Game 160: Rays Inch Closer to Wild Card
Robinson Cano couldn't drive in enough runs as his 2 runs were all the Yankees could get in the 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays as the Wild Card race gets tighter.
Only Robinson Cano could drive in runs off of Tampa Bay starter James Shields as he hit a solo home run and had a run-scoring single. Despite a majority of the everyday lineup playing against the Rays, Shields was dominant through 8.2 innings as the Yankees got 6 hits but only managed the two runs.
The Yankees decided to make tonight's game a bullpen's game as Hector Noesi made his second major league start and gave up 3 runs in 2 innings of work. The pieced together game included a relief appearance from Phil Hughes, who will continue in this role through the postseason as well. He surrendered no runs on his 1.2 innings of work but during that inning, Russell Martin was ejected under questionable circumstances. Obviously, what was said between the umpire and the catcher are more than likely, just between them amidst the noise of the crowd, but the home plate umpire, Paul Schrieber, stood in front of a crouched Martin preparing for the next pitch and appeared to instigate the discussion that led to Martin's ejection.
The bullpen had a hard time with the strike zone as the Yankees walked 8 through 8 innings. The biggest news that came of this defeat is that with the Red Sox loss to the Baltimore Orioles, 6-3, creates a tie in the Wild Card race with just 2 games remaining in the season.
Ryan Nakada
@adakannayr