Yankees' Ian Hamilton: Notches first career save

Hamilton earned a save against the Rays on Saturday, allowing one hit and striking out one batter in a scoreless ninth inning.

After New York rallied to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning, it turned to closer Clay Holmes to protect the advantage against the heart of Tampa's order in the bottom of the frame. He did so on just seven pitches, but rather than have Holmes go for a multi-inning save, manager Aaron Boone opted to bring in Hamilton to close things out with the score still 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth. Hamilton allowed a two-out double but got Isaac Paredes to fly out to end the contest and notch his first career save. The righty reliever has been fantastic for New York this season, posting a 1.42 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 23:7 K:BB over 19 innings. Based on those numbers and his surprise ninth-inning usage Saturday, it wouldn't be surprising if he starts to see more high-leverage work, though Holmes and Michael King remain the prime candidates for saves in the Yankees' bullpen.