Rays 0, Yankees 3
Record: 43-29
Attendance: 39,042
In one of their most inept performances of the year, the Rays dropped the opening game of a three-city road trip, 3-0 to the Yankees. Masahiro Tanaka evened his record at 5-5 (3.23 ERA) with a complete game two-hit shutout with ten strikeouts. He was dominating, as he has been in all three of his wins against the Rays this season, 22 innings, 23 strikeouts, and only two runs given up, one earned.
The Rays are on the verge of self-doubt, the early stages of panic, having gone 3-5 in their last eight games and showing a troubling tendency to give up home runs that turn close games into losses. Monday's game turned on two homers, a two-run shot by D.J. LeMahieu in the third, and a solo blow from Rays-killer Cameron Maybin (3 for 3) in the fifth. Both were given up by Yonny Chirinos, whose record fell to 7-3, who pitched very well over six innings--except for the two home run balls.
It was galling to see Edwin Encarnacion with his 21 HRs and 49 RBIs debuting in New York (0 for 4) when he could so easily have been part of the Rays lineup. The Rays may yet find a way to right the ship, but Snell hasn't done it, Morton lost last time out, the staff is giving up home runs like lollipops at Halloween, base running is less an adventure than an embarrassment, and the defense has suddenly turned porous.
This is an especially difficult stretch of games running right through the All Star break, but it seems clear that the Rays need some new parts. They lost out on Nelson Cruz, Craig Kimbrel, Encarnacion, even D. J LeMahieu. but if they want to stay in the pennant race, they are going to have to give up some good prospects to fill roster needs--a power hitter, a closer, bullpen arms, and a traditional starter or two.
Tonight's game has a still-to-be-named opener followed by the one-time money-in-the-bank Bulk Man Ryan Yarbrough, against lefty J. A. Happ. Primary Rays pitching objective: keep the ball in the yard.
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