Another error at 3rd comes at worst time
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — So much has gone right for the Yankees in these first 39 games, but there is one significant issue.
The defense at third base has to be cleaned up, and that was the case again Friday night in a difficult 5-4 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field.
Chase Headley owns nine errors already. He was given the night off and replaced by Ronald Torreyes.
The Rays scored three runs in the seventh inning, the last two coming home on pinch-hitter Rickie Weeks Jr.’s two-out chopper that got under Torreyes’ glove to put the Rays up 4-2. It was scored a double.
“It was a play I should have caught,’’ Torreyes said. “And it was the difference of the game.’’ Two lockers down was Headley, who noted: “That’s a do-ordie one, it’s a tough play. If he sits back on it, he’s probably safe at first, I think he made the right play. It’s just a tough play.’’
As for his nine errors, Headley vowed to The Post he will be better defensively.
“Let me start by saying that’s too many, but by the same token, I had two on one play the other day, a ball that got in the lights and I couldn’t see it. It came down and hit my glove and I made a bad decision trying to throw it, so that’s two right there.
“I need to be cleaner, but I think I’ve played better than the numbers show,’’ Headley added. “I’m not trying to sugarcoat it, I need to clean up some things but I’ve also made some good plays.’’
The Yankees are going to have to make more good plays, especially after they have lost six of the last nine games.
Following the Weeks double, the Yankees tied it at 4-4 on Matt Holliday’s tworun blast in the eighth. But the Rays came back to score in the bottom of the eighth on Evan Longoria’s two-out RBI single to left off Tyler Clippard.
Ballgame. Clippard dug a hole that inning with two walks.
In the Yankees’ eighth, the Rays went to a couple of young relievers and it hurt them. Jose Alvarado walked leadoff hitter Brett Gardner, but got Jacoby Ellsbury to pop to short on a 3-1 pitch.
That was it for the lefty. Ryne Stanek came into the game firing 100-mph missiles. What came in 100 left at 99 and landed in the right-field seats after Holliday crushed the four-seam fastball, But the Yankees then fell behind.
Bench coach Rob Thomson subbed in as Yankees manager because Joe Girardi was attending his daughter’s high school graduation on the other side of the state. This was Girardi’s lineup.
“Toe [Torreyes] got an in-be- tween hop,” Thomson said. “He’s been a really good player for us for two years.’’
Clippard had to face Longoria because he had walked Kevin Kiermaier on four pitches. It was that kind of night. Little mistakes hurt a lot.
Add them all up and you come up with another loss.
Longoria had four hits on the night, tying his career high. He is a Yankees killer. That was the 102nd RBI of his career against the Yankees, the most of any active player.
This was a trying night for the Yankees because Luis Severino threw so many pitches in the first and was out of the game after five innings. A lot was asked of the bullpen.
Yankees pitchers managed to strike out 13 Rays, who tied an American League record with double-digit strikeouts for the seventh straight game. However, the Rays put the ball in play when they had to at the biggest times, a little chopper to third and Longoria’s single in the hole.
Longoria came into the game on an 0-for-12 skid, so this was quite the night for him, but that always seems to be the case against the Yankees.
“They’re all tough losses,’’ Thomson said. “Longoria has hurt us in the past, he’s a heck of a player.’’
But it all came back to defense. A do-or-die play at third base was not made and it cost the Yankees.