Wilmer Font became the latest pitcher to slow down the New York Yankees.
Font worked into the sixth inning to get his first major league win Youth Mike Hughes Jersey , Willy Adames homered and the Tampa Bay Rays blanked the Yankees 4-0 Saturday.
Font (1-3) allowed three hits, one walk and struck out four over 5 2/3 innings. Four relievers completed a four-hitter.
”Just an awesome performance by him and the rest of the guys,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
The Rays have won the first two of a three-game series against the Yankees, who have the best record in the majors.
New York has scored just once in its last 25 innings.
”It’s amazing,” Font said. ”It’s the second win in a row for us. Perfect.”
Adames had an RBI single during a two-run second and added a solo homer in the seventh off Sonny Gray (5-5).
New York (50-24), coming off a three-game sweep over Seattle, is the only team in the big leagues that hasn’t dropped more than two straight games this year. This is the latest the Yankees have gone into a season without losing three in a row since August 1954.
”You do shrug it off,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. ”We also know you turn the page and really lock in. Come in with urgency and expect to get a `W.”’
Gray gave up four runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.
After Jake Bauers had a first-inning RBI double, Tampa Bay took a 3-0 lead in the second when Daniel Robertson hit a run-scoring double and scored on Adames’ single.
”Definitely uplifting,” Rays reliever Sergio Romo said. ”It’s something we can feed off of, most definitely.”
The Yankees had one hit in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position, including three unsuccessful tries in both the second and third innings.
New York was limited to five hits and went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position in a 2-1 loss Friday night.
”It’s been two games,” Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius said. ”So, I don’t think it’s really, like, a big deal.”
TANAKA TIME
Yankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka http://www.ravensauthorizedshops.com/authentic-robert-griffin-iii-jersey , on the 10-day disabled since June 9 with strained left and right hamstrings, will have his first bullpen session Sunday and may start a simulated game Friday. ”If you look back two weeks ago there was no way I would be able to move the way that I did today,” Tanaka said through a translator. ”It’s definitely better.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: RHP Chris Archer (left abdominal strain) felt great one day after a 20-pitch bullpen session and will take the mound again Monday. ”Highly encouraged,” said Archer, who could return around the All-Star break. … RHP Jake Faria (left oblique strain) threw 25 fastballs in his first mound session.
NUMBERS
Rays 1B C.J. Cron doubled in four at-bats and is 5 for his last 57. The other four hits were homers. . Tampa Bay CF Kevin Kiermaier is 1 for 16 in four games since coming back from right thumb surgery.
HOME COOKING
The Rays have given up one or fewer runs in four straight home games. It ties the team record set in 2008.
UP NEXT
Yankees: RHP Domingo German (2-4), Sunday’s starter, got his first major league win by beating Tampa Bay on June 14. He struck out 10 and allowed three earned runs over six innings.
Rays: LHP Blake Snell (9-4) had his scheduled start Sunday pushed back one day to Monday night against Washington. Cash said Snell could benefit from the extra day off given his recent workload. Tampa Bay will have RHP Matt Andriese (1-3) open a bullpen day Sunday.
Houston Astros catcher Brian McCann finally got to a point that something had to be done to try to fix his troublesome right knee.
McCann had arthroscopic surgery Tuesday after going on the disabled list for the second time this season, and the third time in less than a year, because of knee discomfort.
Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow told MLB.com and the Houston Chronicle during a 5-3 win at Texas that the team was optimistic that the surgery would resolve the issue that kept recurring. While not specific about the procedure or a timetable, the GM said he’d expect McCann back in September to get ready for October.
Manager A.J. Hinch said before the Astros’ 5-3 win at Texas that he and McCann had a long conversation about the knee problems when the team played in Tampa last weekend.
”It’s just continually the same issue over and over with his right knee,” Hinch said. ”One of the options is surgery, and he went back to Houston to take care of it.”
Catcher Tim Federowicz, who made two starts earlier this season when McCann was on the DL, was promoted from Triple-A Fresno.
Max Stassi was the Astros’ starting catcher Tuesday night against the Rangers. Hinch said Stassi would get the bulk of the catching during McCann’s absence.
But Stassi never got behind the plate against the Rangers. He was hit by a pitch on his right (throwing) wrist while batting in the first inning. He stayed in the game to run, but Federowicz went to catch when the Astros took the field.
X-rays were negative, but Stassi has a bruised wrist and was considered day to day.
Shortstop Carlos Correa http://www.panthersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-ian-thomas-jersey , who has been out since June 26 because of lower back soreness, also was back in Houston. He is eligible to come off the DL as early as Friday, though Hinch wasn’t sure if Correa would be ready to play then.
”He’s been reporting to Minute Maid (Park) every day and working with our people there,” Hinch said. ”The good news is that everything has been a step forward. The uncertainty is still we haven’t done any baseball activities yet, so we don’t know how that’s going to impact his timeline until we get home.”
McCann missed nine games during his first DL stint this season before being activated June 8, the last time Houston played at the Rangers.
He was also on the DL for 11 days last August because of right knee soreness before the Astros went on to win their first World Series title. McCann played in all seven World Series games.
His latest DL move was retroactive to Monday, a day off for Houston.
McCann has hit .206 with five homers and 17 RBIs in 50 games this season. He was in a 1-for-26 slump before going on the DL for the first time this season on May 29. He hit .171 (7-of-41) with one homer and three RBIs in his 13 games in June after returning from the DL.
Stassi has hit .255 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in 49 games for the Astros. Federowicz hit .328 with six homers and 22 RBIs in 38 games at Fresno.
”I have a lot of confidence in Stassi and Fed, both with major league time,” Hinch said. ”They’re comfortable, they know our pitchers, they know our program, our preparation, all things that make me feel really good about going into each particular game.”