NEW YORK — Believe it or not, this is how the Tampa Bay Rays play baseball.
(Well, kind of.)
The goal? Tight, low-scoring, fundamental baseball. An old-school style where every pitch counts and excitement fills the air.
Sure, a couple of extra-base hits or even a homer would be cool.
But considering they were on a four-game losing streak, the Rays found a silver lining in their eighth-inning rally, featuring a walk, a single with an exit velocity of 79.7 mph, a fielder’s choice also clocked at 79.7 mph, and a costly error by the Yankees.
Surprisingly, this was the first time they scored multiple runs in an inning since last Sunday in San Diego.
Thus, Tampa Bay rallied back to defeat the Yankees 3-2 on Saturday afternoon, thanks to Zack Littell’s impressive pitching, a bullpen that held strong, and an offense that scavenged for runs like finding coins in the couch cushions.
It all started when Christopher Morel hit a leadoff single in the eighth, marking his second hit of the game. Morel was replaced by pinch-runner Chandler Simpson, who then stole second before a walk to Brandon Lowe. After Junior Caminero struck out, Simpson and Lowe executed a double steal.
Curtis Mead followed up with a soft liner over the shortstop’s head, scoring one run. The second run came when Jose Caballero’s potential double-play grounder was mishandled by shortstop Anthony Volpe.
Earlier in the game, the Rays scored in a rather old-school manner, tying the game in the second inning. It started with a leadoff walk (Mead), followed by a bloop single (Caballero), a mishandled bunt (Kameron Misner), two stolen bases (by Caballero and Misner), another walk (Danny Jansen), and, finally, a sacrifice fly from Taylor Walls.
Littell had a significant role in this victory, demonstrating a remarkable recovery from early-season struggles. After starting with a 6.88 ERA in his first three games, he’s now boasting a solid 3.00 ERA in his last four outings, including three quality starts.
Unfortunately, Littell made two crucial mistakes against the Yankees, both resulting in runs. In the first inning, he threw a slider to Aaron Judge that was too inviting, leading to a homer hit 377 feet. He then retired 11 straight batters, only to give up another home run to Austin Wells, due to another high slider.
The Yankees tried to tie the game in the eighth inning with a couple of singles off Garrett Cleavinger, but Edwin Uceta came in to secure the final out, getting Judge to ground out hard to shortstop.
Pete Fairbanks stepped up for the save in the ninth, aided by two great defensive plays from Caballero at third and Mead at first.
In a different matchup, Ryan Yarbrough filled in as a left-handed starter and, while he wasn’t Max Fried, he did keep the Rays hitters guessing. Just a day after Fried allowed only one hit against Tampa Bay, Yarbrough also managed to keep the Rays to one hit in four innings in an emergency start.
The common denominator? Both pitchers are left-handers. After struggling against Fried, the Rays continued their woes against lefties, hitting just .183 this season.
Next Game: Sunday vs. Yankees
Time: 1:35 PM, Yankee Stadium, New York
Pitchers: Rays — RH Taj Bradley (2-2, 4.58); Yankees — RH Will Warren (1-1, 5.63)
TV/Radio: FanDuel Sports Sun, 95.3-FM, 620-AM, 106.7-FM (Spanish)
Info: raysbaseball.com
Upcoming Schedule
Monday:Off
Tuesday: vs. Phillies, 7:05 PM. Rays, RH Drew Rasmussen (1-2, 2.64); Phillies, RH Zack Wheeler (2-1, 3.48)
Wednesday:vs. Phillies, 7:05 PM. Rays, RH Shane Baz (3-1, 3.86); Phillies, LH Cristopher Sanchez (3-1, 3.45)
Thursday: vs. Phillies, 7:05 PM. Rays, RH Ryan Pepiot (2-4, 4.23); Phillies, TBA
Friday: vs. Brewers, 7:05 PM. Rays, RH Zack Littell (1-5, 5.03); Brewers, TBA
Saturday: vs. Brewers, 4:10 PM. Rays, RH Taj Bradley; Brewers, TBA
Conclusion
In a nail-biting encounter, the Rays managed to break their losing streak against the Yankees with a combination of smart plays, strategic steals, and solid pitching. As they move forward, the focus will be on consistency, especially when facing left-handed pitchers.
FAQs
Q: Who was the standout player in the game?
A: Zack Littell excelled with a strong pitching performance, allowing just two runs in seven innings.
Q: What’s the Rays’ current hitting struggle?
A: This season, the Rays have struggled against left-handed pitchers, hitting only .183 against them.
Q: What’s next for the team?
A: They will face the Yankees again on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, with plans to keep building on this win and improve overall performance.
