NEW YORK -- Steven Souza Jr. celebrated his 27th birthday in style. Drew Smyly was the guy getting all the gifts.
Souza homered twice and the Tampa Bay Rays went deep five times in all, finally giving Smyly some run support Sunday in an 8-1 victory over the New York Yankees.
"We've got a lot of thump," Souza said. "We got off to a slow start. We faced some tough pitchers early on, some real good ones. And this last week and a half or so, guys have really started to fall into their groove."
Souza and Corey Dickerson each hit a two-run homer in a five-run first inning against Michael Pineda. That was a welcome present for Smyly, who had received three runs of support in his first three starts this year.
Steve Pearce and Logan Forsythe added solo shots to help Tampa Bay prevent a three-game sweep and finish 3-3 on its road trip to Boston and New York.
"It was awesome," Smyly said. "It makes my job way easier when you have a big lead like that."
Alex Rodriguez exited with stiffness on his left side, but New York received positive news after the game when results of an MRI on his oblique were negative. No immediate roster move will be made and A-Rod was traveling with the team to Texas, the Yankees said.
The 40-year-old slugger drove in New York's run with a fourth-inning double off the top of the left-field fence, then was pulled for a pinch hitter in the sixth.
"He was warming up to take his at-bat, is when he felt it," manager Joe Girardi said. "Taking a few swings in the cage."
"Anytime someone leaves with an oblique, you're not really optimistic because they take a while depending on the severity of it," Girardi added before the MRI results were announced. "And I even think sometimes when players physically feel ready, I still don't think they have the strength that they had before."
New York completed a 3-6 homestand and lost for the eighth time in 11 games.
Smyly (1-2) went seven innings in his third consecutive strong start. The left-hander allowed six hits and one walk with six strikeouts, five days after dominating the Red Sox.
"I think I'm just starting to kind of understand the hitters, starting to understand myself, have more of a game plan out there," said Smyly, whose college roommate at Arkansas was AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros. "Every game with experience you learn something new, you get better and better. I'm feeling healthy and things are going well."
Pineda (1-2) retired his first two batters and was ahead 0-2 on Evan Longoria before he doubled off the center-field fence. Dickerson followed with his fifth homer, deep into the right-field bleachers.
Pearce singled and scored on a double by slumping Brad Miller before Souza homered deep into the left-field stands. With that, the Rays had scored five runs in a span of nine pitches.
Tampa Bay (8-10) scored three runs or fewer in 13 of its first 17 games.
"We've been a little bit quiet here and there, but these guys can hit," manager Kevin Cash said. "Evident today."
STINGY STUFF
Smyly has a 2.52 ERA in 23 starts since he was acquired from Detroit in a trade for David Price on July 31, 2014. That's the lowest during that stretch for any American League pitcher who has made at least 15 starts. Smyly ended his outing leading the majors with 33 strikeouts this season.
BIRTHDAY BOY
Souza became the first major leaguer to hit two homers on his birthday since Minnesota's Trevor Plouffe in June 2012. "I'll play him next year (again)," Cash said. Souza's opposite-field drive to right in the fifth gave him his second career multihomer game -- both this month. Souza is 6 for 12 with three home runs against Pineda.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rays: LF Desmond Jennings was rested, with Dickerson playing left field and Forsythe the DH. Pearce made his first start at second base for the Rays, one day after his Tampa Bay debut at third.
Yankees: OF Aaron Hicks (left shoulder inflammation) was planning to accompany the team to Texas as the Yankees wait to determine if he needs to go on the 15-day disabled list.
UP NEXT
Rays: All-Star RHP Chris Archer (0-4, 7.32 ERA) faces Baltimore RHP Kevin Gausman (season debut) in the opener of an eight-game homestand Monday night. Archer is 0-7 in 10 starts since beating the Orioles on Aug. 31 last year, and hasn't won at Tropicana Field since June 23. "A big start. Let's get back home and get him going," Cash said. "It's time for us to pick him up. He picked us up quite a bit last year."
Yankees: A nine-game road trip begins Monday night at Texas, with RHP Nathan Eovaldi (0-2, 6.11 ERA) on the mound for New York.





Final
Series: Game 3 of 3

Rays 8

(8-10, 3-5 away)

Yankees 1

(7-10, 5-7 home)








1:05PM,EDT,April 24,2016
Yankee Stadium, New York, New York 

123456789 R H E
TB 501010010 8 12 0
NYY 000100000 1 6 0
W: D. Smyly (1-2)
L: M. Pineda (1-2)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-PitchInning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Tampa Bay - Top of 1stSCORE
Michael Pineda pitching for New YorkTBNYY
Forsythe struck out swinging.00
Morrison grounded out to first.00
Longoria doubled to deep center.00
Dickerson homered to right center (407 feet), Longoria scored.20
Pearce singled to right center.20
Miller doubled to deep left, Pearce scored.30
Souza Jr. homered to left center (428 feet), Miller scored.50
Kiermaier doubled to deep right.50
Casali popped out to second.50
5 Runs, 6 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 1stSCORE
Drew Smyly pitching for Tampa BayTBNYY
Ellsbury flied out to left.50
Gardner grounded out to pitcher.50
Beltrán singled to center.50
Teixeira grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, Beltrán out at second.50
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Tampa Bay - Top of 2ndSCORE
Michael Pineda pitching for New YorkTBNYY
Forsythe singled to center.50
Morrison struck out swinging.50
Longoria struck out swinging, Forsythe stole second.50
Dickerson struck out swinging.50
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 2ndSCORE
Drew Smyly pitching for Tampa BayTBNYY
Rodriguez struck out swinging.50
McCann struck out swinging.50
Headley struck out looking.50
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Tampa Bay - Top of 3rdSCORE
Michael Pineda pitching for New YorkTBNYY
Pearce homered to left center (397 feet).60
Miller struck out swinging.60
Souza Jr. struck out swinging.60
Kiermaier grounded out to first.60
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 3rdSCORE
Drew Smyly pitching for Tampa BayTBNYY
Castro flied out to left.60
Gregorius popped out to third.60
Ellsbury flied out to right.60
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Tampa Bay - Top of 4thSCORE
Michael Pineda pitching for New YorkTBNYY
Casali struck out swinging.60
Forsythe singled to right.60
Morrison struck out swinging.60
Longoria walked, Forsythe to second.60
Dickerson flied out to right.60
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 4thSCORE
Drew Smyly pitching for Tampa BayTBNYY
Gardner hit by pitch.60
Beltrán struck out swinging.60
Teixeira grounded out to third, Gardner to second.60
Rodriguez doubled to deep left, Gardner scored.61
McCann struck out swinging.61
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Tampa Bay - Top of 5thSCORE
Michael Pineda pitching for New YorkTBNYY
Pearce grounded out to third.61
Miller grounded out to second.61
Souza Jr. homered to right (370 feet).71
Kiermaier struck out swinging.71
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 5thSCORE
Drew Smyly pitching for Tampa BayTBNYY
Headley walked.71
Castro singled to left, Headley to second.71
Gregorius flied out to right.71
Ellsbury grounded into fielder's choice to first, Castro out at second, Headley to third.71
Gardner grounded into fielder's choice to second, Ellsbury out at second.71
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Tampa Bay - Top of 6thSCORE
Kirby Yates pitching for New YorkTBNYY
Yates relieved Pineda.71
Casali struck out looking.71
Forsythe flied out to right.71
Morrison reached on infield single to third.71
Longoria struck out looking.71
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 6thSCORE
Drew Smyly pitching for Tampa BayTBNYY
Beltrán grounded out to pitcher.71
Teixeira singled to shallow center.71
Ackley hit for Rodriguez.71
Ackley singled to right, Teixeira to second.71
McCann struck out swinging.71
Headley flied out to center.71
0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Tampa Bay - Top of 7thSCORE
Kirby Yates pitching for New YorkTBNYY
Dickerson popped out to third.71
Pearce hit by pitch.71
Miller struck out swinging.71
Souza Jr. struck out swinging.71
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 7thSCORE
Drew Smyly pitching for Tampa BayTBNYY
Castro singled to left.71
Gregorius grounded into double play, shortstop to first, Castro out at second.71
Ellsbury flied out to left.71
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Tampa Bay - Top of 8thSCORE
Nick Goody pitching for New YorkTBNYY
Goody relieved Yates.71
Kiermaier struck out swinging.71
Casali lined out to center.71
Forsythe homered to right (379 feet).81
Morrison struck out swinging.81
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 8thSCORE
Steven Geltz pitching for Tampa BayTBNYY
Geltz relieved Smyly.81
Gardner struck out swinging.81
Beltrán flied out to left.81
Teixeira lined out to right.81
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Tampa Bay - Top of 9thSCORE
Nick Goody pitching for New YorkTBNYY
Romine catching.81
Torreyes in right field.81
McCann at first base.81
Longoria struck out swinging.81
Dickerson walked.81
Pearce grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, Dickerson out at second.81
Miller lined out to first.81
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 9thSCORE
Jhan Marinez pitching for Tampa BayTBNYY
Mariñez relieved Geltz.81
Ackley popped out to shortstop.81
McCann struck out swinging.81
Headley grounded out to second.81
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors




Tampa Bay Rays
HittersABRHRBIBBSO#PAVGOBPSLG
Forsythe DH51310120.303.370.545
Morrison 1B50100317.080.132.100
Longoria 3B41101327.253.291.453
Dickerson LF41121122.259.295.603
Pearce 2B42210017.257.333.371
Miller SS51110221.115.179.231
Souza Jr. RF42230216.291.339.600
Kiermaier CF40100221.250.345.458
Casali C40000217.139.162.250
Totals398128216178   
BATTING
2B: Longoria (6, Pineda); Miller (3, Pineda); Kiermaier (4, Pineda)
HR: Dickerson (5, 1st inning off Pineda 1 on, 2 Out); Souza Jr. 2 (5, 1st inning off Pineda 1 on, 2 Out; 5th inning off Pineda 0 on, 2 Out); Pearce (1, 3rd inning off Pineda 0 on, 0 Out); Forsythe (3, 8th inning off Goody 0 on, 2 Out)
RBI: Dickerson 2 (9), Miller (4), Souza Jr. 3 (11), Pearce (4), Forsythe (8)
2-out RBI: Dickerson 2, Miller, Souza Jr. 3, Forsythe
Rays RISP: 2-5 (Dickerson 1-3, Casali 0-1, Souza Jr. 1-1)
Team LOB: 7
BASERUNNING
SB: Forsythe (2, 2nd base off Pineda/McCann)
FIELDING
DP: 1 (Miller-Morrison).

Game Information

StadiumYankee Stadium, New York, NY
Attendance40,981 (82.6% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time2:50
Weather60 degrees, sunny
Wind13 mph
UmpiresHome Plate - Ben May, First Base - Angel Hernandez, Second Base - Will Little, Third Base - Ted Barrett