Rookies Step Up as Yanks Sweep Rays

Cano drives in 3 more in 7-4 win

With rain falling throughout the day, Yankee's manager Joe Torre decided to push scheduled starter Chien-Ming Wang back a day and pulled outfielders Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu from the starting lineup. It didn't matter much as reliever Darrell Rasner threw 4 shutout innings and Robinson Cano drove in 3 runs as the Yankees completed a 3 game sweep of the Tampa Devil Rays with an 7-4 victory.

Jeff Karstens moved up a day in the starting rotation, but was not sharp for the first time. He gave up a pair of home runs and a triple to Rocco Baldelli as the Rays built a 4-1 lead. But Ray's starter Jamie Shields ran into a wall when he tried to retire the side in the 5th to make an official game. Hideki Matsui opened the inning with a walk and Aaron Guiel followed with a single to move Matsui to 2nd. Shields bounced back, striking out Kevin Thompson and Bernie Williams to set up a two-on, two-out situation for Derek Jeter. Jeter, who had extended his hitting streak to 23 games with a 1st inning single, singled to right to cut the lead in half. Robinson Cano then followed with a drive to deep left. Carl Crawford, who probably played the worst defensive series of his career, shied away as reached the left wall and the ball kicked off the heal of his glove for a gift 2-run double to tie the game. Shields escaped further trouble by getting Alex Rodriguez to ground out to third.

With a brand new ballgame, Torre pulled Karstens and brought in Rasner, who had been unceremoniously dumped earlier in the year by Washington. He was making his 8th appearance of the season and immediately rewarded Torre for using him by retiring the first 7 batters he faced. The Yankees then took advantage of the Ray's bullpen in the 7th.

Thompson and Williams stroked one out singles off of Ruddy Lugo to put runners on the corners. Shawn Camp came out of the pen to strike out Jeter for the 2nd out, but Cano came through with an RBI double to left-center. Cano has driven in 40 runs in the 36 games he's played since returning from the DL on August 8. A-Rod then singled through the right side to bring home 2 more to break the game open. Rasner did the rest, allowing just 1 hit over 4 innings, while striking out 5 and walking none.

Notes

Derek Jeter's 23-game hitting streak is the longest since Don Mattingly hit in 24 straight in 1987. Jeter momentarily took over the batting lead from Joe Mauer, but Mauer singled his final time up to take the lead back by a percentage point.

Gary Sheffield will NOT be activated this weekend despite speculation that it could occur. Torre will not do so until Sheffield is swinging at or near 100%.

Chien-Ming Wang will look for his 18th win tonight as he faces Josh Beckett and the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 4 game series.