CRUMBLE IN THE BRONX
O YANKS SWEPT BY RAYS TO FALL OUT OF FIRST PLACE O PAXTON, GLEYBER JOIN INJURY PARADE
The bad news started for the Yankees early Thursday and continued all the way until after the game.
They lost Zack Britton to the injured list before the game, then Gleyber Torres to a tight hamstring and James Paxton developed a forearm issue.
Then there was the 10-5 loss to the Rays, as the Yankees fell out of first place in the AL East.
Tampa Bay came to The Bronx and won three straight to take over the division lead, having won six of seven games between the teams this year. It was the first time the Yankees were swept in a multi-game series at home in nearly three years, since Cleveland did it in 2017.
And after the game, the Yankees learned the Subway Series opener scheduled for Friday at Citi Field was postponed due to two COVID cases with the Mets. Whew. The injuries remain a concern — just like a year ago — and the Yankees have already dealt with coronavirus-related postponements.
Getting knocked around by the Rays was something new — and potentially alarming.
“They’ve got our number right now, obviously,” said Adam Ottavino, whose poor showing in the sixth helped lead to the latest defeat.
“It’s unfortunate. We’re gonna have to find a way to have … better outcomes against them. We play them three more times and we have plenty of season left. I’m not really worried, but it’s definitely a little frustrating to get thoroughly beaten like that.”
Ottavino’s main solace came from the fact he was confident the Yankees would bounce back Friday night against the Mets in Queens, but moments later, MLB postponed the game.
“2020 is like no other year,” Aaron Boone said after Friday’s postponement was announced. “In a way, we knew what we signed up for.”
The same could be said with the rash of injuries, which the Yankees also experienced a year ago — and mostly overcame. Not much seems to have changed.
Paxton didn’t allow a hit until the fifth, but then was touched for three runs — including a two-run double by Joey Wendle. It was the only hit Paxton gave up, but it was costly. Now they hold their breath. Boone said the left-hander, whose velocity was down again on Thursday, felt some discomfort in the elbow/forearm region and he was getting tested.
The Yankees got homers from Luke Voit and Gio Urshela and had a one-run lead heading into the sixth, but that’s when Ottavino and Luis Avilan combined to give up five two-out runs, highlighted by a three-run homer from Mike Zunino.
Voit gave the Yankees the lead in the bottom of the first, belting a homer for a fourth straight game. The solo shot to dead center also extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
But the Yankees still finished the series just 1-for-21 with runners in scoring position, an issue that was brought up in a hitters’ meeting Thursday.
“It’s something we have to hound on,’’ Voit said. “We talked about it before the game and it’s still not enough. … It’s very obvious we’re not producing in big spots.”
That’s no doubt due in part to the Rays’ pitching, as well as the absence of DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton — all out with injuries — and the loss of Torres, who was replaced by Thairo Estrada.
Still, Urshela’s shot in the fifth put the Yankees up, 4-3.
Ottavino came on to start the sixth and gave up a double to Yandy Diaz and walked pinch-hitter Brandon Lowe. He retired the next two batters, but Manuel Margot delivered a run-scoring single to tie the game.
Avilan came in and gave up a bullet off the wall to Wendle. Then Mike Zunino hit one out to left for a three-run shot to make it 8-4.