Following a lengthy road trip out west the Tampa Bay Rays returned home for a crucial two game set against the New York Yankees. After a lengthy rain delay, Shane Baz took the mound and promptly struck out Trent Grisham to start the game. Three batters later, the Rays trailed 3-0.
Baz had surrendered back to back to back solo home runs to Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton. He then struck out Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt to retire the side.
After a scoreless bottom half of the first
by the Rays offense, Baz allowed a leadoff single to Jazz Chisholm Jr. and later surrendered a two-run home run to former Rays’ shortstop, Jose Caballero. The short porch was just short enough for Caballero as the deep fly ball just snuck over the wall and gave the Yankees an early 5-0 lead.
The Rays’ bats showed some life in the bottom of the second and strung together three singles off Yankees’ starter Carlos Rodon to cut the deficit to just three runs. Everyone Pereira started things off with a single to center, Mangum followed with a single through the right side, and Nick Fortes drove home Pereira with a RBI-single to right field. Chandler Simpson got Mangum home on a force out to second.
A shut down inning was not in the cards and the home run big bit Baz again in the third as he allowed his fifth blast of the night, this time to Chisholm Jr. The solo shot gave the Yankees a 6-2 lead.
The Yankees went on to hit four more home runs and that was the story of the night. Seymour came on the fourth inning and surrendered back to back blasts to Stanton and Rice. With a 10-2 lead, Bellinger hit his second blast of the night. The two-run shot gave the Yankees a 12-2 lead. And, because of course he did, Caballero took Montgomery deep to left field in the ninth for his second home run of the night, matching the total he hit with the Rays this season prior to being traded. Caballero’s solo bomb extended the lead to 13-3.
The Yankees had more home runs than the Rays had hits. The nine home runs fell just one short of the MLB record set by the Blue Jays in 1987. The Yankees ended the night with 13 runs on 16 hits and five walks. It was just one of those nights.
For Baz, the struggles at “home” continued and the bats were quiet. Simpson, Diaz, Lowe, Caminero, and Kim combined to go 1-16 at the plate. The silver lining? The Rays entered the game 6.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot, and despite losing by 10 runs, ended the night still 6.5 games back of Seattle who has now dropped four in a row. Cleveland and Texas also lost while Kansas City won their fifth in a row.
The Rays will try to cut that number 5.5 games tomorrow and will send Drew Rasmussen to the bump opposite Cam Schlitter.
