Another 1-0 Loss, This Time to Yankees, For Suddenly Inept Rays Offense

TAMPA, Fla. — For the second time in three days, the Tampa Bay Rays lost a baseball game 1-0. This time it was to the New York Yankees on Friday night, where the Rays mustered just three hits in their fourth straight loss.

The game was eerily similar to Wednesday night's 1-0 to Boston at Steinbrenner Field. This time it was Carlos Rodon who was unhittable. Rodon, the Yankees' left-hander who came into the game with a fat 5.48 ERA, allowed just two hits in six innings with nine strikeouts. Tampa Bay hitters struck out 15 times on the night — including three times to closer Luke Weaver in the ninth inning.

The same thing happened Wednesday. Boston's Sean Newcomb had a 4.98 ERA before Wednesday, and the Rays made him look like Cy Young, too. The Tampa Bay bats have gone completely cold since scoring 14 runs in three innings on Monday.

That suddenly seems so long ago.

“I know every one of our hitters are feeling it right now, and there’s probably some added pressure just because of how magnifying it’s been early on and throughout this stretch of some losses,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “We’ve had opportunities and haven’t capitalized.”

That's for sure. And it started right from the get-go, where leadoff hitter Yandy Diaz walked to open the bottom of the first and Junior Caminero followed with a single. But then Curtis Mead, Christoper Morel and Danny Jansen — an odd ''heart of the order'' on Cash's lineup card — all struck out.

Rodon walked four batters, so the Rays did have some chances, but they had several mishaps on the bases. Jose Caballero was thrown out in a rundown between third and home in the fifth inning, and Jonathan Aranda was thrown out at third on a perfect relay after hitting a double off the center field wall.

The lack of offense spoiled another terrific night for Rays starter Drew Rasmussen, who pitched 5.2 innings and allowed just one run on a bloop broken-bat single by Trent Grisham in the second inning.

Coming off elbow surgery, Rasmussen has been on a bit of a pitch count and this was the first time in five starts that he's gone more than five innings. He's allowed just two runs all year, and has an 0.87 earned run average.

The loss also negated two fabulous defense plays by Rays left fielder Christopher Morel and Caballero, who robbed a home run over the wall in right field.

The 13-7 Yankees, who have the best record in the American League, won their fifth straight game, their longest winning streak of the season. This was their first shutout victory of the season and the first since Sept. 21, 2024 at Oakland. They are 6-1 in its last seven games and 7-2 in its last nine games.

The two teams meet again on Saturday at Steinbrenner Field. Shane Baz (2-0, 1.42 ERA) pitches for Tampa Bay. Carlos Carrasco (2-1, 5.94 ERA) goes for the Yankees.

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