The Yankees beat the Rays 12-4; Knock Rassummsen In The 3rd Inning

The Yankees won this game 12-4. They had a bullpen game, which can be effective, against one of the best pitchers in baseball, Drew Rassummsen. He is going to play in the All-Star game and is deadly against right-handed hitters.

Against right-handed batters, Rasmussen has been dominant, combining high strikeout rates with low walk and home run totals. Actually, the best statistics in baseball. It is why the Yankees started 6 left-handed batters, plus a switch-hitter, in this game. His ability to limit power and induce swings and misses makes him particularly effective in this matchup, which is a key factor in his success as a starting pitcher.

Yankees and Rays Game Summary July 9

In the first inning, Junior Caminero hit a solo home run. The Rays led 1-0. As the Yankees have not scored in a while, this seemed like an insurmountable lead. However, in the third inning, Ryan McMahon doubled, and Max Schumann scored.

The score was 1-1. That is the first run the Bronx Bombers had scored on Rasmussen in 15 innings. Then, Trent Grisham singled and Ryan McMahon scored. That run gave the Bombers a 2-1 lead. It was a bounty after that. Ben Rice hit a two-run home run. Both Trent Grisham scored. The Yankees took a 4-1 lead. That was not all. Jose Caballero singled, and Jasson Dominguez scored. It was 5-1, Yanks. The left-handed hitters in the lineup clearly got to Drew Rasummen, who was removed from the game. Then, Jazz Chisoholm Jr. hit a sacrifice fly, and Cody Bellinger scored.

The Rays scored a run when Junior Caminero grounded into a double play. With a 6-1 lead, the Bombers would take two outs for Nick Fortes scoring. It was now 6-2. Then Victor Mesa doubled, and Yandy Diaz scored. It was 6-3. The Rays were coming back.

In the fourth inning, Austin Wells, of all people, hit a solo home run. It was only his fifth home run of the year and just his eleventh run batted in. The Bombers led 7-3.

In the sixth inning, Ben Rice hit another home run, this one a three-run home run. Austin Wells and Trent Grisham scored. The score was now 10-3, Bombers.

In the sixth inning, Ben Willisamson singled and Chandler Simpsom, who had tripled for the second consecutive inning, scored. That made the score 10-4.

In the seventh inning, Ryan McMahon doubled, and Max Schumann scored. That increased the lead to a remarkable 11-4. In the eigth inning, Cody Brellinger singled, and Ben Rice scored. All of a sudden, the team had 12 runs and 14 hits. 12-4 was the final score of the game.

Offensive Futility

The Yankees are setting new records for offensive futility. They have gone 20 consecutive games with scoring 5 or fewer runs. That is the first time this has happened. They have several players who are slumping. Paul Goldschmidt is on a career-long 0-34 side. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is hitting just .224 this season, and he has gone 12 games without a home run or an RBI. Cody Bellinger is slumping. In his last 16 games, he has gone .121 with one RBI, striking out 16 times, and producing just one extra-base hit. These are precisely the players who should be leading the team offensively with both Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton out of the lineup.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Yankees won this game against the Rays 12-4, in one of the most unlikely outcomes one can imagine. The player of this game was Ben Rice, who hit his 27th and 28th home runs in this game. He had five runs batted in. This was the last game of a four-game series. The Yankees take on the Washington Nationals tomorrow at 6:45. The Rays face the Mariners tomorrow at 7:10.

Conclusion

Baseball is a funny game. On paper, the Yankees had no chance in this game. They were facing a All-Star pitcher who had the best numbers in baseball against right-handed hitters. They matched up by throwing a bullpen game. They have been anemic of late, scoring 5 runs or less in 20 consecutive games. They scored seven in this game and actually won. In doing so, they split the four-game series in Tampa Bay. That was important, as they trailed in the division by four games, the same as before the series.