The Yankees decided on Friday night to use an opener against the rays, but unlike when they used an opener and were defeated in Game 2 of the ALDS last October, this loss is mostly captured on their weak offense and a cunning defense in an all-around disastrous night in The Bronx.
Yes, reliever Nick Nelson coughed up two runs in the first innings, but the Yankees’ surprisingly low-octane series was once again stifled in a well-deserved 8-2 defeat against Tampa Bay in the stadium for a rough start with a five-game stand at home.
The ugly match was delayed by a few minutes in the eighth home innings, when several fans threw among the fiercely announced crowd of 10,202 ball balls and other objects on the field.
Reliever Michael King claimed the 31st hit-by-pitch of a Tampa Bay player by a Yankees pitcher since 2018, but the Rays only bounced back with their 14th win in 19 games (playoffs included) against the Bombers since the start of 2020. This includes Game 2 of last year’s ALDS, in which the Yankees introduced rookie Deivi Garcia as a first innings before turning to veteran JA Happ in a 7-5 defeat.
Former Mets referee Michael Wacha restricted the Yankees (5-8) to one hold over six pointless innings, before Giancarlo Stanton’s two-pointer from Trevor Richards prevented their second loss of the season for the seventh time. The 29-year-old Wacha, who walked two and hit nine, set a 6.62-era era with the Mets in eight games (seven starts) last year.
Aaron Boone’s team also made three errors in the game, two of which led to three undefeated runs in the Rays’ fifth innings of four runs, extending Tampa Bay’s lead to 6-0.
The Yankees are now batting just .222 for the season, with 14 homers in their first 13 games. Boone’s Jay Bruce (1-for-19) posted the weakening of the first driller on Friday and dropped Aaron Hicks (.167) from the No. 3 hit for the first time this season to sixth place.
The Yankees also chose to start Nelson as an opener, with King brought back from the alternative yard to work behind him. Nelson, who hit a 9.00 ERA over three knockouts earlier in the season, was 2-0 up with three batsmen in the game after Austin Meadows walked, Randy Arozarena doubled and Brandon Lowe hit a two-game double.
King has since thrown six pointless innings of relief and allowed just one shot, April 4, against the Blue Jays. The judge was elected two days later to create a position for Rougned Odor, but King was recalled on Friday to replace Albert Abreu in the 26-man.
King worked in and out of trouble in two of his three pointless innings to keep the Yankees within two runs. He escaped a first and third jam without running one in the third, and he scored two hits. King also ran three straight batsmen with two down in the fourth run before retiring Yandy Diaz, the clearing hit.
Luis Cessa relieved King in fifth place, and the Rays quickly extended their lead to three on Mike Brosseau’s RBI doubles within third base. Gio Urshela picked Willy Adames’ away scorer to third to score another run before Cessa reloaded the base by two runs.
Odor’s second foul, the second foul of the game – a wild throw past LeMahieu on a double play that should have ended the innings – put the Yankees in a 6-0 hole. The Rays added two more runs on Mike Zunino’s double against Lucas Luetge in the sixth.
Stanton finally delivered a rare positive moment when he followed Glebyer Torres’ lead single against Richards in seventh order by beating a 3-1 pitch in the seats, ready for his second homer of the season.