Rays Rally Late, But Fall in Extra Innings to Homer-Happy Yankees

TAMPA, Fla. — They put up a fight this time, a fight to the finish, but the Tampa Bay Rays still couldn't figure out a way to beat the New York Yankees on Wednesday night at Steinbrenner Field.

The Rays — who gave up a franchise record nine home runs Tuesday night — lost 6-4 in 10 innings on Wednesday. It was a sad ending, considering the Rays had tied the game in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the ninth on a two-out, two-strike two-run double by catcher Hunter Feduccia. The ball hit at the top of the wall in right-center field, and missed being a walk-off homer by just a few feet.

But in the 10th, closer Pete Fairbanks gave up long home runs to Giancarlo Stanton and Austin Wells to give the Yankees another win in their spring training home that they are renting to the Rays for $15 million this season after Tropicana Field was damaged by Hurricane Milton last fall. The Yankees hit 14 home runs in two nights — with all 19 runs coming via the home run.

The Rays finished just 1-5 in their ''home games'' against the Yankees, and went 4-9 in their season series with the American League East rivals.

"It’s frustrating, and we're using that word probably too much right now,” manager Kevin Cash said after the Rays fell to 61-66, falling to a season-low five games under .500. "It's amazing how many balls have gone out here over the last two days, and that one (hit by Feduccia) didn't get out. That was unfortunate.”

It was a little surprising that the Rays were even in the game at the end because Yankees starter Cam Schlittler had a perfect game through six innings, retiring the first 18 Rays in order. Rays starter Drew Rasmussen, was good too, allowing just two runs in six innings.

The Rays finally got a hit from Chandler Simpson in the seventh, and loaded the bases with two walks. But reliever Luke Weaver struck out Feduccia to end the threat.

The Rays made it 3-1 in the eighth when rookie slugger Bob Seymour hit his first major-league home run. And in the ninth, Brandon Lowe walked and Junior Caminero singled, setting the stage for Feduccia's big hit. He thought for sure his 393-foot shot was gone.

"I thought I had enough,” said Feduccia, who came to the Rays at the trade deadline. These were his first RBIs. “Sure enough, it was about a foot or two short. Yeah, unfortunate.”

"It was a big boost of confidence. I'm still kind of new to the team and working my way into everything. So that was huge for me, for sure.”

The Yankees' 14 homers in the two-game series tied a major-league record set by the 1999 Cincinnati Reds. And those were the first runs Fairbanks had allowed all month, through seven outings.

"They hit a ton (of home runs) in the series,” Fairbanks said. “The team's hot. It happens. I got got. But I'm not going to run from the strike zone because of it. Every mistake can't be hit for a home run every series like it was this one.”

The Rays did threaten in the bottom of the 10th, with Seymour getting a single to score ghost-runner Jake Mangum. Tristan Gray followed with a double, but then closer Devin Williams struck out Simpson, Yandy Diaz and Brandon Lowe in order to end the game.

The Rays remain 6.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final wild-card spot, but they are running out of time, with only 35 games remaining. Next up are the St. Louis Cardinals, who are here for three games. It's an odd schedule, with games Thursday and Friday night, and then on Sunday afternoon.

There is no game Saturday because of a conflict with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers preseason game.

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