and Tyler Clippard then combined to finish off the eighth inning.

The Yankees got some insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Didi Gregorius reached after beating out a grounder on an infield single. After a Torreyes ground out moved Gregorius to second, Mason Williams singled home a run. Solano then gave the Yankees a decent cushion when he picked up a two-run home run.

The runs in the ninth allowed the Yankees to not have to use Dellin Betances. Jonathan Holder finished off the game in the ninth, and the Yankees won 11-5.

The Yankees/Gary Sanchez will go for a sweep tomorrow, sending Luis Cessa to the mound.

Box score.