New York Bounces Back Against Tampa Bay In The Bronx
After losing the opener to Tampa Bay New York bounced back in game two and evened up the series.
- Aaron Judge tracked the flight of his eighth-inning drive as it spun toward the 314-foot marker in right field, expecting that it would tail to the right of the foul pole. Indeed, the masses on hand at Yankee Stadium groaned when the ball arced a few seats wide. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
A happy customer cradled the souvenir and Judge returned to the batter's box, preparing for Colin Poche to try another fastball. The resulting drive exploded off of the slugger's bat and provided the Yankees with their first lead of the evening, sparking a six-run rally in an 8-3 victory over the Rays on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
Once it goes foul, you've got to brush it off and take a deep breath and focus on the next pitch," Judge said. "It's an important pitch. He's got a good fastball that a lot of guys were fouling off, that plays up in the zone. I just tried to find one down in the zone I could drive." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
Didi Gregorius blew the game open later in the frame by launching his fourth career grand slam, representing the shortstop's biggest hit of his injury-shortened season to date. Edwin Encarnacion and DJ LeMahieu also homered as the Yankees restored their lead in the American League East to six games, scoring all of their runs via the homer. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
"I finally came through for the team," Gregorius said. "I’ve been in situations and couldn’t come through. I was finally able to come through, especially against the lefty. That makes it even better." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
The Judge sequence was eerily similar to one in the eighth inning of Monday’s series opener, when Encarnacion followed a long foul drive with his second home run of the game. That was reduced to a footnote when Aroldis Chapman coughed up the lead, one strike away from victory. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
"Pretty, pretty big," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "Another big comeback win, especially after going home after last night." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
Gleyber Torres opened the eighth with a walk, but Poche retired the next two hitters, bringing Judge to the plate with a runner on and two outs. Judge worked the count full, slugging his foul “homer” on a 3-2 count, then launching Poche's 95.6-mph heater for his second go-ahead homer in the eighth inning or later this season (also July 5 at St. Petersburg). “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
"I try to hit the pitch where it's pitched," Judge said. "If it's away, I'll go away. If it's in, I pull it. Just depends on the pitch." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
Luke Voit followed with a single and Gary Sánchez doubled before the Rays intentionally walked Encarnacion, loading the bases for Gregorius. Boone had said that he did not believe Gregorius' stroke was far off, despite a slump over which Gregorius had one hit across 23 at-bats (.043) as he heard his name announced in the eighth inning. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
Poche's 1-2 pitch to Gregorius was a fastball out of the strike zone, but it did not sail high enough. The shortstop sparked bedlam by swatting the offering into the right-field seats for the Yanks' fourth grand slam of the season, following Torres' June 19 blast at Tropicana Field. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
"You pass the baton and just keep fighting," Gregorius said. "I had two strikes, and I was able to put a good swing on a high pitch, and it went out. It felt pretty good to come through, finally." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
If it feels like these division rivals have seen plenty of each other, it is because they have. CC Sabathia acknowledged that there is "no love lost" between himself and the Rays, having briefly cleared benches in the sixth inning after engaging in an on-field argument with Avisail Garcia. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
"It’s a good team," Sabathia said. "They are really good, right there with us. We’re battling for the division, so all the games are going to be intense." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
Judge said that it was possible that the late surge had something to do with Sabathia's outburst, with the Bombers' bats having been limited to Encarnacion's homer through five innings, providing meager support as Sabathia allowed three runs and five hits over six frames. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
In addition, Judge lauded the relief appearance by David Hale, who entered a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh and induced Travis d'Arnaud to hit into an inning-ending double play. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
"Having the bases loaded and facing that lineup, one of the best teams in the league, that's very rare you ever come out with no runs," Judge said. "He did his job, and we had to do our job." “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-didi-gregorius-hits-grand-slam-vs-rays
With the win, New York who is first in the American League East improves to 60-33 on the regular season.
While New York evened up the series Tampa Bay had their first setback of the series.
The season series between the Rays and Yankees has been filled with late-inning heroics, and Tuesday night’s game was no different, as New York scored six runs off reliever Colin Poche in the eighth inning to lead New York to an 8-3 win at Yankee Stadium. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
Austin Meadows gave the Rays an early lead with a solo home run, his second since the All-Star break, in the second inning. Yandy Díaz did the rest of the work offensively with a solo home run in the fourth inning and an RBI double in the sixth to give the Rays a 3-1 lead. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
DJ LeMahieu answered right back, connecting on a solo home run of his own in the sixth. But it was Aaron Judge who delivered the decisive blow with a go-ahead two-run home run off Poche to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead with two outs in the eighth inning. Didi Gregorius delivered the knockout punch with a grand slam four batters later, giving the Yankees an 8-3 lead. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
Poche, who relies on a fastball that he throws 95 percent of the time, admitted that his command was slightly off on Tuesday, which resulted in the left-hander giving up the two home runs. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
“The command of [the fastball] obviously wasn’t there,” Poche said. “Just kind of kept missing spots, and they kept putting good swings on pitches. Fell behind on some counts, and they put some barrels on the ball the whole inning.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
But while the two home runs ultimately led to all of the runs in the inning, Poche says it was the leadoff walk to Gleyber Torres that he wishes he could take back. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
“With that lineup, you’re going to give up home runs, and you really just want to keep guys off the bases,” Poche said. “Any team you face, you can’t walk the leadoff hitter, and I think that was kind of indicative of where my command was today.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
Manager Kevin Cash said that the Rays could’ve gone with right-hander Oliver Drake to face Judge, but he liked the matchup with Poche because the Yankees outfielder had zero career at-bats against Poche coming into the game. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
“If you get the fastball above Judge’s path, you have a chance for a popup or something,” Cash said. “Also, we were pretty taxed with the bullpen, and we had already gotten aggressive with Jalen [Beeks']’s outing. Then to go to [Hunter Wood], we were kind of running thin.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
Despite the loss, the Rays did accomplish some positives on Tuesday. The team played heads-up defense, converting on a 6-5-4-4-3 double play to end a threat in the fifth inning. Wood and Poche did some quality things, despite Poche allowing six two-out runs in the eighth. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
Beeks, who was recalled from Triple-A Durham before the game, pitched well in relief in his return to the big league club, allowing just one run and striking out five over 3 1/3 innings. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
The offense, however, was unable to add to the lead and missed out on significant chances, including a bases-loaded, one-out threat in the seventh inning, which ended with David Hale getting Travis d'Arnaud to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
Then the Rays’ bullpen, which has received significant criticism lately, was unable to hold onto the lead in the late innings. It’s the third time in the last six meetings between the two teams that the Rays have allowed a six-run frame in the eighth inning or later. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
The loss came with some extra drama, which has been the case in most of the games that CC Sabathia has pitched against the Rays. Sabathia struck out Avisaíl García looking to close the sixth inning, but the two exchanged some words as the Yankees starter was returning to the dugout, ultimately causing both dugouts and bullpens to clear. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
“I didn’t say anything,” Garcia said. “I respect him, good competitor and it’s fun to face him. I respect him, so I don’t have anything to say. It was for no reason. He was trying to do his job, I was trying to do my job, so there’s no problem at all.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
It served as another sign of a brewing rivalry between the Rays and the Yankees, who will face off just four more times this season. But on Tuesday, it was the Yankees’ turn to answer back, evening up the current four-game series. “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
“The past two series with them, it’s been kind of dramatic,” Rays shortstop Willy Adames said. “It’s been close up until the ninth, the eighth, someone takes the lead, either them or us. I like those types of games. The intensity is really good, and it’s kind of like playoff games. I like the battle.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-lose-to-yankees-after-six-run-eighth-inning
With the loss , Tampa Bay drops to 56-41 on the season and is six games back of New York in the American League East.
New York and Tampa Bay are supposed to continue their series with game three of four on Wednesday but mother nature might be the deciding factor as to if they get the game in or not.