Yankees 8-10 Rays: Four-run lead blown in extra-inning gut punch

Follow Us

New York Yankees 8-10 Tampa Bay Rays

Saturday’s exhausting 10-8 extra-inning loss against the Rays revealed major cracks in the Yankees‘ pitching, bookended by troubling performances from Carlos Carrasco and Devin Williams. Carrasco’s struggles to get ahead of hitters put New York in a precarious position early, and Williams’ late-game collapse erased what should have been a secure victory.

Pitching struggles doom Yankees in extra-inning loss

Carrasco’s outing was particularly concerning, raising significant questions about his viability as a starter moving forward. The veteran right-hander lasted just over four innings, throwing 75 pitches and consistently falling behind hitters. His inability to throw first-pitch strikes (only 42 percent compared to MLB’s average of 62 percent) was glaring, forcing him into hitter-friendly counts where his diminished stuff was repeatedly exposed.

After surviving two shaky innings, Carrasco unraveled in the fourth, losing a five-run cushion and failing even to qualify for the win. Given the Yankees’ ongoing rotation issues—with limited alternatives like Marcus Stroman and Will Warren offering little confidence—Aaron Boone now faces a difficult decision on Carrasco’s future role.

On a positive note, the Yankees’ bats woke up significantly following a lackluster Friday performance. Shane Baz labored through a taxing 33-pitch first inning, as New York loaded the bases with no outs. Though Paul Goldschmidt grounded into a double play, Ben Rice scored on the play, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. quickly doubled the Yankees’ lead with an RBI knock.

Trent Grisham continued to validate the offseason trade, delivering another timely RBI in the second inning and later making an outstanding defensive play in a crucial moment to preserve the lead. His consistent contributions are making it increasingly difficult to justify keeping him out of the everyday lineup.

As always, Aaron Judge provided essential offensive support. His key RBI single helped build the Yankees’ early lead, and later in the ninth inning, his clutch hit extended the lead again. Judge’s three RBI increased his American League-leading total to 25. Although he was caught stealing shortly afterward, his offensive impact was clear, especially when coupled with another timely hit from Goldschmidt that pushed the lead to four runs.

However, this insurance vanished abruptly in the ninth inning. After five innings of commendable relief from a Yankees bullpen quartet, including Luke Weaver‘s dominant eighth inning, Devin Williams entered the ninth with a seemingly comfortable lead. Yet Williams imploded spectacularly, giving up four hits and a walk, allowing the Rays to tie the game dramatically.

Williams wasn’t entirely at fault, as Oswaldo Cabrera’s throwing error early in the inning set the tone by allowing José Caballero to reach second base. Nonetheless, Williams’ inability to regain control after the error proved decisive, with Tampa capitalizing immediately.

The Yankees’ offense sputtered in the tenth inning, managing just one hit before back-to-back strikeouts by Cody Bellinger and Cabrera extinguished their chance of reclaiming the lead. Moments later, Jonathan Aranda’s walk-off hit ended the lengthy contest, completing Tampa Bay’s comeback.

If there’s any consolation, it’s the injury update on Ben Rice, who exited the game after taking a hard pitch off his left elbow. Initial imaging thankfully came back negative, sparing the Yankees from another significant injury concern.

Roster

Up next

With the series still up for grabs, the Yankees turn to Max Fried in Sunday’s finale. Fried will look to deliver his fourth victory of the season, offering the Bronx Bombers an opportunity to quickly forget Saturday’s demoralizing defeat. First pitch in Tampa is scheduled for 1:40 pm Eastern.

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Follow Us