Start spreading the news: the Yankees are out of answers.
New York flatlined in a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, falling into a 2-0 ALDS hole as the series heads north.
Tampa Bay stayed hot after Jon Gruden’s pregame hype at Tropicana Field. Needing a bounce-back after Drew Rasmussen’s eight no-hit innings in Game 1, the Yankees instead stumbled right out of the gate.
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Three first-inning defensive errors handed Tampa Bay an early 1-0 lead when Junior Caminero hit into a fielder’s choice off starter Cam Schlittler. It marked the fifth postseason game in Yankees franchise history with four or more errors.
New York tied the game in the fourth on a solo home run by Ben Rice off Rays starter Freddy Peralta.
The Yankees loaded the bases in the top of the fifth, but Cody Bellinger flied out to the warning track against reliever Cam Booser to leave everyone stranded.
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The Rays made them pay immediately in the bottom half with an RBI groundout by Liam Hicks, an RBI infield hit by Chandler Simpson, and a two-run single from Richie Palacios to break it open.
Rice was the only Yankee providing any real sign of life, launching his second home run of the night in the eighth inning to trim the deficit to 5-2. His two-homer game couldn’t wake up the rest of the lineup, and New York’s frustration peaked when Spencer Jones hit a fly ball that struck the Tropicana Field catwalk for an out under ‘live-play’ rules, echoing Ty France’s roof hit at American Family Field on Saturday.
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With no room left for error, the Yankees head back to the Bronx facing elimination. Game 3 pits Yankees ace Max Fried against the Rays’ 15-game winner, Nick Martinez, to keep New York alive.
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