MLB ROUNDUP: Tampa Bay slugger Randy Arozarena is plunked TWICE after homering in win over Yankees

Randy Arozarena’s first-inning home run against the New York Yankees led to two beanballs and a flyout for Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash in the Rays’ 5-4 win on Friday in St. Petersburg.

Speaking to reporters after Ray’s MLB-best 27th win of the season, Cash shared his conversation with umpire Lance Barksdale, who seemed unconvinced that Arozarena had been targeted by the Yankees pitchers.

“He said half the crew didn’t feel it was intentional,” Cash told reporters. “And I said I didn’t care what half the crew said.”

Arozarena homered to center field off Jhony Brito before the rookie right-hander elbowed the outfielder in the third inning. Albert Abreu then hit Arozarena around belt high with a pitch in the fifth inning.

An angry Arozarena slowly walked to first base and waved his bat at the Rays’ dugout in disgust.

Kevin Cash of the Tampa Bay Rays argues with umpire Lance Barksdale during the 5-4 victory

Arozarena is hit by a pitch against the New York Yankees during the fifth inning

There was shouting between the benches, but no nuisance on the field. The umpires rallied and issued warnings to both teams, prompting Cash to run out of the dugout to argue with Barksdale, the crew chief.

Wander Franco put the Rays 5-4 with an RBI double off Jimmy Cordero (1-1) in the seventh. Yandy Díaz was initially issued on the record, but the call was changed after a replay review.

Díaz had a solo homer in a two-run third for the Rays (27-6), which opened a 10-game lead over the last-place Yankees (17-16) in the AL East.

The Rays (27-6) opened up a 10-game lead over the last-place Yankees (17-16) in the AL East.

Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt (40) tags out Rodolfo Castro of Pittsburgh Pirates

BLUE JAYS 4, PIRATES 0

Chris Bassitt threw seven innings, George Springer homered and Toronto ended a five-game losing streak.

Bassitt (4-2) gave up four hits, struckout five and walked four. Springer hit a two-run shot off Rich Hill (3-3) in the fifth.

Pittsburgh finished with four hits in its fifth consecutive loss. Bryan Reynolds extended his hitting streak to 10 with a double in the sixth, Pittsburgh’s lone extra-base hit.

Hill gave up four runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

GEMINI 2, GUARDIANS 0

Max Kepler hit a two-run homer for Minnesota, and Bailey Ober threw seven innings in a combined three-hitter.

Ober (2-0) gave up three hits and a walk while striking out six. Jorge López worked a clean eighth and Jhoan Duran threw the ninth for his seventh save.

Guardians-starter Peyton Battenfield (0-3) didn’t allow a baserunner until Christian Vázquez singled with two outs in the sixth. Kepler followed with a 440-foot drive to the right.

The Twins homered in a franchise-record 17 consecutive games. Kepler has 15 home runs at Progressive Field as of 2016, the most by a visiting player.

The game contained a total of six hits and was played in 2 hours and 11 minutes.

CUBS 4, MARLINS 1

Justin Steele pitched seven effective innings and the Cubs stopped a three-game slide.

Ian Happ hit a two-run homer for Chicago. Matt Mervis made his big league-debut and drove in an insurance run in the eighth with his first hit, a sharp single to right.

Steele (5-0) allowed one run and six hits as he lowered his ERA to an NL-leading 1.45. Mark Leiter Jr. got three outs for his first save.

Luis Arraez hit three goals for Miami in its fourth straight loss. Edward Cabrera (2-3) struckout eight batters while pitching five innings with three runs.

Ian Happ celebrates in the dugout with teammates after his 2-run home run in the fifth

WHITE SOX 5, RED 4

Louis Robert Jr. and Elvis Andrus homered to help Lance Lynn and the White Sox win,

Andrus erased a 3-0 deficit with a three-run shot in the fifth. Robert put the White Sox ahead and stayed with a two-run drive against Hunter Greene (0-2) in the sixth.

Lynn (1-4) got four runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. Reynaldo López retired the side for his fourth save.

Jonathan India hit a solo homer for Cincinnati. Greene gave up five runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

RED SOX 5, PHILLIES 3

Chris Sale struckout 10 batters in six innings to give Boston its seventh straight win.

The game was interrupted about 10 minutes into the first inning when a spectator fell over a protective railing and fell into the Red Sox bullpen while reaching for a baseball.

Boston rookie Masataka Yoshida extended his hitting streak to 15 games. Kiké Hernández and Enmanuel Valdez each had two hits and drove in a point.

The 34-year old Sale (3-2) was charged with three runs and seven hits. Kenley Jansen worked the ninth for his seventh save.

Boston took a 5-3 lead with two runs in the sixth against Zack Wheeler (3-2).

The Phillies have dropped five in a row, falling below .500 three games.

ORIOLES 9, BRAVES 4

Anthony Santander homered from both sides of the plate, including a grand slam, and Cedric Mullins also went deep as Baltimore won for its 14th time in 17 games.

Dean Kremer (3-1) allowed one run in six strong innings for the Orioles, who became the first team this season to go deep off Braves ace Max Fried.

Fried (2-1) gave up seven runs, five earned, in six-plus innings. His ERA climbed from 0.45 to 2.08.

Hot-hitting Sean Murphy drove in all four Atlanta runs, including three on a home run in the eighth inning.

Baltimore improved to 22-10 and surpassed the Braves (22-11) for the second-best record in the major leagues.

METS 1, ROCKIES 0

Kodai Senga went six innings with two hits after a long break, and the Mets defeated the Rockies to avoid falling below .500 for the second time this year.

Brandon Nimmo homered and made a diving catch into center field after making a costly baserunning blunder in Detroit on Thursday.

David Robertson caught a break and stranded second in the eighth when Ryan McMahon’s line-drive single hit pinch-runner Brenton Doyle on the leg between the first and second for the final out of the inning.

Adam Ottavino worked the ninth for his fourth save.

Colorado had snapped its four-game winning streak and was eliminated for the second time this season.

Senga (4-1) threw his first in nine days and walked four batters and struckout four batters.

Colorado’s Antonio Senzatela (0-1) gave up one run and three hits in five innings in his season debut.

ATHLETICS 12, ROYALS 8

Brent Rooker and Ramón Laureano hit back-to-back homers, and the Athletics defeated the Royals in a game between the two bottom baseball teams.

Kyle Muller (1-2) became the first A’s starter to win in 33 games this year. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the drought was the longest at the start of a season in MLB history.

Rooker and Ryan Noda each had three hits and three RBIs as Oakland improved to 7-26 with only the second win by more than one run.

Nick Pratto homered for the Royals (8-25), who fell to 2-15 at home. Brad Keller (2-3) gave up seven runs, six earned and eleven hits in 4 1/3 innings.