NEW YORK -- The Rays arrived at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday with a chance to chip away at the Yankees’ substantial lead in the American League East race. They left Thursday night in an even deeper hole, closer to last place than first, and frustrated by a continued team-wide slump.
The Rays lost Thursday’s series finale at Yankee Stadium, 2-1, when Anthony Rizzo hit a sinker from reliever Shawn Armstrong out to right field for a walk-off homer. The defeat set off yet another celebration in the Bronx, where the Yankees have won 14 straight games, and capped a three-game sweep that left Tampa Bay 12 games back in the AL East with 99 left to play.
“Look, we’re frustrated. There’s no doubt. Losing three ballgames here, especially with the way we pitched -- we really threw the ball really well,” manager Kevin Cash said. “We’re going to get out of this. We’d like it sooner than later, but we’ve just got to find a way to stay together through these tough times. We can’t deny it. We’re in a tough stretch right now.”
It was the first time the Rays were swept by the Yankees since June 17-19, 2019, at Yankee Stadium. It was the first time they were swept in a series of three games or more since they lost four games in Seattle from June 17-20, 2021. And it was the first time they were swept in a series of any length since dropping two in a row against the Nationals on June 29-30 last season.
All three nights, the storyline was essentially the same. The Rays pitched well enough to win, surrendering eight runs -- only three of which were earned -- in a series against the Majors’ most productive lineup. Seemingly every time they made a mistake, whether it was on the mound or in the field, the Yankees were ready to capitalize. And Tampa Bay couldn’t scrape together enough offense to support its excellent pitching, totaling only four runs in three nights.
The Rays have lost five of six games on their current road trip, which continues Friday night in Baltimore. They are 4-7 in their last 11 games and 17-18 in 35 games since their 18-10 start to the season. Much of that inconsistency, that inability to get on an extended winning streak, stems from a lineup that’s struggled to sustain any sort of success without injured hitters like Brandon Lowe and Wander Franco.
“I don’t know if I’ve got the best answer, but patience and positivity will probably help,” Cash said. “We’ve got a lot of young guys right now that are grinding through it in their early big league careers, so the more that we can stay patient and positive with them, kind of keep the lineup moving.”
The Rays have scored 259 runs this season, seventh-fewest in the Majors. They’re averaging 4.11 runs per game, down from 5.29 last season. They’ve scored three runs or fewer 30 times this year and lost 21 of those games. And their struggles have only been magnified against the Yankees, who have won five of the first seven games in the season series while holding the Rays to only 13 total runs.
“I think it’s just one of those streaks that we’re going through right now, kind of bad luck,” third baseman Yandy Díaz said through interpreter Manny Navarro. “I think as long as we stay positive, that’s going to help us moving forward.”
Facing four Yankees relievers on a bullpen day for both teams, the Rays managed just one run -- on a Francisco Mejía homer, his first since April 20 -- to go along with three hits, two walks, nine strikeouts and only one at-bat with a runner in scoring position. That left Tampa Bay’s pitching staff with essentially no margin for error, and New York took advantage of its opportunities.
After relievers Jalen Beeks, Matt Wisler and Brooks Raley began the game with 5 2/3 nearly flawless innings, Cash summoned right-hander Ryan Thompson to face the top of the Yankees’ order. But Thompson had little command due to a mechanical issue he’s been working to correct, walked DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge then gave up a game-tying RBI single to Rizzo.
“I’ve just got to throw the ball over the plate and give my team a chance. I throw strikes to LeMahieu and Judge, we win this game,” said Thompson, who has given up at least one run in six of his last 10 appearances. “My role is [to] go out there and hammer the strike zone with my stuff. Regardless of the situation, regardless of team outcomes, that's my job every single time.”
Rizzo went on to deliver the game-winner, too, swatting what Armstrong thought to be “a pretty good pitch” into the right-field seats to hand the Rays their fourth walk-off loss of the season.
“Shawn, give him credit, that’s not a role that we use him in that much,” Cash said. “Like the way his stuff has trended, but Anthony Rizzo’s done that to a lot of people.”