Yarbrough had a masterpiece on Sunday./JEFFREY S. KING
Monday, 4 a.m.
For Ryan Yarbrough, it could have been better.
He could have gone one more out. He could have given up less than three hits. He could have struck out more than eight batters.
All in all, however, the Rays will take it.
Yarbrough, who has now won as many games in the last two seasons as Blake Snell (27), made a single run stand up Sunday afternoon in a 1-0 victory over Seattle. He gave up only three hits in one of the finest pitching performances the Rays have had this season.
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Sogard homered for the only run./CHUCK MULLER
Rays' manager Kevin Cash pulled Yarbrough with one out to go in the ninth for Emilio Pagan, but at the time, he was working with just one run.
"He had an unbelievable game," Cash said. "Our defense played well behind him. He was just dominating. The thought process was that we knew (Domingo) Santana was coming up third and we liked the matchup with Pagan. Very difficult decision, obviously, given what Yarbs provided for us. I felt like that gave us the best chance to win."
Yarbrough gave up a bunt single to Dee Gordon in the second, a single to Kyle Seager in the fourth and a hit to shallow right by Tom Murphy in the fifth.
It would have been the Rays' first complete game since 2016.
“He was not happy (at being pulled)," Cash admitted. "Which you would expect, and you probably want to a degree. He wants to be out there. He wants to finish off. a game. Sometimes, those decisions come about, but I’m certainly appreciative of the way he threw the ball today.”
Yarbrough got the only run he would need when Eric Sogard homered in the fourth inning.
"He’s been really good the last 5-6 weeks, but. today he turned a big corner, not just in confidence but in execution. This was better than Baltimore)," said pitching coach Kyle Snyder."
For Pagan, it was his sixth straight save and his 12th of the season.
The Rays had only six hits, but Avi Garcia and Jesus Aguilar had two each.
The Rays now move to San Diego. Diego Castillo will open for the Rays against Joey Lucchesi. The game begins at 10:10 p.m.
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