ST. PETERSBURG – It had been 638 days since the Yankees last set foot inside Tropicana Field, having played the role of good neighbors in yielding the keys to their spring ballpark in Tampa for a season while the Rays dealt with the aftermath of hurricane damage, including a complete roof replacement.
Surveying a brighter but familiar Trop on Friday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the place looked “great,” and so did their early performance – a couple of first-inning runs, including an Amed Rosario triple that rolled to the left-field wall.
But despite Ben Rice’s first career pinch-hit homer, the change of scenery didn’t cure their offensive woes. Even under room-temperature conditions, the bats remained mostly chilled in a 5-3 loss to the Rays.
After Cody Bellinger lifted a first-inning sacrifice fly and Rosario’s triple bounced over the head of left fielder Chandler Simpson, Steven Matz settled in and Tampa Bay responded with three early runs, denting Luis Gil in the right-hander’s season debut.
Yandy Díaz clubbed a two-run homer and Simpson reached on a run-scoring fielder’s choice against Gil, who began the year with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre – a demotion prompted by early off-days, which permitted the Yankees to bypass their fifth starter until now.
Simpson and Jonathan Aranda knocked in sixth-inning runs to extend Tampa Bay’s lead. Rice hit for Paul Goldschmidt in the eighth inning, driving a solo blast over the center-field wall. The Yankees entered play Friday with a 17-inning scoreless streak; they’ve now been held to three runs over their last 26 frames.