Opening the series in New York City, the Rays looked to take back first place in the AL East from the Yankees.
Yonny Chirinos started this game for the Rays with no opener required, taking on the pitcher that seems to shut the Rays down in every start, Masahiro Tanaka.
Chirinos cruised through the first two innings, striking out New York’s newly acquired designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion in the second.
In the third inning, Chirinos hit his first road bump. Cameron Maybin singled and advanced to second on a fielding error by Kevin Kiermaier, and DJ LeMahieu drove Maybin home with a home run 410 feet to left center field, giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead.