NEW YORK (AP) – Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda has a perfect game through six innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in New York’s home opener.
Pineda has struck out nine and started 15 of 18 batters with strikes, throwing 52 of 74 pitches for strikes. He has gone to just one 2-0 count, falling behind Tim Beckham before striking him out to end the sixth.
The 28-year-old right-hander was 6-12 with a 4.82 ERA last year, the 68th-highest ERA among 74 qualifying pitchers in the major leagues. He struck out a team-high 207 and led the AL with 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
New York took a 2-0 lead against Alex Cobb on Jacoby Ellsbury’s RBI double in the third and Aaron Judge’s home run in the fourth. Cobb beat Pineda in Florida last week.