SOLVE RAYS

Third straight defeat

really be a threat to the opposing pitching staff.

“We haven’t done a great job of that so far,” Gardner said.

That lack of support and an inefficient outing left German with his first career loss to the Rays.

German, who did not get into the fourth in his first start of the season, could only get through it Saturday. The right-hander gave up four earned runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out five.

After missing the 2019 playoffs and all of the 2020 season while serving an 81-game suspension under the MLB/ MLBPA joint domestic violence policy, the Yankees were pleasantly surprised this spring by what they saw. German looked dominant in March and Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he was stunned there was “no rust.”

In April, however, that rust started to show through.

Unfortunately for German, the home run ball is still hurting him. He gave up long shots to Austin Meadows — the first runs

Yankees pitchers have allowed in the first inning this season — and Randy Arozarena on Saturday. He also gave up two homers in his first start.

“I thought he threw the ball OK,” Boone said. “He had a little more life on his fastball today. I thought he settled in pretty well and started commanding the secondary stuff pretty well. So really, it was just the two home runs and the inability to grab a couple softly hit balls back to him.”

It was German’s first loss to the Rays, but it is becoming a disturbing trend for the Yankees early on in 2021.

“It’s not always a start, but it’s how you finish. So hopefully we can find a way to get things together,” Gardner said. “Starting tomorrow, hopefully we get on the right track. That’s one thing that I always trust everybody in that room says is all these games right now are just as important as those games in September. So, it’s important for us to show up tomorrow and try and salvage a win in the series and move on to the Blue Jays.”