While the Tampa Bay Rays continue to hit for power, things are becoming increasingly frustrating for the New York Yankees.
After smacking eight homers over the past two games, the Rays will attempt to continue their power display when they visit the Yankees on Monday afternoon for the finale of a four-game series.
The Yankees opened the series with a 6-1 win on Friday, but Tampa Bay outscored them 15-5 in the next two games, following up a 9-1 victory with a 6-4 win on Sunday.
The Rays are attempting to go two games over .500 for the first time since they were 25-23 on May 19, and they are 17-11 in their past 28 games. During that span, Tampa Bay has hit 41 of its 95 homers.
On Sunday, Richie Palacios opened the game with a solo shot and Randy Arozarena hit his fifth homer against the Yankees this season after going deep twice during his four-hit showing on Saturday. Jose Siri hit a two-run blast, while Jose Caballero also homered and added an RBI single.
“I think that we’re capable of doing things like that,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said of his team’s recent power surge. “We just haven’t had that consistency, but these guys are capable of hitting a lot of homers.”
Since getting their 50th win of the season on June 14, the Yankees are 9-20 in their past 29 games and have allowed 51 homers.
Aaron Judge hit his major-league-leading 35th home run of the year on Sunday, clubbing a three-run shot in the seventh, but the Yankees were 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. New York loaded the bases in the first and second but came up empty in both innings.
“It’s not bouncing our way but we got to make it happen,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “We’re giving ourselves opportunities and the name of the game is cashing in. It’s kind of like football, I feel like we’re stopping the run. We’re getting third-and-long and we got to find a way to break through.”
New York’s pitching holds a 5.37 ERA during its 29-game slide, and Carlos Rodon (9-7, 4.63 ERA) will attempt to get his first victory since June 10 on Monday.
Rodon was 9-2 with a 2.93 ERA after allowing one run on five hits against the Kansas City Royals in that outing, but since then he is 0-5 with a 9.67 ERA across his past six outings.
Rodon avoided losing his sixth straight start on July 14, coming away with a no-decision after yielding two runs and four hits in four innings against the Baltimore Orioles.
The left-hander is 0-3 with a 5.34 ERA in seven career starts against the Rays. He faced Tampa Bay back on July 9, surrendering four runs on five hits in four innings en route to a loss.
Tampa Bay’s Zack Littell (3-6, 4.26) will pitch for the first time since allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits in six innings against the Cleveland Guardians on July 13. He did not factor into the decision in that outing.
Littell is 3-3 with a 2.56 ERA in 11 starts when pitching with at least five days of rest this season.
Littell is 2-0 with a 4.63 ERA in two career starts against the Yankees, who traded him to the Minnesota Twins at the 2017 trade deadline.
–Field Level Media
