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Rays' Matt Moore ends six-start winless streak (w/ video)

 
Rays left-hander Matt Moore gets high-fived in the dugout after pitching 62/3 solid innings to end his six-start winless streak.
Rays left-hander Matt Moore gets high-fived in the dugout after pitching 62/3 solid innings to end his six-start winless streak.
Published May 29, 2016

ST. PETERSBURG — LHP Matt Moore pitched out of a two-on, no-out jam in the first inning and earned his second win of the season Saturday in the Rays' 9-5 victory against the Yankees.

Moore, using a sharper curveball than he had thrown recently, snapped a six-start winless streak after allowing three runs on eight hits in 62/3 innings.

Moore (2-3, 5.31 ERA) was staked to a 3-0 lead after one inning and 5-0 after two.

"It's not like you're lackadaisical out there, but you can attack a little bit more, have a little bit more aggressive mind-set," Moore said.

The Rays have received at least six innings from a starter in four consecutive starts after receiving three in the 14 starts leading up to this streak.

"Matt had a great outing, and the rest of our starters are capable of doing that," 3B Evan Longoria said. "So offensively we just have to continue to believe it's going to be like (Saturday) and we're capable of that, and things will turn around."

BOXBERGER TO RETURN MONDAY: Manager Kevin Cash said he will ease RHP Brad Boxberger into the closer role when Boxberger returns to the team Monday in Kansas City.

Boxberger, who completed his minor-league rehab assignment Friday in Double-A Montgomery, has been out since spring training because of adductor surgery. RHP Alex Colome, who took over the ninth-inning role, is 12-for-12 in save opportunities.

"(Boxberger) is going to get plenty of opportunities in the ninth inning," Cash said. "I don't know if it's the right thing to do to stick him in a 2-1 ball game the first time he comes out. If we can work him into some outings a little bit lower leverage, that would be ideal."

WELCOME TO DUCKY'S: Longoria, a co-owner of Ducky's Sports Lounge in Tampa, reached the Ducky's Deck behind the left-centerfield wall at Tropicana Field during the second inning with his ninth home run of the season.

"When I got in the dugout, I said it was free corn dogs for everybody," Longoria said. "We don't even have corn dogs on the menu. I don't know why I said that. It just sounded funny at the time."

Longoria, who is tied with RF Steven Souza Jr. for the team lead in home runs and leads the team with 24 RBIs, said he had been telling friends that he would reach the Ducky's Deck at some point this season.

"I'm glad it finally happened," Longoria said. "Now the pressure's off."

Since 2008, Longoria has the most RBIs (89) of any player against the Yankees. His 30 home runs are second to Jose Bautista's 31.

NOTEWORTHY: RF Brandon Guyer was hit by a pitch for a majors-leading 14th time in the first inning. … Yankees starter Michael Pineda has allowed 13 runs on 19 hits in 82/3 innings against the Rays this season. … C Hank Conger threw out his second base stealer of the season after a replay showed the Yankees' Chase Headley took his foot off the base. … SS Brad Miller had his team-high fourth multi-extra-base-hit game. … The Rays have hit a club-record 43 home runs for May. … Saturday's nine extra-base hits were the most by the Rays since June 29, 2014, at Baltimore. … The three first-inning runs Saturday were more than the Rays had scored in their previous 21 innings (two).