Yankees Lose to Rays 6-4, Concerns Mounting For Bronx Bombers

The Yankees lost to the Rays, 6-4. Many fans of the team feared they would get swept by the Rays, who are superior on paper. However, games are not played on paper; they are played by real people, and the Bronx Bombers will not get swept in this series, they won the first game.

The Yankees seem to be swimming in good news. They beat the Rays yesterday. Also, it was announced before the game that one of their first-time all-stars, Ben Rice, will participate in the Home Run Derby. Did you think the Bombers were going to win this game tonight?

Yankees and Rays Game Summary July 7

The Yankees beat the Rays last night 5-1. They struck out 17 times and only got three hits. However, each of those hits was a home run. The Yankees scored more runs than the Rays, and that is all that counts. They were optimistic in this game because they were facing the weakest pitcher Tampa Bay is throwing in this series, Ian Seymour. He is 5-1, but had a 4.02 earned run average. Here is how the game played out.

In the second inning, Victor Mesa Jr. hit a solo home run for the Rays. That gave them a 1-0 lead. The Yankees needed to score first in this game to keep the good feelings going from the win last night, but it was not to be. Then, Yandy Diaz singled, and Richie Palacios, who was running on the pitch, scored.

In the third inning, Ben Rice hit his 26th home run of the year. That was a three-run shot. Max Schumann and Trent Grishan scored. The Yankees took a 3-2 lead.

In the sixth inning the Rays scored four runs. First, Ritchie Palacios doubled and Taylor Walls scored. Then, Hunter Feduccia hit a two-run home run and Ritchie Palacios scored. Then, Yandy Diaz hit a home run. When it wasall said and done the Rays led 6-3. That was it for Will Warren.

In the seventh inning, Ali Sanchez hit a sacrific fly and Jazz Chisolm Jr. scored. That made it a 6-4 game.

Home Run Derby Participant

The Yankees have a Home Run Derby participant in Ben Rice, who came into the game tonight with 25 home runs. His father is going to pitch to him, and it should be fun to see Ben Rice display his power in Philadelphia. That is a Stadium where he should do well. Some people fear Home Run Derby participation, fearing it will negatively affect a player’s swing and pointing to several examples where that happened. However, this is unquestionably a good news story.

The rules for the Home Run Derby have changed. Gone is the golden ball, which is too bad, as that was fun. In the first round, each player gets 20 swings. Every swing counts toward the total, regardless of whether it results in a home run. If a player hits a home run on their 20th swing, they continue swinging until they fail to hit a home run. The top 4 hitters advance to the semifinals. Ties are broken by the longest home run distance. There are 15 pitches in the second and third rounds, and the final round. In these two rounds, if there is a tie, it will be broken by a three-swing swingoff.

Benchings?

Jose Caballero started this game at shortstop. He started there last night and hit two home runs. It is fair to wonder if Anthony Volpe has been benched again. Maybe he will be sent to the minors when some of the injured players come back. Also not in the starting lineup tonight was Austin Wells. He was in the starting lineup last night. He is hitting an awful .151.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Yankees lost this game 6-4. The player of the game was Ben Rice, who, it was announced beforehand, would be a participant in the Home Run Derby. In the game, he had a single, double and his 26th home run, a three-run home run. These two teams continue their four-game divisional series Thursday night at 6:40. That game features a great pitching matchup with Gerrit Cole pitching for the Yanks. His saga is quite interesting.

Conclusion

The Yankees were relying upon a start from Will Warren. He got hit pretty good. He is frustrating. He is very good in most starts, and very poor in others. Overall, he still has decent statistics (tough this game hurt him), but he must become more consistant. It was difficult for the offensively-challenged Bombers to dig out of the hole he created for them. They struck out 17 more times tonight. The team did have 11 hits.