Any hope that the New York Yankees would find a way to break out of the snide that they ended the first half with has not improved in the early goings of life after the All-Star break.
The Tampa Bay Rays hit four home runs in a 6-4 win over the Bronx Bombers on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, making it the second time in three games that the AL East’s fourth-place team took down Aaron Boone’s men. Boone himself would not see the entire result, at least from the bench, as he was thrown out in the sixth inning for arguing balls and strikes.
His side was trailing 3-0 by that point after Marcus Stroman was roughed up from the jump. Tampa’s Richie Palacios led off the game with a home run before Randy Arozarena smacked his 15th of the year over the left-center field fence in the top of the fourth. Jose Caballero drove in Josh Lowe — who reached on Gleyber Torres’ error — later in that inning with a single.
Stroman went 5.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts.
Chances were plentiful for the Yankees’ offense, but they could not take advantage off Tampa starter Shane Baz and reliever Garrett Cleavinger. Through four innings the Yankees were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.
Jose Siri broke it open with a two-run shot in the top of the seventh inning to make it 5-0. Aaron Judge attempted to claw the Yankees back in it with his 35th home run of the year in the bottom of the frame — a three-run shot — but Cabellero’s solo shot in the top of the ninth put the Rays back up three.
Juan Soto doubled in a run in the bottom of the ninth, but that was all the Yankees could muster.
