New York Yankees 1, Tampa Bay Rays 3
The struggling New York Yankees were defeated by the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Tuesday. Randy Arozarena started the scoring for the Rays with a three-run home run in the first inning off of Nestor Cortes.
Four relievers and starter Jeffrey Springs (5-3) worked together to throw a four-hitter, and the 41,083 people at Yankee Stadium sometimes booed their AL East leaders.
Since the All-Star break, when they were 64-28, they have lost 11 of 13 games and are now 8-17.
Tampa Bay only had four hits, but still won its fourth straight game and pulled within nine games of the Yankees. This is the closest the Yankees have been since June 15, when they were also nine games ahead. After getting swept at Cincinnati on July 8-10, the Rays were 15 1/2 games behind.
New York has lost five straight series and has been held to three runs or less in each of the last seven games.
New York didn’t go scoreless in three straight games for the first time since 2016 when Andrew Benintendi hit a triple in the fifth inning and scored when third baseman Yandy Diaz made a mistake when Miguel Andujar hit a ground ball.
Some fans booed when Andjar struck out to end the seventh inning with Josh Donaldson on third, and more booed when Jose Trevino struck out to end the game.
Isac Paredes and Daz both hit singles to start the game. After one out, Arozarena hit his 16th home run by hitting a 1-1 fastball into the stands in left field. This gave the Rays a 3-0 lead. It was Arrozarena’s fourth home run in five games. Before that, he hadn’t hit a home run in 16 games in a row.
In seven innings, Cortes (9-4) gave up three runs and four hits. He struck out three batters, didn’t walk anyone, and 19 of the last 21 batters he faced were out.
New York only scored one run and had two hits in five innings against Springs (5-3).
Pete Fairbanks threw a perfect sixth inning. After Donaldson hit a single, Brooks Raley got the first two outs of the seventh, and Shawn Armstrong got the next three.
To end the eighth, Jason Adam had to throw four pitches before Aaron Judge, who had the most home runs in the major leagues, was out.
Adam also struck out two batters in a perfect ninth, which was his seventh save.
NEXT UP
On Wednesday, New York RHP Domingo Germán faces off against Tampa Bay RHP Corey Kluber (7-7, 4.40 ERA).
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