Yankees get one timely hit, and that’s all they need, in 2-1 win over Rays

Starlin Castro’s two-run homer off Jake Odorizzi in the seventh inning was the Yankees’ only hit of the game, and it was enough to give New York a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Brett Gardner took a 3-2 pitch with one out in the seventh to draw the Yankees’ first walk and become their second baserunner. Castro then sent a 91 mph pitch over the center-field fence.

Nathan Eovaldi (6-2) gave up one run and six hits in six innings to win his career-best fifth consecutive start.

Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman each pitched a perfect inning and combined for seven strikeouts. Chapman got his seventh save in seven chances, and New York is 6-0 this year when the trio has pitched in the same game.

Odorizzi (2-3) struck out six and walked one in seven innings. He has given up seven homers in six starts this month after allowing two in five April outings.

Odorizzi was perfect until Dustin Ackley reached on a one-out error by shortstop Brad Miller in the sixth inning. Miller was positioned behind second base and moved to his right to field Ackley’s grounder. He double clutched at the ball in his glove and bounced his throw to first. The play was called an error by official scorer Bill Mathews.

Tampa Bay challenged the call by first base umpire Gabe Morales, which was upheld in a video review.

Evan Longoria, coming off a four-RBI performance in Saturday’s 9-5 win, singled in Brandon Guyer from second base with two outs in the third. Since making his major league debut in 2008, Longoria’s 90 RBIs against the Yankees are the most by any opponent.

Longoria nearly made it 4-0 in the fifth, but his two-out, opposite-field drive with two was caught at the right-field wall by Aaron Hicks.

Perez to miss several games

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez is expected to be out 7 to 10 days with a bruised left thigh after colliding with rookie third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert while catching a foul pop up in the ninth inning Saturday.

Perez had a MRI on Saturday night, which confirmed the injury was a contusion with no structural damage. “Hopefully it’s not going to require a trip to the DL,” Royals manager Ned Yost said Sunday.