ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A trip that started scary for the Yankees ended its first game about as well as it could.
The Yankees’ experienced a COVID-19 outbreak in their coaching staff before holding off the hated Rays for a 3-1 win at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night.
With third base coach Phil Nevin as the only confirmed positive test, first base coach Reggie Willits and pitching coach Matt Blake were also absent.
But Jordan Montgomery turned in perhaps his best start of the year, Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez homered, and the bullpen held it together as the Yankees won their third straight and eighth out of their last 10. They improved to 19-16. Tampa Bay fell to 19-18.
The Yankees entered the night 1-5 vs. the Rays and 17-11 vs. the rest of the league. Tampa Bay had swept them in three games in their last meeting in April.
The victory came at the start of a 10 games in 10 days across three cities road trip.
It almost got interesting in the ninth inning. Close Aroldis Chapman surrendered a soft liner that bounced in front of shortstop Gleyber Torres, who booted it. That put Austin Meadows on first base with no outs. But Meadows made a huge mistake, running on a Chapman wild pitch that bounced back to catcher Gary Sanchez. Sanchez threw Meadows out by a hair at second base.
Trainers also checked on Chapman but he stayed in the game.
First baseman Luke Voit (meniscus surgery) played for the first time this season. He hit several balls hard, including nearly homering in the seventh, but went hitless in four at-bats. Gio Urshela (knee soreness) also returned after missing three games but returned and had a hit.
Montgomery gave up just a run in six innings, striking out nine while giving up just a walk and two hits. Jonathan Loaisiga pitched two scoreless frames in relief of the left-hander.
The Yankees were ahead 2-0 through three innings. Aaron Judge crushed a solo shot to center field with two outs in the first inning before calamity in the third. DJ LeMahieu struck a one-out groundball single, which Giancarlo Stanton followed with a walk.
Then Mike Zunino dropped a pair of pitches, each scooting far away from him. LeMahieu scored on the second one as it trickled to the backstop.
Montgomery faced little trouble all night.
He sat down the first six batters he saw before Mike Zunino crushed a 471-foot homer to center field off him in the third to cut the Yankees’ lead 2-1. Manuel Margo led off the fourth with a double and he walked Yandy Diaz with one out but got out of it with a strikeout a grounder. Montgomery also retired the last eight batters he faced.
Sanchez’s homer came after a bit of uncertainty at the plate. With a 1-0 count, he appeared to think plate umpire Gabe Morales granted him a time out. Sanchez watched from outside the batter’s box as Rays reliever Josh Fleming threw another ball. Baffled, Sanchez made sure to hold out his hand and look at Morales as he asked for time out going into the next pitch. Then he crushed a low and outside sinker well beyond the seats in right field for a 3-1 Yankees lead and his fourth homer of the season.
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Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
