A-Rod, Beltran Go Deep, Tanaka Magnificent in Win

The Yankees had built a 1-0 lead in the sixth when Alex Rodriguez came up with a runner on first. Rays’ starter Chris Archer delivered a fastball right down the middle that the 40-year-old turned on. It was a no-doubt home run off the bat, his sixth of the year. Given all the pregame discussion about whether or not the team still needed him, it felt like one of those typical A-Rod moments– like the famous home run in Baltimore in 2009– where the drama finds him and he makes the most of it.

The two-run blast wound up being all the offense the Yankees would need in a 4-1 win Friday night in Tampa Bay, thanks to the gem thrown by Masahiro Tanaka.

The Yankees were 14-7 without Rodriguez, and Joe Girardi was peppered with questions prior to Friday’s win about whether or not it was best for A-Rod to be playing regularly. Carlos Beltran helped carry the team as its DH while Rodriguez was on the disabled list.

“This team was built, when we started this year, for Alex to DH and Carlos to play right field,” Girardi said, via Newsday. “Alex was swinging the bat really well before he got hurt and I think it’s way too quick to abandon what we were seeing.”

Tanaka allowed just two hits in seven scoreless innings on 82 pitches. He walked none and struck out four. He was perfect through four innings, until finally surrendering a single to Steve Pearce, who advanced to second on a wild pitch, in the fifth. Tanaka, in a bit of jam, helped himself out with a nifty play to tag Pearce out between second and third off a comebacker. Two batters later, with a runner on second, Brett Gardner made a jumping grab at the wall to end the only threat the Rays could muster against the Yankee ace.

Tanaka improved to 3-0 and lowered his ERA to 2.89. He’s gone seven innings in two consecutive starts, allowing just one run combined.

Archer, who’s off to an uncharacteristically bad start this year, was mostly in control through eight innings, but was done in by a bad sixth. Gardner walked and advanced to third on a pickoff attempt gone wrong. Beltran reached on an error and Brian McCann‘s fielder’s choice allowed Gardner to score. Then came the A-Rod homer.

Beltran added a solo shot of his own in the eighth a day after going 0-for-4, adding a bit more irony to the pregame chatter. It was his team-leading 11th home run of the year.

With two outs in the ninth, Kirby Yates allowed a home run to Pearce. Joe Girardi went to Aroldis Chapman to record the final out and secure the win.

The Yankees and Rays will play the second of three on Saturday afternoon at 4:10. Michael Pineda (2-5, 6.34 ERA) and Matt Moore (1-3, 5.47 ERA) are the scheduled starters.