Yankees Game 104: Downhill roll reaches 4 after sweep

Michael Pineda surrendered 5 runs over 6 innings as the New York Yankees are swept in their fourth straight loss.

New York Yankees 3 – Tampa Bay Rays 5

After a significant trade signaled a turning tide, the Yankees looked to deny a sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays.

The game started with three scoreless innings between Rays' Blake Snell and Michael Pineda. The Yankees big righty worked through a bases loaded jam by mixing in three strikeouts in the second inning. Blake Snell maneuvered his way out of two on, one out trouble in the third inning when he got a double play off the bat of Jacoby Ellsbury.

In the fourth inning, the Yankees loaded the bases with one out but Didi Gregorius grounded into a double play that ended the inning. The Rays manufactured runs in the bottom of the inning against Pineda. Corey Dickerson got on with a single and advanced to third when Steven Souza hit a ground ball that Didi Gregorius could not handle. As it was deflected into left field, Dickerson advanced to third and Souza was credited with a double. Kevin Kiermaier and Tim Beckham grounded out to bring home two runs and put the Rays ahead.

Brad Miller added another run for the Rays when he hit a solo home run in the fifth inning but the Yankees had a response in the sixth inning. Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a walk and Carlos Beltran brought the Yankees within one with a two-run home run to left field.

With the Yankees within one, Steven Souza got on base with a double and Kevin Kiermaier walked to put two on with one out. A ground out put two in scoring position so an intentional walk of Nick Franklin put a force at every base with nine hitter, Luke Maile, coming up. Maile found a hole by Didi Gregorius for two runs to score to put the Rays ahead by three.

In six innings, Michael Pineda allowed five runs on six hits with four walks and eight strikeouts.

The Yankees got another run in the eighth inning when Brian McCann went against the shift with a single to left field that scored Castro from second base. It pulled the Yankees within two but that was as close as they got to the Rays. Luis Severino pitched two hitless innings in relief of Pineda but the game ultimately ended in loss, their fourth in a row as the Rays completed the sweep.

Win – Blake Snell (3-4)

Loss – Michael Pineda (5-10)

Save – Alex Colome (25)

Notables

Yankees

*Carlos Beltran – 2 for 4, R, Two-run home run (22) in the 6th, 2 RBI (64)

*Brian McCann – 1 for 3, BB, RBI (42)

Rays

*Luke Maile – 1 for 3, 2 RBI (5)

*Steven Souza – 2 for 4, 2 R, 2 2B

Current Yankees Record: 52-52