Cole rebounds, Yanks expose shaky Rays’ D in 2-0 win

By JAKE SEINER
AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole put a career-worst pummeling behind him with six sharp innings, and the New York Yankees capitalized on shaky defense by the Tampa Bay Rays for a 2-0 victory. The AL East-leading Yankees won their fifth straight as they played the first of six games in nine days against third-place Tampa Bay. New York entered Tuesday nine games ahead of the two-time defending division champs and eight up on the Blue Jays, who will host the Yankees for three games this weekend. New York had just five hits but improved to 45-16, the best 61-game start across baseball since Seattle in 2001.