MLB recaps in the American on May 31, 2021: Rich Hill and the Rays have the wind in their sails

NEW YORK – Rich Hill rounded off May with the best earned runs average for a pitcher in his 40s in 75 years and the Tampa Bay Rays posted a 16th victory in 17 games on Monday after disposing of the Yankees in New York 3-1.

Hill (4-2), a 41-year-old southpaw who is the oldest active player in Florida franchise history, took his record to 3-0 this season against the Yankees. He made just 56 shots and conceded just three hits in five innings at the mound. Five of the Yankees’ top 16 hitters started on his first shot, and six more on his second offering.

Hill was 3-1 with an average of 0.78 in six starts in May. This performance helped him take third place in month-long earned runs average among senior pitchers in his 40s.

Cincinnati Reds gunner Eppa Rixey (0.60 in August 1933), then 41, and Washington Senators Johnny Niggeling (0.64 in May 1946), 42, beat him according to STATS . Hill nonetheless lowered his cumulative average this season to 3.32.

Rays manager Kevin Cash replaced him with Michael Wacha in the sixth inning, bringing the Florida club’s record streak to 729 games without a full game. The latest to accomplish the feat was Matt Andriese in a shutout against the Oakland Athletics on May 14, 2016.

Miguel Andujar slammed a homerun in the seventh inning, his second only since 2018.

Pete Fairbanks put Brett Gardner through the air with a runner on the trails to end the seventh, Ryan Thompson was perfect in the eighth and JP Feyereisen, acquired May 21 from the Milwaukee Brewers in return for shortstop Willy Adames, completed the game. He thus obtained his third rescue this season.

Jameson Taillon (1-4) allowed five hits and three runs in five innings on the mound for the Yankees.

The Rays (35-20), leaders in the East section of the American, have increased their record to 7-3 against the Yankees this season. They also won a ninth consecutive game against their section rivals.

Elsewhere in the American:

Twins 3– Orioles 2

MIN: Jorge Polanco hit a home run and produced two runs
BAL: Ryan Mountcastle hit a solo homerun

White Sox – Indians (match 1)

CWS :
CLE :

White Sox – Indians (match 2)

CWS :
CLE :

Red Sox – Astros

FOREST :
HOU:

Athletics – Mariners

OAK :
SEA :

Pirates – Royals

PIT :
KC :