Alex Cobb News

MLB Team Report - Tampa Bay Rays - INSIDE PITCH Though most of the attention has been on the struggles of the Rays bullpen, the performance of the starters has been a factor in their overall performance.

Brett Gardner, Lyle Overbay and Jayson Nix each drove in two runs for the Yankees, who roughed up Hernandez in the second and fourth innings.

Despite blowing twice as many saves than last year in 37 fewer chances, Fernando Rodney will remain the Rays' closer.

The New York Yankees return to Tropicana Field in first place in the AL East with a record of 28-18 and they hold a 4 game lead over the Rays .

The New York Yankees suffered a minor setback in Baltimore earlier this week as they lost two of three to the Baltimore Orioles.

This year he's dominated with a front-door sinker to lefties. It's not a pitch he's ever thrown before.

One year ago on May 22, the roles were reversed: The Rays had a 26-18 record and a 3 1/2-game lead over the Yankees for second place in the American League East.

As remarkably well as 3B Evan Longoria has played thus far, he said early on his legs felt so tired he worried if he could make it through a full season.

Fernando Rodney yielded a tying solo homer to Jose Bautista in the ninth inning, and the Rays went on to a 4-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Matt Spring is known for his catching and his character. He is someone a team wants working with its pitchers, while keeping everyone loose in the clubhouse.

Jeremy Hellickson tries to keep Tampa Bay in the win column on Wednesday when the Rays play the rubber match of their three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Nate McLouth homered leading off the bottom of the 10th inning, Chris Dickerson hit two solo shots, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Yankees, 3-2, Tuesday night to snap a six-game losing streak.

Jake Odorizzi became the second high-profile pitching prospect to emerge from the minors this year, making his season debut about a month after the Reds' Tony Cingrani.

Upon further review, Rays manager Joe Maddon said he had no problem with SS Yunel Escobar 's post-home run gesture Monday and took issue with anyone who did, as well as the Toronto fans for booing ex-Blue Jays players.

Ramon Ortiz has been a pleasant surprise for the Toronto Blue Jays. The journeyman right-hander tries to put back-to-back wins together on Tuesday when the Jays continue a three-game set with the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre.

The team holds a 3.49 ERA, best in MLB. Yu Darvish is 7-1 with a 2.97 ERA. After rough 2012 campaigns, Clay Buchholz and John Lester have both bounced back.

Red Sox starter Jon Lester delivers against the Tampa Bay Rays during Wednesday night's game in St.

The Baltimore Orioles look to turn things around at Camden Yards on Friday, as they host the Tampa Bay Rays for the opener of a three- game series.

Fernando Rodney was so close to getting out of it unscathed. Rodney had walked three of the first four batters he had faced in the inning, but he was one strike away from escaping the self-inflicted jam and sealing the Rays' victory.

Middlebrooks had a three-run double off closer Fernando Rodney with two outs in the ninth inning that lifted the Red Sox past the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Thursday night.