This afternoon the New York Yankees and ace Gerrit Cole went for what may be their most important game this season. A sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees have had big problems this season winning against the Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. However, in the past two nights, the Yankees have taken the first two games of the series and had a chance for the sweep today and a possible turnaround to their season. Cole faced the Tampa Bay pitcher Luis Patino. The sweep was not to be had as the Rays shut out the Yankees 14-0.
At the first, DJ LeMahieu went down on strikes. Aaron Judge singled to right-center. Odor flew out to center. A wild pitch allowed Judge to go to second. Giancarlo Stanton went down on a Patino slider to end the scoreless half.
Brandon Lowe, at the bottom of the inning, took the first pitch he saw from Cole for his 23rd home run of the season, just above the right-field foul pole. Upon review, it was called a foul ball over the foul pole. Lowe finally singled to short and beat out the throw. Ji-Man Choi, who has been a Cole killer (10-21), walked. Yandy Diaz singled, driving in Lowe for the Rays lead. Austin Meadows hit a three-run home run to center to give the Rays a four-run lead without Cole getting a single out. Randy Arozarena went down swinging. Wander Franco struck out. Kevin Kiermaier flew out sharply to Florial in center. Tampa Bay Rays 4 New York 0.
The top of the second was led off by Gleyber Torres, who singled to right. Gio Urshela lofted one to right field for the first out. Brett Gardner hit an infield single. Kyle Higashioka went down looking. Estevan Florial flew out to left to end the half. At the bottom, Mike Zunino ground out to second. Brett Phillips struck out. Lowe went down on a changeup for a 1-2-3 inning comeback for Cole. Rays 4 Yankees 0.
LeMahieu led off the third inning flew out to centerfield. Judge also flew out to center. Odor made the third out to center for a quick half for Patino. Choi led off the bottom of the inning by flying out to Gardner in left. Diaz doubled past Urshela. Meadows went down on strikes. Arozarena struck out on a Cole slider to end the inning. Rays 4 Yankees 0.
The fourth inning saw Stanton at the plate; he struck out. Torres went down on strikes. Urshela made the third strikeout. At the bottom, Franco flew out to left. Kiermaier went down on strikes, and Zunino stuck out swinging. Rays 4 Yankees 0.
The fifth inning was led off by Brett Gardner, who flew out to left. Higashioka popped out to Choi at first. Florial drew a walk, but LeMahieu flew out to right to end the half. At the bottom of the fifth, with 71 pitches and 8 strikeouts from Cole, Phillips became the ninth victim. Lowe flew out to center. Choi got Cole’s 10th strikeout. Rays 4 Yankees 0.
Aaron Judge led off the sixth inning by walking. Odor went down looking. Stanton struck out for the third time. Torres flew out to the warning track in left. Diaz led off the bottom and ground out to second. Meadows had a line-drive single to center. Arozarena got a short base hit to right, holding Meadows at second. Franco walked to load up the bases with Rays. Kiermaier doubled to allow two runs to score. Those two runs and 105 pitches thrown knocked Cole out of the game.
Albert Abreu replaced him, facing Zunino, who walked to reload the bases. Phillips had a grand slam to put the Rays up 10 runs. Lowe walked. Choi homered up the center-field seats for another two runs. Diaz singled to left. Meadows followed with another home run, finally knocking Abreu out of the game. Still, with only one out and after giving up 10 runs in the inning Sal Romano took to the mound to face Arozarena, who had a ground-rule double with a ball that bounced beyond Judge into the right-field stands. Franco went down looking for the second out of the inning. Kiermaier singled to center. Zunino flew out to Judge in right to finally end the inning, with the Rays tacking on 10 runs in the inning. Rays 14 Yankees 0.
At the top of the seventh, Louis Head was on the mound for the Rays to face Tyler Wade pinch-hitting for Urshela; he went down swinging. Brett Gardner popped out to third. Higashioka popped out to Choi at first. At the bottom, with Romano still on the mound, Phillips was called out on strikes. Lowe flew out to left, and Choi struck out looking for a 1-2-3 inning for Romano. Rays 14 Yankees 0.
The eighth inning was led off by Estevan Florial, who singled to left. LeMahieu flew out to center. Ryan LaMarre pinch-hitting for Judge as it appears the Yankees have conceded the game struck out. With Odor coming to the plate, Head was replaced by Ryan Sherriff, Odor with one on and two outs, flew out to left. At the bottom of the inning Clay Holmes, the new Yankee reliever, made his Yankee debut. He led off, grounding out Diaz. Meadows flew out to Florial in center. Arozarena was called out on strikes as Holmes had a 1-2-3 inning in his Yankee debut.
With last licks on the line for the New York Yankees Giancarlo Stanton took to the plate with the Yankees behind 14 runs, he walked. Gleyber Torres ground into a double play. Tyler Wade flew out to center to end an embarrassing loss for the Yankees.
The final score was the Tampa Bay Rays 14 and the New York Yankees 10. The winning pitcher was Luis Patino and the loser was Gerrit Cole.