Matt Moore became the first Rays pitcher to win his first four starts of a season, Ryan Roberts homered twice and Tampa Bay beat CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees 5-1 on Monday night.
Moore (4-0) allowed one run, two hits, three walks and had nine strikeouts over eight innings. Roberts connected in the first and third to help the Rays take an early 5-0 lead.
Yankees infielder Kevin Youkilis, who left Saturday's game at Toronto with lower back stiffness, was a late scratch Monday after the back tightened up following batting practice.
Sabathia (3-2) had a three-game winning streak end. The left-hander gave up five runs and seven hits over seven innings.
Tampa Bay has won 12 of its last 14 home games against the Yankees dating back to July 2011. Kyle Farnsworth completed the two-hitter.
The Rays took a 4-0 lead in the first. After Roberts hit a solo homer on an 0-2 pitch from Sabathia, Evan Longoria singled and scored on Sean Rodriguez's triple. Yunel Escobar then put Tampa Bay up 4-0 with a two-run shot.
Roberts homered again in the third to make it 5-0. It was his third career multihomer game.
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Sabathia had given up just one homer over 28 innings in his four previous starts this season.
Robinson Cano cut the deficit to 5-1 on a homer in the fourth inning, which was New York's first hit. The Yankees have homered in all nine of their road games this year, matching the team's longest streak since 2000.
The second game of the series Tuesday night has AL CY Young Award winner David Price (0-1) facing New York's Phil Hughes (0-2). The Rays have lost Price's four starts this season, which is the fifth time, and first since Ton Glavine in 1999, that a reigning Cy Young Award winner's team has lost his first four starts.
