The Yankees decided to hire an opener against the Rays on Friday night, but unlike when they used an opener and were defeated in Game 2 of the ALDS last October, this loss is most often influenced by their weak offense and of some quality defense around the disastrous night in the Bronx.
Yes, Nick Nelson’s relief hit two innings in the first half, but the Yankees’ surprisingly octane line was tightened again in a well-deserved 8-2 loss to Tampa Bay at the stadium for a tough five-game start. home stand of the game.
The ugly game was delayed a few minutes in the 8th half at home, when several fans, among the angry ones, announced that the crowd of 10,202 threw baseballs and other objects on the field.
Reliever Michael King claimed the 31st hit of a Tampa Bay player pitch by a 2018 Yankees hurler, but the Rays retaliated with their 14th win in 19 games (playoffs included) against the Bombers in early 2020. That includes last year’s ALDS Game 2, in which the Yankees tossed debutant Deivi Garcia as a one-half opener before heading to veteran JA Happ in what became a 7-5 defeat.
Former Mets right-hander Michael Wacha limited the Yankees (5-8) to a goalless draw in six innings before Giancarlo Stanton’s two-run homer in front of Trevor Richards in the seventh blocked the second. loss of the season. Wacha, 29, who went two and hit nine, pitched 6.62 ERA last year in eight games (seven starts) with the Mets.
Aaron Boone’s team also made three errors in the game, two of which led to three unheated rounds in the fifth inning of the Rays’ four Rays, extending Tampa Bay’s lead to 6-0.
The Yankees now beat just 222 for the season, with 14 homers in the first 13 games. Boone removed first baseman Jay Bruce (1-for-19) on Friday on Friday and left on regular hit no. Aaron Hicks (.167) in sixth place for the first time this season.
The Yankees also opted to start Nelson as a pioneer, with King being brought back from the alternative site to work behind him. Nelson, who had previously thrown over three major appearances at 9.00 ERA this season, fell 2-0 in three innings after Austin Meadows went, Randy Arozarena doubled and Brandon Lowe hit a two-stage double.
King hadn’t thrown since he threw six scoreless innings and allowed just one shot on April 4 against the Blue Jays. The right was chosen two days later to create a list place for Rougned Odor, but King was recalled on Friday to replace the demoted Albert Abreu on the list of 26 people.
King worked in and out of trouble in two of the three innings without a score to keep the Yankees in two runs. He escaped the first and third block, without any in the third, recording two shots. King also ran three straight beats with two down in the fourth, before retiring cleaner Yandy Diaz on a field in the second.
Luis Cessa relieved King in the fifth, and the Rays quickly extended their lead to three on Mike Brosseau’s double RBI inside third base. Gio Urshela launched Willy Adames’ field in third place to allow another run to score before Cessa reloaded the bases with two walks.
Second base player Odor’s second error of the game – a wild throw ahead of LeMahieu at the start on what should have been a double-game final – put the Yankees in a 6-hole hole. 0. Rays added two more runs on Mike Zunino’s double against Lucas Luetge in the sixth.
Stanton finally offered a rare positive moment, when he followed the Glebyer Torres single in front of Richards in the seventh, giving a 3-1 pitch on the right places for the second homer of the season.