ST. PETERSBURG -- Before Saturday night,
It was more of the same for a Tampa Bay pitching staff that has allowed only four runs over the last four games. The Yankees snapped their 21-inning scoreless streak in the ninth inning, when Aaron Judge hit his 52nd home run of the season off Adam.\n\nBut Kluber carried the Rays even closer to the Yankees, who are 27-36 since a 52-18 start, in the American League East race. Tampa Bay’s torrid stretch through August and into September has it nipping at New York’s heels heading into Sunday’s sold-out series finale at Tropicana Field.\n\nThe AL Wild Card-leading Rays are now only four games back in the division race (three in the loss column), their smallest deficit since May 11. They’ve gained 4 1/2 games over the last six days, turning a race that seemed over months ago into one to watch over the season’s final month.\n\n“I think we always knew we had a shot,” shortstop
Kluber embodies that focused, methodical approach in everything he does. After three seasons shortened by injuries, he’s one of only four players from the Rays’ Opening Day roster (alongside Adam, Walls and Randy Arozarena) to remain healthy and active all season. And he’s been steady nearly all year, completing six innings in 16 of 26 starts for the Rays while allowing three runs or fewer in 15 of those outings.\n\nBut he was spectacular on Saturday, holding the freefalling Yankees to only two singles while striking out four without a walk. It was his 10th career start of at least seven innings with two hits or fewer allowed.\n\n“Tremendous. Fantastic. Almost perfect, I guess,” Walls said. “It was incredible.”
So incredible, at such a key point, that manager Kevin Cash sent him back out for the seventh inning while Jalen Beeks and Pete Fairbanks warmed up in the bullpen.\n\n“I've had some situations where I've tried to run away from Cash and not let him find me,” Kluber quipped. “He found me each time up until tonight.”\n\n“We needed him,” Cash said.
Kluber leaned on his sinker, which clocked in 1.1 mph faster than his season average, and he complemented that with an array of cutters and curveballs. He was efficient and consistently in the zone, throwing 62 of his 88 pitches for strikes. The Yankees ran themselves into a key out in the first inning, then wasted a two-on, one-out opportunity in the sixth, and Kluber retired 14 straight between those two situations.\n\n“They know how he attacks guys,” Cash said of Kluber, who has a 1.08 ERA in four starts against his former team this season. “But when he's executing like that, it's really tough.”\n\nWith Kluber on his game, the Rays only needed one run to win.