Yanks use eight pitchers in beating Rays

Before the Yankees' quality got the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday, the Yankees' quantity did.

It's one thing to be done in by a two-run, eighth-inning double by Robinson Cano. "One of the best hitters in the game came up with a big hit," Tampa Bay's B.J. Upton said. "What are you gonna do?"

But what especially exasperated Tampa Bay about a second straight loss to the Yankees, just when the Rays had been making their wild-card push, was the inability to break up the march of eight pitchers -- all relievers and six of whom spent at least a few days with minor-league Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season.

"It's definitely frustrating," former Yankee Johnny Damon said. "But, you know, the Yankees bring 'em up, they're in spring training, they're at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, they know what's at stake. They know if they do well they'll be able to put on pinstripes, and that's a pretty good feeling."

Hector Noesi, Raul Valdes, George Kontos, Aaron Laffey, Cory Wade, Boone Logan and Luis Ayala -- a journeyman's row -- preceded the decidedly big-league Mariano Rivera and and kept the Rays in check.

"Those kids have good arms," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "And, when you go back and forth like that" -- facing a new pitcher virtually every inning -- "it can be tough, also if they're throwing strikes and not walking people, and they were throwing strikes."

Yes, Upton agreed, "If you see a guy a couple of times, you start to get a grasp of what he's doing. But still, the bottom line is, we've gotta hit the ball. We're based on pitching and defense. We got that but we didn't score enough runs."

Tampa Bay starter James Shields had been sharp through seven innings to cling to a 2-1 lead. "Then their guy [Eduardo Nuñez] hits a home run and all of a sudden the floodgates open," Maddon said. "You've just got to file it and move on."

After a single by Brett Gardner and a walk to Derek Jeter, Shields was replaced by J.P. Howell, who surrendered Cano's game-winner. "Tough, real tough," Howell said. "I fell behind, gave him a pitch to hit and he hit it. Can't do that.

"Just gotta get numb and focus on the next thing now. Move forward."

Like all those Scranton/Wilkes-Barre refugees.