Rays lose by a score of 1-0 for the second time in as many series despite strong start from Ras
The Tampa Bay Rays looked to rebound after dropping the series opener to the Yankees the night prior, but offense was difficult to come by and instead dropped their fourth straight. Even worse, they lost by a score of 1-0 for the second time this week.
Drew Rasmussen got the start for the Rays and was good enough to win, but instead took his first loss of the year despite allowing just one run over 5.2 innings. He struck out seven, walked three and allowed just three hits.
While the story of the night should have been a combination of a solid offensive performance against Rodon, who entered tonight’s start with a record of 1-3, and a solid start by Ras, it was instead a story of offensive ineptitude.
At the plate, the Rays mustered only 3 hits, struck out 15 times, ran into outs on the bases (Again), and went 0-6 with RISP. Only Caminero, Aranda, and Caballero secured hits, and Aranda was thrown out trying to stretch a leadoff double into a triple. In total, not much went right at the plate and the the Yankees staff didn’t face much pressure throughout the game.
The Rays looked poised to score early as Diaz was walked to start the game and Caminero followed with a single, but Mead, Morel, and Jansen followed with three consecutive strikeouts to end the inning.
The very next inning, the Yankees took advantage of a leadoff single by Goldschmidt, and a one out walk to Escarra. With two outs, Grisham singled home Goldschmidt and the Yankees took a 1-0 lead they wouldn’t surrender the rest of the night.
The Rays threatened again in the 5th after a leadoff double by Caballero. Following a productive ground ball out by Mangum, moving Caballero to third, Walls grounded to first and Caballero was retired at home. That was the final true threat the Rays had.
In the 7th, Aranda launched a double off the center field wall to leadoff the inning, but was thrown out at third in a misguided attempt to stretch a double into a triple. In theory, Aranda might have been trying to show recently promoted Chandler Simpson that he too could leg out a triple, but Grisham’s arm in center said otherwise.
Rodon was solid and earned the win tossing six innings of two hit baseball. he struck out nine, walked four, and didn’t allow a run. Leiter, Cruz, and Weaver combined for three scoreless frames and six strikeouts to shut the door.
With the loss, the Rays move to 8-12. They will look to keep their hopes of a series split alive tomorrow afternoon as they send Shane Baz to the mound to face off against Carlos Carrasco.