ST. Derek Jeter Yankees Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Alex Cobb pitched neatly into the eighth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays became just the fourth team in major league history to reach .500 after falling 18 games under in the same season, beating the New York Yankees 5-0 Friday night. The Rays won their third in a row and sent New York to its fifth straight loss. Tampa Bay also accomplished the comeback feat in 2004 when known as the Devil Rays. The 1899 Louisville Colonels and 2006 Florida Marlins have also gotten back to the break-even point after dropping 18 under. The Rays, now 61-61, were 24-42 on June 10. They are trying to become the first club to finish with a winning record after being so far under. Cobb (8-6) gave up six hits in 7 1-3 innings, striking out eight and walking one. He improved 4-0 in six career home starts against the Yankees. After giving up a single to Derek Jeter that loaded the bases, Brad Boxberger struck Jacoby Ellsbury and Mark Teixeira. Tampa Bay has held its opponents to three runs or less in a club-record 11 consecutive games. Brandon McCarthy (4-2) gave up four runs and seven hits over 6 1-3 innings. New York has scored a total of seven runs during its current skid, which includes a pair of shutouts. The Rays took a 2-0 lead in the first on RBI grounders by Evan Longoria and James Loney. Loney homered in the eighth when Esmil Rogers tried to quick pitch him. Curt Casali singled home a run and Ben Zobrist hit the Rays third RBI grounder of the game during the seventh as Tampa Bay took a 4-0 lead. TRAINERS ROOM Yankees: C Brian McCann could be activated from the seven-day concussion list this weekend. ... RHP Masahiro Tanaka (right elbow) will have his first bullpen session Saturday. Rays: CF Desmond Jennings (sore left shoulder) was back in the starting lineup after missing two games. UP NEXT Rays LHP Drew Smyly (7-10) and Yankees rookie RHP Shane Greene (3-1) are Saturdays scheduled starters. Smyly will make his first home start since being obtained from Detroit in a three-team deal July 31 that sent Tampa Bay ace David Price to the Tigers. Dellin Betances Jersey . -- Zach Johnson is like most players at the World Challenge, not sure whether hes still playing in 2013 or if hes in the middle of the new wraparound season that officially started in October. Joe Girardi Jersey . Or, for that matter, the aged.RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Luis Suarez told FIFAs disciplinary panel that he did not deliberately bite Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup. "In no way it happened how you have described, as a bite or intent to bite," the Uruguay striker wrote in Spanish in a letter dated June 25. The players defence is in paragraph 6 of FIFAs disciplinary committee ruling, which has been seen by The Associated Press. "After the impact ... I lost my balance, making my body unstable and falling on top of my opponent," Suarez wrote in his submission to the panel which met Wednesday, one day after Uruguay beat Italy 1-0 in a decisive group-stage match. "At that moment I hit my face against the player leaving a small bruise on my cheek and a strong pain in my teeth," Suarez said. However, the seven-man panel which met on WWednesday evening dismissed the argument. Raul Mondesi Jersey . The bite was "deliberate, intentional and without provocation," the ruling stated in paragraph No. 26 of the panels conclusions. Suarez was banned for nine Uruguay matches and four months from all football. He was also fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($112,000). The panel, chaired by former Switzerland international Claudio Sulser, included members from the Cook Islands, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Panama, South Africa and Singapore. The ruling confirmed that referee Marco Rodriguez of Mexico acknowledged in his match report that he missed Suarezs bite. So did his two assistants and the fourth official. "I havent seen the incident because the ball was in another sector of the pitch," Rodriguez writes in paragraph No. 4 of witness submissions in the 11-page document. ' ' '
