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Rays try to make it two in a row versus Yankees

Apr 19, 2014 - 12:31 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Tampa Bay Rays' bats awoke from their slumber on Friday.

Now, they'll try to make it two wins in a row, as they continue a four-game series versus the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field.

Tampa beat the Yanks for the ninth time in 12 tries last night, as James Loney knocked in four runs, two of which came on a go-ahead single in the seventh inning that propelled the Rays to an 11-5 come-from-behind victory.

Wil Myers finished 3-for-5 with three RBI to help the Rays halt a four-game skid and avenge a 10-2 drubbing by the Yankees in Thursday's opener of this set.

"I like to believe this is a definite reboot kind of a game," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

Tampa Bay, which had been outscored 32-7 during its four-game slide, overcame a 4-0 deficit by scoring three times in the seventh and five more in the eighth.

Erik Bedard, taking his first turn in Tampa's injury-plagued rotation, was tagged for four runs on six hits while lasting just 3 2/3 innings, but four Rays relievers held the Yankees to one run the rest of the way.

Scott Sizemore delivered a three-run double and Jacoby Ellsbury went 2-for-5 with a run scored for New York, which had a five-game win streak come to an end. Adam Warren (0-1) took the loss after surrendering three runs in one inning of relief.

New York may have a difficult time finding the win column on Saturday, as the Yankees will be going up against impressive right-hander Chris Archer, who dominated them last season, going 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in three starts against the Yanks last season.

Archer, though, is coming off an awful showing his last time out on Monday in Baltimore, as he was rocked for seven runs and 12 hits in just five innings, dropping him to 1-1 on the year, while raising his ERA over three runs to 4.50.

"I actually felt good about how my stuff was," Archer said. "This was just a good lineup, and I made too many mistakes over the plate."

New York, meanwhile, will counter with righty Ivan Nova, who is 2-1 with a 5.94 ERA. Nova bounced back from a horrific showing against Baltimore to beat Boston on Sunday, as he allowed a pair of runs and eight hits in 7 1/3 frames.

The O's had battered him to the tune of seven runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings in his previous start.

"I worked a little bit down in the zone a little bit more," Nova said. "I said the other day, I threw more strikes than ever up in the zone, and I just wanted to get the ball down."

Nova has faced the Rays 13 times (12 starts) and is 6-4 against them with a 2.86 ERA.

Tampa was 12-7 against the Yanks last season, shutting them out four times.