NEW YORK — Did Rays manager Kevin Cash have too quick a hook with starter Blake Snell, pulling him in the fifth inning Wednesday after only 83 pitches?
The second-year lefty said he felt "kinda surprised" when he saw Cash coming out of the dugout with two outs in the fifth against the Yankees and a 3-2 lead, even after a bases-loaded walk.
But Cash's point was what had been an efficient first four innings (52 pitches) suddenly shifted, as Snell threw 31 pitches in the fifth, with the run-producing walk to Aaron Hicks the second free pass of the frame. Plus, he said he felt "it made the most sense" to bring in RHP Jumbo Diaz, who had been among their pleasant first-week surprises, to face Matt Holliday.
"(Snell) was driving a lot of pitches in the zone; he did have a pretty good mix, really efficient, he threw the ball really well,'' Cash said. It was unfortunate that inning kind of unfolded the way it did. … His pitch count really drove up.''
Snell, who wouldn't have gotten the win had the Rays hung on to the 3-2 lead, said he eventually understood.
"Looking back on it, I threw 30-some pitches that inning, so I could see why,'' he said. "I should have executed better that inning and I would have been in longer.''
Not a good place to meet
Rays 1B Rickie Weeks sustained a bone bruise to the AC joint in his shoulder and whiplash as the result of an NFL-style collision at the base with Yankees OF Brett Gardner, who also left the game with a bruised jaw and strained neck. Weeks, still learning the intricacies of his new position, was reaching across the bag for a bounced throw from reliever Xavier Cedeno when he was run into by Gardner.
"It's a low throw, have to try to get in front of it, it bounced, kicked away,'' Weeks said. "I thought he was a step getting past me, but obviously it was a step at the same time, so we collided.''
Weeks said he was "a little sore" but didn't expect to land on the disabled list; Rays officials said the same and would see how he feels today.
Stat of the day
116.5 mph Measured speed, by mlb.com's Statcast, of Aaron Judge's single off Rays RHP Jumbo Diaz, the hardest-struck ball for a hit thus far this season.
A thankful moment
Rays RHP Jumbo Diaz narrowly avoided what could have been serious injury from Aaron Judge's sizzling liner just past his head. "It was very close,'' Diaz said, through team interpreter Wendi Tripp. "No more had I thrown it when I felt the wind going by head. … When I got back (to the clubhouse), I had received a message from my wife — she was a little scared, a little jolted by it. She was grateful I was okay and when that moment happened, it was kind of stuck in my head of what that could have felt like to be hit in the head.''
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Explore all your optionsThe right way
Yankees debuting rookie Jordan Montgomery was the first of three lefty starters the Rays will face in a five-day period, along with Boston's Chris Sale and Drew Pomeranz, which means more regular duty, and the chance to get in a rhythm, for the their right-handed hitting platoon guys — OF Peter Bourjos, INF Daniel Robertson, 1B Rickie Weeks. Robertson started at second Wednesday, with Brad Miller not in the starting lineup but coming in later, and Corey Dickerson at DH.
Numbers of day
15 Consecutive days in which the Rays play, starting Wednesday.
7 Consecutive games starting at different times for the Rays, beginning Wednesday.
Miscellany
• Good matchup to start the Rays-Red Sox series with Chris Archer facing 2016 AL Cy Young winner RHP Rick Porcello on Friday. Then the Rays see LHP Chris Sale on Saturday.
• OF Colby Rasmus, still sore from an outfield collision in his first rehab game April 6, worked out again at the Trop and is expected to resume playing for the Stone Crabs in the next day or two, aiming to be activated next week, completing his recovery from offseason hip and core muscle surgery. … SS Matt Duffy (heel surgery) and RHP Brad Boxberger (flexor stain) are also working out at the Trop.
• The Rays homered for an 11th straight game at Yankee Stadium; the only longer streak by a visiting team is their 13, from July 2013 to September 2014.
• Talks to keep Rays games, carried by Fox Sports Sun, on Spectrum cable systems were extended for another 24 hours, until 7 tonight.