ST. PETERSBURG — Prior to the Yankees’ first recreation of the 12 months in opposition to the Rays, Aaron Boone shared a glowing scouting report on the Yankees’ first-place, American League East rivals.
“No real weakness. They’re doing everything,” Boone mentioned at Tropicana Field. “They’re slugging with the best of ‘em. They’re hitting the ball out of the ballpark. They’re playing defense. They’re athletic. They can pitch. So there’s not an area right now where you’re saying, ‘Oh, they’re kind of struggling.’ They’re kind of covering all the bases right now and off to the historic start.”
The last-place Yankees went on to provide Tampa Bay a run for its cash Friday, however the Rays squeezed out a 5-4 win, their MLB-leading twenty seventh of the 12 months, because of among the strengths Boone talked about — and an enormous Bombers blunder.
Tampa Bay took the lead for good within the seventh inning when Wander Franco sliced a ball to Jake Bauers. The Yankees’ left fielder misinterpret the liner, and it bounced off his glove. Yandy Diaz raced residence as Bauers bobbled the ball, and replay decided that he barely beat the throw to the plate.
Bauers was generously not charged with an error.
Long earlier than that, a pair of early residence runs from Randy Arozarena and Diaz gave the Rays a cushion to work with. Those proved pivotal after a Gleyber Torres RBI double and a three-run homer from Harrison Bader tied the sport at 4 within the sixth.
Arozarena remained a central determine within the recreation, as he was hit in every of his subsequent two at-bats following his first-inning longball. The outfielder, who stopped at third to do his signature arm-crossing celebration on the house run, was not pleased with both hit-by-pitch. The first got here from Yankees starter Jhony Brito, whereas Albert Abreu delivered the opposite.
The second HBP, within the fifth inning, resulted in some chatter between each dugouts as warnings had been issued. Rays supervisor Kevin Cash was additionally ejected.
Brito allowed 4 earned runs, together with the homers to Arozarena and Diaz, over 4 innings in his seventh profession begin. Brito additionally totaled six hits, one stroll and two strikeouts earlier than ending his day at 65 pitches.
Meanwhile, Rays starter Yonny Chirinos tallied three hits, three earned runs and 4 walks over 5.1 innings earlier than Tampa Bay’s bullpen took over.
The Yankees will attempt to even the collection on Saturday when Domingo German takes the mound in opposition to Drew Rasmussen. German is coming off among the finest video games of his life; he blanked the Guardians for 8.1 innings on May 2 earlier than the Yanks’ bullpen finally blew the sport.
Gerrit Cole will give the Yankees one other probability to select up a divisional win Sunday when he pitches within the collection finale. Cole is off to a terrific begin this season, logging a 5-0 file, 1.35 ERA and 52 strikeouts over seven begins and 46.2 innings.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com