Rays Vs. Yankees Final Score: Tampa Bay Sweeps New York With 3-0 Win

The Tampa Bays wrapped up their first series of 2012 on Sunday by completing a sweep of the visiting New York Yankees. Unlike the first two games of the series, the Yankees posed much less of a threat on Sunday.

The Rays got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning when Matt Joyce tripled home Evan Longoria. That would prove to be all the offense Tampa Bay would need, but they added insurance runs on solo homers by Carlos Pena in the third and Jeff Keppinger in the sixth.

Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson held the Yanks to just three hits and four walks over 8.2 innings, also striking out four. He was lifted with two outs in the top of the ninth after walking Nick Swisher, after which Fernando Rodney came on for his second save by getting Raul Ibanez to ground out and end the game.

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Rays Vs. Yankees Preview: Rays Look To Open Season By Sweeping Yankees

The Tampa Bay Rays host the New York Yankees in the third game of their season opening series on Sunday. Friday saw Carlos Pena carry the team to a narrow win, hitting a grand slam and then the go-ahead single in the ninth. Saturday it was Luke Scott's turn, as he drove in three runs in the Rays' 8-6 victory. Dating back to last year, the Rays have won five straight home games against the Yankees. They look to continue that and open 3-0 for only the second time in franchise history. The Yankees, meanwhile, haven't started 0-3 since 1998.

Jeremy Hilickson takes the hill for the Rays, hoping that his regular season will start out smoother than his 9.0 ERA spring would indicate. Phil Hughes makes his first start for the Yankees, hoping to improve on last year's injury ridden 5-5 record. Hughes is 3-3 in six starts against the Rays. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:40 p.m.

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Rays Beat Yankees Again, 8-6

Matt Joyce and Luke Scott each drive in three runs as the Rays win their second straight over the Yankees.

Carlos Pena's Homecoming Fuels A Walkoff Victory Over New York

THE RAYS WIN 7-6! CARLOS PENA, WELCOME HOME!

Carlos Pena had a hot and cold day in his first game back in a Rays jersey. His grand slam in the first inning gave the Rays a 4-0 lead, but an error in the third allowed the Yankees to rally and take a 6-4 advantage. He then struck out in his next two at bats, stranding four runners, before a single in the eighth to put men on the corners.

The Eighth

Evan Longoria launched his first home run of the season in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 6-5. But neither team had scored since, and by this point the Yankees hadn't even managed a hit since the fourth inning. The Rays threatened again in the bottom of the eighth. With runners on the corners and no one out, Stephen Vogt stepped in for his first major league at-bat but struck out.

With catcher Jose Molina up, Sean Rodriguez nearly stole home, but Molina fouled the ball back as my heart lept in my throat. They tried it again with two strikes, but this time Molina fouled a bunt for a third strike. The Yankees eighth-inning man David Robertson was looking dominant, and got out of the jam by striking out Matt Joyce looking. It was Joyce's fourth strikeout of the afternoon.

Like in the fifth and seventh innings, the Rays had a chance to tie the game in the eighth, but failed to connect with men on base. The score remained 6-5.

The Ninth

The new $2 million man Fernando Rodney, a change-up reliever, got the nod in the ninth with Kyle Farnsworth on the disabled list. With Rodney's cap turned slightly to the left, pointed towards the Rays' home dugout, he rolled the Yankees 1-2-3, including a strikeout of Brett Gardner.

Mariano Rivera then stepped on the mound. It doesn't matter who you are, you respect this man. At age 42, the inventor of the cutter is the last player in MLB still wearing #42, having been grandfathered in when Jackie Robinson's number was retired league-wide in 1997. And with all due respect, Desmond Jennings singled into center field. Ben Zobrist then had a chance for his first hit of the year and smacked the first pitch to the wall in right center for an RBI triple, tying the game 6-6. (Zobrist is now 3-for-3 against Rivera in his career.)

With a man on third and no one out, the Yankees intentionally walked Evan Longoria and new designated hitter Luke Scott to load the bases for starting short stop Sean Rodriguez. No outs, bases loaded. Joe Girardi shifted the Yanks to a five-man infield, and S-Rod worked a full count before striking out.

Enter Carlos Pena. Without a hit to his name in his career against Mariano Rivera (0-for-11), Pena hit a long fly ball that cleared Gardner in left center and rolled to the wall (video). Ben Zobrist made it home on the single, scoring the winning run.

Conclusion

Mariano Rivera blew the save, and the Rays won the first game of the season - a far cry from last year's 0-6 start.

James Shields and CC Sabathia both had an uncharacteristic day on the mound. The Rays' war horse pitched only fiveinnings, allowing nine hits, three walks, and six earned runs, getting only three strikeouts. (Joe West's "accordion strike zone" probably didn't help.) But Sabathia wasn't much better in six innings pitches, giving up eight hits, three walks, and five earned runs, with seven strikeouts. Both bullpens pitched effectively until Rivera lost his grip. The Rays' bullpen did not allow a hit.

Tomorrow night, in front of another sellout crowd at the Trop, David Price will take the mound to face off against Hiroki Kuroda.

Opening Day 2012: Carlos Pena Hits Grand Slam In The First

In his first at bat of the season, in a Rays uniform once again, Carlos Pena launched a 3-2 pitch into the stands for a Grand Slam off CC Sabathia, giving the Rays a 4 run lead in the first.

WATCH: (link)

Desmond Jennings led off the inning with a walk, and Ben Zobrist followed with an attempt to reach the fence. He went deep, but Curtis Granderson caught up with the ball. Evan Longoria then scorched a fastball past A-Rod and moved Jennings to second.

Jeff Keppinger, in his first at bat with the Rays and his first at bat as the fourth hitter, used his stellar contact against left handed pitchers and moved the runners over. Joe Girardi ran to the mound and instructed Sabathia to walk Sean Rodriguez to load the bases, and Carlos Pena stepped up to the plate.

Pena worked a full count, and then he made contact on a high fastball, up and away, pushing it many rows over the right field fence. The Rays are off to a great start. It was his eighth grand slam in his career. In the 2009 home opener, Pena hit a grand slam off Chien-Ming Wang as well.

Welcome home Carlos!

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