Solarte Leads Way As Yankees Pound Rays For Fifth Straight Win

Apr 17, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Yangervis Solarte (26) is congratulated by designated hitter Alfonso Soriano (12) and teammates in the dugout after they completed a triple play during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Yes it’s halfway through the first month of the season, and he may yet turn into a pumpkin, but the Yankees signing of Yangervis Solarte has payed some serious dividends so far. Tonight is a night he’ll remember forever, as he hit his first major league homer and helped start a triple play as the Yankees beat the Rays 10-2 for their fifth straight victory.

The Yankees got to David Price early and often. Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a single. Derek Jeter walked. Three batters later Brian McCann singled in Ellsbury to make it 1-0.  The real beat down began in the second. Scott Sizemore led off with a single. Brian Roberts and Ellsbury each tripled to make it 3-0. Jeter followed with an RBI single to make it 4-0. Logan Forsythe scored on a passed ball to make it 4-1, but that’s the closest the Rays got.

In the fifth, Alfonso Soriano and McCann went back to back to make it 6-1. Ellsbury would add a run on a sac fly in the sixth to make it 7-1.

Roberts would drive in a run in the seventh on a single and Solarte added his first homer of his career in the ninth.

The Rays second run came on a Sean Rodriguez homer off CC Sabathia in the seventh.

Game two of the series is tomorrow night at 7:10. Hiroki Kuroda will face Erik Bedard.