Bronx, NY – Andy Pettitte piled up a season-high 10 strikeouts and Russell Martin belted a grand slam, as the New York Yankees clobbered Tampa Bay, 7-0, in the opener of a three-game series.
Nick Swisher added an RBI double for the Yankees, who capitalized on a throwing error by shortstop Elliot Johnson in the first inning that led to a pair of runs, and New York won for the fourth time in five games.
Pettitte (3-2) allowed just two hits and walked two batters over 7 1/3 innings. The lefty moved to 17-6 lifetime against the Rays.
"For Andy, I think his stamina has been tremendous," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I expect Andy to keep it up. That's the only Andy I know."
James Shields (6-4) was tagged for seven hits and seven runs -- five earned -- over five innings, as the Rays lost for the fifth time in seven tries.
"Overall, we didn't play very good baseball all around," Shields said. "It's frustrating. We're not playing to our potential."
Curtis Granderson singled with one out in the bottom of the first and he went to second on a wild pitch. Alex Rodriguez walked and Robinson Cano singled on a comebacker off the glove of Shields. After Mark Teixeira was called out on strikes, the Rays should have been out of the inning on a one-hopper off the bat of Raul Ibanez.
Johnson, though, threw the ball low to first and Carlos Pena failed to make the play, allowing two runs to score.
"We're making mistakes we normally don't make," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We have to stop doing that."
In the fourth, Ibanez walked, Swisher singled and Eric Chavez walked to set the table for Martin. The Yankees, who came into the game batting .158 with the bases loaded this season, surged to a 6-0 lead on Martin's fourth career grand slam. He reached out to belt an 0-2 pitch over the wall in right field.
"Our guys were patient," Girardi added.
Swisher doubled to the right field corner in the fifth, plating Cano.
Pettitte retired the final eight batters he faced. He was lifted in favor of Freddy Garcia after fanning Luke Scott to start the eighth. B.J. Upton lined out to right to leave two men on base in that inning.
"My command was just really good tonight," Pettitte said. "I only left a couple of balls over the heart of the zone. I've been really happy with my command. I didn't think it would come back so quick."
Game Notes
The Yankees have won seven of their last nine home games against Tampa Bay...This was the first grand slam by a Yankee on an 0-2 pitch since John Flaherty on June 10, 2004 against Colorado...Martin, who had three hits, had been hitless in three at-bats with the bases loaded this season...Rays second baseman Ben Zobrist committed two errors in a game for the fourth time in his career...The Rays activated left fielder Desmond Jennings from the 15- day disabled list. He had been out since May 11 with a sprained left knee. To make room on the roster, the Rays optioned outfielder Rich Thompson to Triple- A Durham...Shields is 0-5 over his last six starts on the road against the Yankees.
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