ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The Tampa Bay Rays wanted to wrap up a successful homestand by beating the Yankees in the rubber match on Sunday, and thereby winning all three series, but starting pitcher Luis Gil and the Bronx Bombers were not about to let that happen. Anthony Volpe’s lead-off triple to the right field corner was instantly followed by Juan Soto lifting one to the center field warning track. Jose Siri swatted it into his glove, and Volpe was able to trot home with the first run, just minutes into the Tropicana Field showdown.
On the board in the 1st 🙌 pic.twitter.com/StbrKfub9i
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 12, 2024
The Yankees kept their lead throughout the game, piling on with home runs from Jahmai Jones, Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres and two from Jose Trevino. For the Rays, Siri hit a grand slam to put them within one run in a five-run seventh inning, but four more from the Yankees in the top of the eighth put the game out of reach.
A GRAND gift for the Rays moms tightened this game up in a hurry. pic.twitter.com/FbGw9KDwBK
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 12, 2024
New York won 10-6 and moved within half a game of the Baltimore Orioles. Tampa Bay had high hopes in winning the first five games of the homestand, sweeping the Mets and then taking two of three from the White Sox.
Yandy Díaz, American League defending batting champ, started to find his stroke again, as did Randy Arozarena. Josh Lowe, on the injured list since spring training with hip and oblique injuries, returned to go 4 for 13 in his first four games.
Tampa Bay Rays’ duo of LatinoMVP finalists Randy Arozarena, and Yandy Díaz, starting to get hot at the plate – Image Credit: MLB
Dropping the last game to Chicago though, and then two of the three to the Yankees has taken some of the glow off the homestand. The Rays now go to Boston and Toronto for seven important games this week against the two teams closest to them in the American League East standings.
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