Zobrist has RBI single in 9th, Rays beat Yankees
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Ben Zobrist hit a game-ending single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Tampa Bay Rays over the New York Yankees 1-0 on Monday night.
With the Baltimore Orioles' 5-2 win over Toronto, the Yankees were eliminated from AL East title contention in Derek Jeter's final season. Mired in an 0-for-24 slump, Jeter was given the night off.
Logan Forsythe got the Rays' third hit of the game, a one-out single in the ninth off Shawn Kelley (3-6) and went to second on James Loney's single. After pinch-hitter David DeJesus struck out and pinch-hitter Matt Joyce walked, Zobrist lined his hit to right.
Joel Peralta (3-4) walked one while pitching the ninth to help Tampa Bay get its 21st shutout of the season.
The Rays became the first team since the 1973-75 Boston Red Sox to beat the Yankees 10 or more times in three straight seasons.
Alex Colome, recalled from Triple-A Durham by Tampa Bay before the game, allowed six hits over 6 2-3 innings in his second big league start this season.
Chris Capuano gave up two hits and four walks in six innings. The left-hander lasted just one-third of an inning in his previous start Wednesday, allowing four runs, four hits and two walks in the Yankees' 8-5 come-from-behind victory over the Rays.
Chase Headley was ejected by plate umpire Marty Foster in the seventh for arguing a called strike. The Yankees third baseman played for the first time since being hit in the jaw by a pitch thrown by Tampa Bay's Jake McGee Thursday.
Some fans started chanting ''De-rek Je-ter!'' while waiting to see who would hit for Headley. They responded by booing when Stephen Drew emerged from the dugout to finish the at-bat.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (small right elbow ligament tear) threw in an instructional league simulated game and could return this weekend. ... Carlos Beltran, who missed five games due to right elbow soreness before pinch-hitting Sunday night, was the DH. He will have offseason surgery to remove a bone spur.
UP NEXT
The Rays will honor the retiring Jeter during a pregame ceremony Tuesday night. This is Jeter's final road series against Tampa Bay. ... Yankees RHP Michael Pineda (3-4) and Rays RHP Jake Odorizzi (10-12) are Tuesday's scheduled starters. Odorizzi needs seven strikeouts to tie Matt Moore's single-season rookie team record of 175.