Juan Soto hits 2 of 5 home runs in Yankees’ 9-1 win over Rays
NEW YORK — Juan Soto hit two of the Yankees’ five homers and New York salvaged a four-game series with a 9-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.
Soto hit his fourth home run this season since joining the team in December and the 21st of his career, tying him with Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews for the second-most home runs by a player 25 or younger. He hit a solo home run to the third deck in right field in the seventh inning and added a three-run homer in the eighth to give him 25 this season.
Soto hit his 24th home run on a straight over the second floor down the right-field line and took a 37.7-second trot after hitting a 424-foot shot to right. He briefly looked at the ball, dropped the bat, raised his right hand between first and second base and took a short step toward third base.
“I was just trying to make sure it was a fair shot,” Soto said. “I literally pulled with all my might to stay fair. It was fun to see that and I definitely got it under control.”
Soto has 11 of 18 hits in the series, including a four-hit game Friday.
“The first pitch was really long and the second pitch was really hard and intense,” New York starting pitcher Carlos Rodón said. “So a little treat of both, a high pitch and a low pitch. He’s just a great hitter, a great player.”
DJ LeMahieu, Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe also homered as the Yankees tied a season record by hitting five home runs for the second time this season.
Rodón (10-7) earned his first victory since June 10. He allowed one run and two hits and struck out 10 batters in seven innings.
“It’s just a constant mix of all that, moving forward, attacking the strike zone,” Rodón said.
LeMahieu snapped an 0-for-18 streak with his first home run in 10 months. He entered the game hitting .177 and the two-time batting champion hit his first home run since Sept. 5 after taking Sunday off.
Rodón started the season 0-5 with a 9.37 ERA in his last six starts since his last win June 10 at Kansas City, but he was in command from the start. He matched his longest outing of the season by pitching seven innings for the third time and snapped the second-longest losing streak of his career.
The left-hander had his 25th career double-digit game and first since Sept. 17. He averaged 95.5 mph on his 55 fastballs, threw 20 sliders, 16 curveballs and 10 changeups.
“That’s the best pitching we’ve seen against us,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “When he’s at his best, we know how talented he is and unfortunately, we saw that today.”
Rodón didn’t allow a hit until José Siri hit a home run in the fifth inning.
Siri slowly ran around the bases at 30.0 seconds, cupped his right hand over his ear as he rounded third base before making another hand gesture at home plate as fans booed and Aaron Judge stared.
“He hit the ball well to the right,” Rodón said of Siri. “He could run as slow or as fast as he wanted.”
Siri also hit a home run in the Rays’ 6-4 victory on Sunday.
“It’s totally normal,” Siri explained through a translator. “I was trying to have fun with my teammates on the bench and that’s what happened.”
Wells and Volpe hit back-to-back homers in the second inning off Zack Littell (3-7) for the Yankees, whose 15 hits were their third-most this season.
“Everybody in the lineup today contributed some quality at-bats,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Oswaldo Cabrera added a two-run single in the fourth inning before LeMahieu connected one run later.
Wells hit a 1-1 slider to right field for a 1-0 lead and Volpe followed by hitting the same pitch to left field for his first home run since May 16. It was the third time this season the Yankees hit back-to-back home runs.
LeMahieu hit an 0-1 sweep shot into the first row of left-field seats over Randy Arozarena’s leaping try. Wells raised his arms in celebration and LeMahieu was hit on the helmet by several other teammates in the dugout.
Littell allowed five runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.
TRAINERS’ ROOM
Rays: First baseman Yandy Diaz missed his fourth straight game for personal reasons and it’s unclear if he’ll rejoin the team Tuesday in Toronto. … Right-hander Drew Rasmussen (elbow) pitched a scoreless inning in his first rehab appearance for Triple-A Durham on Sunday. … Right-hander Ryan Pepiot (knee infection) will be released from the hospital and return to Tampa Bay to continue his treatment.
Yankees: Infielder Jon Berti (strained left calf) took swings and made field goals. Right-hander Nick Burdi (right hip inflammation) will throw a live workout Tuesday or Wednesday at the spring training complex in Tampa, Fla., before possibly beginning a rehab assignment.
FOLLOWING
Rays: Left-hander Tyler Alexander (2-3, 6.19 ERA) will start the game or follow an opener Tuesday at Toronto. The Blue Jays will start the game with right-hander José Berríos (8-7, 4.01 ERA).
Yankees: Rookie Luis Gil (10-5, 3.17 ERA) opens the Subway Series Tuesday in the Bronx against Mets left-hander Jose Quintana (4-6, 4.13).
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