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Series Recap
·5 min read

Series Recap: Yankees escape after troubles at Trop

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Even with fans mostly on their side, trips to Tropicana Field have not felt like a homecoming for the New York Yankees this season. A plucky Tampa Bay Rays squad took advantage of multiple miscues and earned the series victory. After gutting out the final game, the Yankees return to the Bronx in first place.

GAME 1

All losses are bad losses but the Yanks 5-4 loss to the Rays was especially frustrating. After leading most of the way at 2-1, the bullpen and defense kicked the game away.

SEVENTH INNING SLIDE

Adam Warren entered the game and yielded three consecutive singles. A Logan Morrison sacrifice fly to center squared the contest at two. Following a strikeout of Steven Souza Jr., Warren was lifted for Chasen Shreve.

Shreve appeared to be squeezed on a 2-2 pitch to pinch hitter Rickie Weeks Jr. and suffered dearly from the call. Weeks Jr. followed with a two-run double to left, on a ball which Ronald Torreyes should have at minimum knocked down at third base.

EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

With Brett Gardner having reached on a walk, Matt Holliday tied the game a four with a two-run homer to right off Ryne Stanek in the eighth inning.

STOP PITCHING TO EVAN LONGORIA!

Evan Longoria clearly has the Yankees’ number on this young season, so naturally, they continued to pitch to him in the home half of the eighth. After alternating between a pair of strikeouts and a pair of walks, there was an open spot for Longoria. Yet, the Rays third baseman was allowed to hit and made New York pay with an RBI-single to left. Longoria registered a four-hit evening. The ensuing batter Morrison struck out to end the inning but the damage was done.

PINCH HIT MAYBE?

Trailing 5-4 in the ninth, the Yankees had Gary Sanchez, Aaron Hicks and Chase Headley on the bench but decided to let Chris Carter and Austin Romine bat against Alex Colome. While Sanchez was dealing with a stiff neck, Hicks could have hit for Carter and Headley was going to hit for Torreyes anyhow. In the end, the Yankees would be retired in order and fall 5-4.

GAME 2

The second game of the series was not one for the time capsule. While the Yankees offense battled, odd are you’re going to spend the day playing catch up when your starting pitcher only goes three innings. It’s precisely what happened in the 9-5 loss to the Rays.

TA-NOCKED UP AND OUT

Masahiro Tanaka reminds me of David Cone after he threw his perfect game. It’s almost like he sold his soul for his shutout at Fenway Park and it’s been downhill ever since.

Tanaka was taken deep three times, Corey Dickerson tagged him twice, once in the first and again in the fourth and so did Longoria in third, because of course, he did.

The six runs allowed were too much to overcome on the afternoon.

OFFENSE RESPONDS

An Aaron Judge homer to right in the first and a two-run double by Headley in the fourth twice brought the game even and a Sanchez homer in the fifth pulled the Yankees within two. Yet, every time the Yankees scored, the Rays responded and ripped it open against the underbelly of the bullpen.

BARRY THE PLATE

An incensed and frustrated skipper Joe Girardi was tossed for arguing balls and strikes in the fifth. Girardi covered home plate with dirt and essentially told umpire Scott Barry, here you go, you’re not using it anyhow! What was even more perplexing and petty was the fact Barry left the dish covered as play resumed! Yes, umpires are human too but you have to be professional and sweep off the plate.

GAME 3

In the series finale, the Yankees tightened things up and avoided the sweep with a 3-2 victory.

STOPPER SABATHIA

Much like their first trip to the Trop, CC Sabathia helped stop the bleeding. Sabathia whiffed six Rays through five frames and only yielded two runs.

THE DIDI AND GARDY SHOW

Although Chris Archer fanned 12 New York batters, he couldn’t get the best of Didi Gregorius and Brett Gardner. Gregorius collected four hits on the afternoon, including an RBI-single in the second.

Later in the frame, Gregorius would come around to score on a two-run homer to right by Gardner. It was all the offense the Bronx Bombers would need.

SIXTH SAVE AND A BEAUTY

With Dickerson on first and Chad Green on, Longoria was at the plate. Longoria lined a shot to right which would have tied the game but Judge made a diving catch to rob him and doubled up Dickerson at first. Judge’s catch probability on the play was 26%. The Yankees finally retired the Rays third baseman in a big spot.

HEARING FOOTSTEPS?

Although he was hardly alone, Headley went 0-for-4 and is batting .241 on the campaign. Meanwhile, the organization announced Gleyber Torres is being promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

ON DECK

At 25-16 on the campaign, the Yankees head home to take on the Kansas City Royals in a four-game series starting Monday evening.

Pitching probables include Jason Vargas vs. Michael Pineda, Danny Duffy vs. Jordan Montgomery, Jason Hammel vs. Luis Severino, Nate Karns vs. Masahiro Tanaka.