NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole struck out eight in six strong innings, Juan Soto went 4 for 4 and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 on Friday night.
Cole (3-1), making his sixth start since returning from right elbow inflammation on June 20, allowed one run and six hits on a night fans received a promotional bobblehead of the 33-year-old right-hander holding his Cy Young Award. He walked one and threw 103 pitches — reaching the 100 mark for the second straight outing.
Soto reached base five times and continued his personal success against Tampa Bay starter Zach Eflin (5-7) with three hits, including a double in the fourth inning when he scored after two Rays errors. Soto is hitting .500 (17 for 34) off Eflin, whom he faced often when the right-hander was with the Phillies and he was with Washington.
Soto added his fourth hit of the game, leading off the sixth with a double off Shawn Armstrong. He scored on an RBI single by Aaron Judge.
Soto had his second four-hit game since joining the Yankees in a December trade from the Padres. It was the right fielder’s ninth career four-hit game and his average climbed from .295 to .303. In his first chance at getting a fifth hit, Soto drew a walk in the eighth.
Anthony Volpe hit a bases-clearing double in a four-run third inning off Eflin and had his first multi-hit game since June 28.
The Yankees took a 1-0 lead on Alex Verdugo’s grounder after two walks and a bunt single by Soto loaded the bases. After Austin Wells kept the inning going with a walk, Volpe lined a 1-2 curveball down the left field line for a 4-0 lead.
Soto got his third hit in the fourth, a double to the warning track in left-center. Left fielder Randy Arozarena bobbled the ball enabling Soto to take third and Soto scored on a throwing error by second baseman Richie Palacios.
Brandon Lowe homered in the sixth for the Rays, who went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. Tampa Bay is 1 for 41 with runners in scoring position in its last four games.
Eflin allowed five runs, four earned, and seven hits in five innings. The 30-yeare-old righty struck out five and tied a career high by issuing four walks.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: 3B Yandy Díaz missed the game due to personal reasons. … RHP Jeffrey Springs (elbow) will start for Triple-A Durham on Saturday. … RHP Drew Rasmussen (elbow) will start for Triple-A Durham on Sunday.
Yankees: DH Giancarlo Stanton (strained left hamstring) ran the bases and took swings in the batting cage. … INF Jon Berti (strained left calf) had a minor setback and will receive a platelet rich plasma injection Saturday. … RHP Clarke Schmidt (right lat strain) will throw 15 to 20 pitches off a mound on Saturday.
UP NEXT
Tampa Bay RHP Taj Bradley (4-4, 2.90 ERA) opposes New York LHP Nestor Cortes (4-8, 3.67) on Saturday afternoon.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
