NEW YORK _ The Rays have this beating the Yankees thing down.
Now they're getting good at having their way with pinstriped ace Gerrit Cole as well.
Monday's game was a 5-3 Rays win, as they beat the Yankees for the seventh time in eight meetings, improving their American League-best record to 25-11 and widening their East Division lead to 4{ games.
In the process, they won a game started by Cole for the second time in 13 days. Tyler Glasnow matched up with him all three times, and he definitely won the duel Monday. While Cole struggled to get through his five innings, Glasnow starred, taking a no-hitter into the sixth.
The night wasn't all good, however, as Yandy Diaz, one of the Rays' most productive hitters, left the game due to tightness in his right hamstring and will be further evaluated Tuesday. Also of note, Ji-Man Choi was lifted in the ninth inning, with Mike Brosseau replacing him at first base.
Tampa Bay came out on the attack against Cole.
Diaz singled with two outs in the third, and Choi, the rare major-leaguer who likes facing Cole, delivered a two-run homer. With a single later in the game, Choi is now 9-for-17 with six extra-base hits in his career off Cole.
A one-out homer in the second by Kevin Kiermaier, into the second deck of seats beyond rightfield, made it 3-0.
The Rays struck again in the fifth, scoring only one run after loading the based with no outs, but doing enough to end Cole's night. He threw 103 pitches to get those 15 outs, allowing the four runs, with eight hits, four walks and a hit batter.
The Rays have now faced Cole three times since he signed a $324 million, nine-year deal to join the Yankees, and they've won two of the games.
Glasnow held New York without a hit, or even much of a threat, through the first five innings, walking one and throwing a third-strike wild pitch that allowed a second baserunner.
Second baseman Brandon Lowe made a diving stop on a ball far to his left, then scrambled to his feet to make a strong throw to first to start the sixth, the kind of play that gets starred in the scorebook and remembered on special nights.
Shortstop Willy Adames tried to make another on a ball hit by the next batter, D.J. LeMahieu, and got help on a good stretch by Choi at first. First-base umpire Roberto Ortiz called LeMahieu out to preserve the no-hitter for the moment, but it took only 27 seconds for the replay crew to reverse the call. Glasnow allowed another single later in the inning, and he was done after six innings, having thrown 87 pitches in striking out nine.
Reliever Edgar Garcia was not as effective, allowing homers to Gio Urshela (a solo shot in the seventh) and Luke Voit (a two-run shot in the eighth). Pete Fairbanks finished the eighth, and Diego Castillo worked the ninth for the save.
The Rays added a run in the sixth on another big hit by Choi, singling in Randy Arozarena, who led off with a single and stole second. Arozarena was called up Sunday after the trade of Jose Martinez.
