Chirinos was good, but Tanaka was better./JEFFREY S. KING
Tuesday, 4 a.m.
It was such a big game. Why, then, did the Tampa Bay Rays have such little bats?
The Rays barely offered any competition to the New York Yankees Monday night, losing their battle-for-first-place game to New York 3-0. Tampa Bay managed just two hits and a walk, offering little opposition to the pitching of Masahiro Tanaka, who threw a complete game against them.
For the Rays, it was yet another argument of how this team has struggled against the upper echelon of opponents this season. The Yankees are now 5-2 against Tampa Bay this season.
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Meadows had a single and a walk for the Rays./TIM WIRT
Yonny Chirinos pitched well for the Rays, giving up only home run shots by D.J. LeMahieu and Cameron Maybin. But he wasn't close to Tanaka's performance.
“I thought he (Chirinos) was really good again," said Rays' manager Kevin Cash. "He did give up the two home runs. Obviously, that was all the offense from both sides. But Yonny had a really nice effort. I thought everything went well. Our bats were quiet. We were really quiet. You’ve got to tip your hat to Tanaka. He was really really tough with a complete game shutout."
The Rays managed only singles by Austin Meadows and Willy Adames.
The Rays play the Yankees again tonight at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium. Ryan Stanek will start for the Rays against New York's J.A. Happ.
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