The Yankees return against the best Rays in MLB in a roller coaster game thanks to two home runs by Anthony Rizzo

Friday night in the Bronx, the New York Yankees and tampa bay rays played one of the wildest, most action-packed games of the youth season. thanks to a couple of Antonio Rizzo home runs, including a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning, the Yankees escaped with a 5-4 victory (score box). The two teams have split the first two games of this four-game weekend series.

Even with the loss, the Rays are only the 22nd team in baseball history to win 30 of their first 40 games, and only the sixth to do so in the Expansion Era (since 1961). He los angeles dodgers started 30-10 in the 60-game pandemic season in 2020. The last team to do so in a 162-game season was 2011 seattle marinerswhich started 31-9.

Friday’s victory improved the Yankees to 22-18, which would have them in last place in the AL East but would have them in second place in each of the other five divisions. Here’s a roundup of all the carnage from Friday’s back and forth affair.

Arozarena starred on both sides of the ball

you have to give Randy Arozarena this: the man has a penchant for the dramatic. Handsome Randy’s postseason exploits are well documented, plus he stole the show with Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic this spring. On Friday, Arozarena opened the scoring with a solo home run on the second deck against gerrit cabbagehe then saved two runs with a diving catch in the late innings.

The Rays, of course, acquired Arozarena from St. Louis Cardinals in January 2020. That trade hasn’t worked out too well for the Cardinals., though there’s still a chance they’ll get something out of it. However, Tampa has no complaints. Arozarena has been one of the best football players in recent years, and without a doubt one of the most clutch.

Volpe came out of his depression

Yankees manager Aaron Boone dumped the rookie antonio volpe to the No. 7 spot in the lineup on Friday. Volpe had been the leadoff hitter since April 16, but entered the game Friday riding a 9-for-57 (.158) streak. Boone cited the healthy return of harrison bader and aaron judge as the reason for dropping Volpe, not his losing streak.

Either way, Volpe excelled Friday, first tying the game with a solo home run and then giving the Yankees the lead with an RBI single. It was his first two-hit game since May 5.

Even with Friday’s two-hitter, New York’s rookie shortstop is hitting .209/.299/.367 on the season. Friday’s home run was his fifth, and he has hit all five at Yankee Stadium. He has shown flashes of being an impact player, but the consistency just isn’t there yet.

Lowe continued his escape

Volpe gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the seventh and osvaldo cabrera he followed with an insurance single to make it 4–2. That lead lasted for three batters. Harold Ramirez and isaac walls led off the top of the eighth with singles against miguel kingso joseph lowe he hit a three-run home run to left field.

Lowe, a 2016 first-round pick, is having a great season. He’s up .321/.374/.660 with nine home runs, and his rash has contributed significantly to Tampa’s great start.

Rizzo won it in his stubborn day

Friday was Anthony Rizzo’s bobblehead day at Yankee Stadium. More accurately, it was the night of Anthony Rizzo’s Mandalorian bobblehead. Check it out:

Rizzo started the Yankees scoring and finished it off as well. He answered Arozarena’s solo shot in the first with a solo shot of his own half an inning later, then gave the Yankees a 5–4 lead with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth. This is the way:

The two-homer game raised Rizzo’s battle line to .301/.387/.500 on the season. With Judge sidelined with a hip problem, Rizzo has been New York’s best hitter this year, and he’s not particularly close either. He has said that he believes he has benefited from limiting extreme infield changes, if not in the hit column, then at least mentally. Either way, Rizzo has been fantastic this season.

clay holmes and Wandy Peralta they deserve a greeting here too. They recorded the last five outs: Holmes got two outs to catch runners on first and third in the eighth inning, to wrap up a much-needed victory for the Yankees.