Richie Palacios Has Big Debut for Rays, But Yankees Rally to Win Series Opener 6-3

TAMPA, Fla. — Richie Palacios made his season debut for the Tampa Bay Rays Thursday night, playing his first game after missing three weeks with a broken finger. He raised the curtain in style.

Palacios had three hits and a stolen base — something that's never been done before in a season debut in Rays history. But the Rays lost 6-3 to the New York Yankees because of what's becoming a recurring theme. They simply can't get a timely hitting, loading the bases in three different innings without putting the Yankees away.

The Rays loaded the bases in the second, third and fifth innings, but had nothing to really show for it. They could have put the Yankees away early, but missed out on several golden opportunities.

The biggest culprit was shortstop Taylor Walls, who's hitting .176 on the season. He was at the plate with the bases loaded in all three innings — and failed to record a hit. He had a sacrifice fly in the second inning, grounded into a double play in the third and grounded out to second to end the threat in the fifth.

This has happeend a lot early in the season for the Rays. Just last week. they did something that hadn't happened in a century. leaving a man on third with none out in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings in a loss. Getting a big hit has been hard to come by.

“They made some big pitches, and we didn't do what we were needing, hoping to do,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said after the loss. “We're capable of better, but it just didn't come easy tonight.”

Junior Caminero had a two-run homer for the Rays in the third inning, scoring Jonathan Aranda, who had singled. It gave the Rays a 3-1 lead at the time, but they couldn't hold it. They loaded the bases after the blast, but couldn't add on.

They were loaded again in the fifth thanks to singles by Caminero, Palacios and Jake Mangum, but pinch-hitter Danny Jansen — who's hitting .140 — struck out and Walls grounded out. The Rays went just 1-for-15 at the plate the rest of the way to fall to 8-11 on the season and just 2-8 against American League foes. The Yankees are 12-7, in first place in the AL East, four games ahead of the last place Rays.

Palacios was glad to be back.

“I feel great,” Palacios said. “Finger’s feeling great. Body’s feeling great. Now, I can grip the bat fully. I have no limitations there. When I was playing in the games and that was happening, I knew I was ready to go. And after that, it was just about getting timing down, and I was able to do that.”

The Rays have been mixing and matching in the outfield all season because of injuries. Starting right fielder Josh Lowe (oblique) has been out since Opening Day, and center fielder Jonny DeLuca (shoulder) went down last week. But are expected to still be out for several weeks.

Kameron Misner and Mangum have been filling in nicely in their absenses, but getting Palacios back will help Cash move the chess pieces a little easier.

Taj Bradley (2-1) took the loss for Tampa Bay. He allowed six runs in 5.1 innings, giving up six hits and walking four. It was his roughest outing of the season. He was chased in the sixth after giving up two walks and a single, and all three runners came around the score in the Yankees' game-winning rally.

The two teams are back in action on Friday night at Steinbrenner Field. Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 0.60 ERA), who's been the Rays' best pitcher so far, will get the start in the 7:05 p.m. ET game.

The Yankees will counter with veteran Carlos Rodon (1-3, 5.48 ERA), who's been off to a slow start for New York. After a solid debut on Opening Day, allowing just one run in 5.1 innings in a 4-2 over the Milwaukee Brewers, he's been hit hard in his next three starts, giving up at least four runs in every outing to Arizona, Detroit and San Francisco.

Related Rays stories