By Ethan Semendinger
May 12th, 2024
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Sometimes teams just have bad games. Today, the Yankees had a bad pitching game. It happens.
Quick Stats -
Winning Pitcher: Zack Littell (2-2, 3.02 ERA)
Losing Pitcher: Nestor Cortes (1-4, 4.02 ERA)
Save: None
Home Runs (New York): None
Home Runs (Tampa Bay): Yandy Diaz (2), Randy Arozarena (7)
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Big Story - Going into yesterday's game, the Yankees have played to a 7-3 record over their last 10 games. This has included scoring 42 runs, while allowing only 28 runs. Though, these games have not all been heavy victories and the run total is heavily skewed by back-to-back wins against the Astros where the Yankees scored 10 and 9 runs respectively.
However, this all goes to paint the picture that the Yankees have been firing on all cylinders since the beginning of the month of May. They've only allowed a team to score 5 (or more) runs once during the month- allowing the Orioles to score 7 runs on May 2nd- while they themselves have scored 5 (or more) runs 4 times this month.
So, could the Yankees keep this up?
This was the line-up going into the mid-day game from Florida:
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Player(s) of the Game -
Anthony Volpe: 3-4, 2 RBI's, SB, 1 K
Notable Performances -
Trent Grisham: 0-1, BB, HBP, 1 K
No other hitters got on base more than once...
No pitchers went 1+ innings with 0 runs...
Better to Forget -
Nestor Cortes: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 5 K's
Dennis Santana: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 1 K
Juan Soto: 0-4
Aaron Judge: 0-3, HBP, 1 K
Alex Verdugo: 0-4
Gleyber Torres: 0-2, 1 K
Oswaldo Cabrera: 0-2
Jose Trevino: 0-2
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The Game - .Looking at the stats above, it's amazing the Yankees even scored 2 runs, both coming in the second inning. The Yankees had already fallen behind 1-0 (thanks to a 1st inning solo HR from Yandy Diaz- these first inning home runs are becoming very common), but an Austin Wells double and 2-out Trent Grisham walk brought Anthony Volpe to the plate. A nice line drive single later and the Yankees were leading 2-1.
In the bottom of the 3rd, Randy Arozarena hit a 3-run home run to give the Rays the lead back, now at 4-2. But the game wasn't close to over. While the pitching wasn't great, Nestor Cortes pitched into the 6th inning and didn't allow another run. And, Dennis Santana completed that inning without a problem either. The problem was the 7th inning.
And, the Yankees had chances up to that point to start crawling back. Trent Grisham had a 2-out hit by a pitch and Anthony Volpe singled him over to third...but Juan Soto (believe it or not) didn't come through clutch. The Yankees had their chance to tie the game.
The Rays then took advantage of Dennis Santana coming out for a 2nd inning of work, starting with a lead-off walk to former Yankee Ben Rortvedt. Then, one ground-out later (which advanced Rortvedt to 2nd), Yandy Diaz came up with an RBI double. (5-2, Rays). Following the lead, Randy Arozarena hit an RBI double too. (6-2, Rays). Ian Hamilton came in for relief of Santana, allowed a single, and a sacrifice fly (7-2, Rays) before ending the inning. Damage done.
The rest of the game went by quick. The Yankees went 0-6 and the Rays had just one baserunner: another walk from Rortvedt.
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Sometimes your team is going to lose. Sometimes the pitching is going to make too many mistakes. Sometimes the hitters just don't get any hits.
From this game, I don't have any worry. I don't have any drama to extract and try to turn into a story, or a question, or any moments of contention. The Yankees lost. They didn't show up, but not for lack of trying.
Instead, it was just a game they lost. Yandy Diaz and Randy Arozarena beat the Yankees by scoring 5 runs/bringing in 6 runs between them both. The Rays bullpen held the Yankees to just a single baserunner after the 6th inning. Zack Littell gave the Yankees very little to work with.
It happens.
Now, let's move on to today's game. And win.
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Next Up - The Yankees (26-15) finish up their weekend series against the Rays (20-20) with a Mother's Day matinee. Luis Gil (3-1, 2.92 ERA) takes the mound against Tyler Alexander (1-1, 4.96 ERA). The game will be televised locally on YES. Let's win this series!
