The New York Yankees provided less than two runs of support for Sonny Gray for the fifth time in his eight starts as a Yankee.
The two runs that Sonny Gray allowed would prove fatal as the New York Yankees fell to the Tampa Bay Rays, 2-1.
Two bad pitches, his first and one of his last. Gray allowed two solo home runs in Tuesday night’s loss, but otherwise was spectacular and everything the Yankees had hoped for.
This time, it was their offense that failed them.
The Yankees got on the board in the top of the first inning. Aaron Judge drew his American League-leading 110th walk and advanced on a weak groundout by Gary Sanchez. Matt Holliday laced a sharp line drive to left field, just under the glove of Corey Dickerson, scoring Judge from second.
Matt Holliday’s 2-out RBI double gets the @Yankees on the board first! pic.twitter.com/vSiVzEwvn3
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 12, 2017
The Rays would answer back immediately, on Sonny Gray’s first pitch of the evening. Kevin Kiermaier took the Gray offering to deep right center field to tie the ballgame at one.
Yankees Leadoff HR allowed
– 2017: 9
– 2015-16: 8— Katie Sharp (@ktsharp) September 12, 2017
Rays starter Blake Snell would hold the Yankees in line, allowing just one more hit and striking out five over his five innings of work.
The Rays had an opportunity to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Back-to-back hits from Wilson Ramos and Brad Miller left runners at the corners with only one out. Gray swiftly worked out of trouble, striking out Adeiny Hechavarria and Kiermaier to end the threat.
Hechavarria would get the best of Gray his next time, ripping a solo home run to deep left field to put the Rays on top 2-1.
Gray went eight strong innings, allowing just five hits and striking out nine. Gray’s record falls to 9-10 on the season and 3-5 with the New York Yankees.
The Yankees managed only three hits, the only extra-base hit being Holliday’s double in the first.
The Yankees conclude their series against the Rays at Citi Field Wednesday in a weekday matinee at 1:10 PM. Jaime Garcia takes on Chris Archer in the finale.
