Yankees Split 4-Game Series with Rays

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Series Recap

April 17th: Yankees 10 Rays 2; Click here for Game 1 Recap

April 18th: Yankees 5 Rays 11; Click here for Game 2 Recap

April 19th: Yankees 1 Rays 16

April 20th: Yankees 5 Rays 1

The New York Yankees were able to head down to Tampa Bay in a four-game series against the Rays, and leave with a split despite giving up double-digit runs in two of the games. They will are now (11-8) on the season, which is good enough to be on top of the AL East.

Positives:

 In two of the four games the Yankees got really good starts from their Starting Pitchers, as C.C Sabathia and Vidal Nuno both turned in good outings. In Sabathia’s start the Yankees were able to grab the victory for him, which was his second of the season after seven strong innings allowing just two runs, only one of which was earned. Nuno didn’t have the same luck, as he left the game after five shutout innings, but had the bullpen blow the one-run lead he left with in the seventh inning.

Alfonso Soriano was the Yankees best hitter in the four games against the Rays, as he went seven for 16 at plate with one homerun, three RBIs, four runs scored, and two runs scored.

On Sunday the Yankees got to see the return of Mark Teixeira, who has missed most of the season, but was able to rejoin the team and have a pretty good first game back, which is important for a weak Yankees infield. Teixeira went two for six in the 12 inning game on Sunday.

Negatives:

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In the Yankees rough loss on Saturday against the Rays they may have suffered a major blow to the starting rotation, as Ivan Nova left the game in the fifth inning with pain in the elbow, and placed on the disabled list very quickly after. The MRI after the game showed that Nova had a partially torn UCL, which usually requires Tommy John surgery. The typical recover time for such a procedure is 12-18 months. Nova will be looked at again in New York, but it certainly doesn’t look good for the Yankees young Starter.

Yankees Bullpen Gets Shelled by Rays

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 18th, 2014

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 5 Rays 11

Coming off a big night on offense in Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, it was the Yankees pitching staff that got shelled on Friday, as in the loss the Rays scored 11 runs. The loss moves the Yankees to (10-7) on the season, and they are still atop the AL East by one game.

The Yankees offense got off to a quick start for the second straight game, as they chased Rays Starter Erik Bedard from the game quickly. Bedard lasted just 3.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and one walk.

Scott Sizemore was the man to do most of the damage off of Bedard, as in the second inning with the bases loaded, Sizemore cleared them with a three-run double. Later in the inning Sizemore would score on a Brett Gardner fielder’s choice.

Yankees Crush David Price in Tampa Bay

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 17th, 2014

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 10 Rays 2

The New York Yankees were able to head down to Tampa Bay and start off their four-game series with the Rays on a positive note, notching a 10-2 victory. The victory moves the Yankees to (10-6) on the season, which keeps them atop the AL East by two games.

C.C Sabathia was able to avoid his woes in Tropicana Field on Thursday night, as a place that has been a nightmare for him the past few seasons was friendly to him this time around. While earning his second win of the season, Sabathia went seven innings allowing two runs on seven hits, two walks, and was able to strikeout six batters.

For the Rays their ace and former Cy Young award winner David Price just wasn’t on against the Yankees, as a rare bad outing for Price led to his first loss of the young season. Price finished going just five innings allowing six runs on 10 hits, and one walk.

Rivera Says Goodbye to Yankees Stadium

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 26^th, 2013

Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rays 4 Yankees 0

The New York Yankees lost their final home game of the season to the Tampa Bay Rays, as the Rays were able to sweep the Yankees. The loss moves the Yankees to (82-77) on the season, with three games left to play.

Rays Starter Alex Cobb gave his team a great start, as they inch closer to a playoff berth, and Cobb picked up his 11^th win of the season. Cobb would go seven innings allowing zero runs, and only allowing three hits and two walks. The Yankees would finally get something going against Cobb in the eighth inning with a Curtis Granderson double, followed by a base-hit from Lyle Overbay, but Joel Peralta came on and struckout the next two batters, and then got J.R. Murphy to fly out to end the Yankees threat.

Yankees Lose to Rays, Ending Postseason Chances

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 25^th, 2013

Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rays 8 Yankees 3

The New York Yankees lost yet again to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night, and with the loss the Yankees are now (82-76) on the season, and have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs this season.

Yankees Starter Phil Hughes got the start in this one, and in all likelihood pitched his last game as a Yankee, and earned his 14^th loss of the season. In the first inning Hughes gave up a RBI double to James Loney, which scored Wil Myers. In the third inning Hughes would fall apart and get pulled after a RBI single by David DeJesus, the Rays would load the bases leading to the hook from Joe Girardi. Hughes final start as a Yankee wasn’t good at all, as he went just two innings allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk. Hughes will be entering free agency after a horrible season going (4-14) with a 5.19 ERA for the season.

Yankees Lose To Rays, Making Playoffs More Unlikely

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

September 24^th, 2013

Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rays 7 Yankees 0

The New York Yankees playoffs hopes took yet another blow, as their loss on Monday to the Tampa Bay Rays basically ended their chances of making the playoffs unless something crazy happens. The loss moves them to (82-75), which is five games behind the Cleveland Indians for the final playoff spot.

Hiroki Kuroda's last two months of the season has been a tough one, and on Tuesday night it was another bad start for Kuroda, as he picked up his 13^th loss of the season. The first inning was a tough one for Kuroda, as lead-off hitter Matt Joyce hit a solo-home run to get the Rays on the board. Later in the inning the Rays would tack on two more runs on a David DeJesus double that score Wil Myers, and then Evan Longoria hit a sac-fly to score DeJesus to make it a three-run first inning. In the sixth inning the Rays would get their final two runs off of Kuroda, as with the bases loaded James Loney hit a double to score Myers and Longoria to make it a 5-0 game. Kuroda finished going 5.2 innings allowing five runs on five hits and two walks.

Yankees Avoid Being Swept in Tampa Bay

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 25th, 2013

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 3 Rays 2

The New York Yankees were able to avoid the sweep on Sunday, by beating the Tampa Bay Rays in extra-innings. The win moves the Yankees to (69-61) on the season, which is seven games behind the AL East leading Red Sox, and 3.5 games behind the two Wild Card spots.

Ivan Nova wasn’t at his best, but was able to battle and get a few big double plays to avoid any real damage, and turn in a good start for the Yankees. Evan Longoria had Nova’s number in this game, as he was responsible for both Rays runs. In the first inning Longoria had a RBI single that scored David DeJesus, and then in the sixth inning Longoria hit a solo-home run, which was his 28th of the season, and it was his third home run of the weekend series. Nova finished going 6.2 innings allowing just two runs on six hits and six walks in the no decision.

Yankees Lose Second Straight Against Rays

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 24th, 2013

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 2 Rays 4

The New York Yankees suffered their second straight loss in Tampa Bay against the Rays, as they have already lost the three-game weekend series. The loss moves the Yankees to (68-61), which is seven games behind the AL East leading Red Sox, and 4.5 games behind the two Wild Card spots.

Kuroda Gets Rocked in Tampa Bay

sports.yahoo.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 23^rd, 2013

New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 2 Rays 7

The New York Yankees couldn’t keep their momentum from sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays into Tampa Bay against the Rays on Friday, as they were defeated in the opening game of the series. The loss moves the Yankees to 6.5 games behind in the AL East, and four games behind for the two Wild Card spots.

Rays Starter Chris Archer gave his team a great start against a red hot Yankees team, as the strong start earned Archer his seventh win of the season. The Yankees offense did get the lead in the first inning off of Archer however, as Alfonso Soriano was able to single home Brett Gardner. The final run the Yankees would score in this game also came off of Archer in the sixth inning, as Robinson Cano grounded out, which allowed Gardner to score once again. Archer finished going seven innings allowing just two runs on four hits, and two walks, as Archer seems to certainly have the Yankees number this season with three very good starts.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 17

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 17

1.) St Louis Cardinals (62-40) – A tough weekend series for the Cardinals getting swept in Atlanta, but they still hold the best record in baseball, and they did also get Outfielder Matt Holliday back in the lineup which will help them as they continue a tough part in their schedule.

2.) Boston Red Sox (63-43) – Boston saw their AL East lead slip away for a day, but they were able to get it back on Sunday with a win against the Orioles, which was an impressive series win on the road against a division rival. David Ortiz was a big part of Sunday's win going four for four with a home run.

3.) Tampa Bay Rays (62-43) – The Rays are looking like one of the best teams in baseball, as they had a good week on the road against the Red Sox and Yankees. A makeup game on Monday in Boston could allow the Rays to be in first place in the AL East with a win.

4.) Pittsburgh Pirates (61-42) – A huge home-stand starts on Monday for the Pirates, as they will host the Cardinals who they are trying to catch in the NL Central for five games, and then have two three-game series against the Rockies and Marlins.

5.) Oakland Athletics (62-43) – The A's are in first place in the AL West behind some great pitching in the last few months, and an offense that is in the top-10 in runs scored. Bartolo Colon amidst possibly being suspended is having a great season going 14-3 with a 2.54 ERA.

MLB First Half Power Rankings

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By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

With the MLB Season reaching its midpoint and the All-Star Break, let's take a look at where each team stands. Here are GothamCitySportsNews' First Half MLB Power Rankings:

1) St. Louis Cardinals (57-36) – Looking like the class of MLB again. The rotation is strong again with Adam Wainwright leading the way. The lineup is balanced with Carlos Beltran returning to form, and the team is loaded with All-Stars and seemingly with no weak spots. The Cardinals look poised for a strong second half and postseason run.

2) Pittsburgh Pirates (56-37) – The surprise team of the first half for the third year running. A dominant bullpen and some help for Andrew McCutchen in the lineup should end their streak of losing seasons. Would really benefit from adding a bat and another arm in the bullpen as Mark Melancon and Jason Grilli each appeared in over 40 games so far.

3) Boston Red Sox (58-39) – The best record in the AL at the halfway point is not something many people expected out of the Red Sox. Adding Matt Thornton to the bullpen before the break will help but expect more moves from Boston before the deadline passes.

4) Tampa Bay Rays (55-41) – The Rays are currently the hottest team in baseball. On June 23rd they were in last place in the AL East only two games above .500; since they have gone 16-4 and sit atop the wildcard standings. A tough start to the second half looms though with a 10-game road trip through most of the AL East with stops in Boston, Toronto and New York.

5) Oakland Athletics (56-39) – Oakland is getting it done this season uncharacteristically; it is the hitting not the pitching that has carried them thus far. Even more surprisingly it is not Yoenis Cespedes, fresh off his Home Run Derby victory. Cespedes has struggled in the first half but will look to use the momentum from his derby victory for a better second half.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 13

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 13

1.) Pittsburgh Pirates (51-30) – The Pirates after 81 games have the best record in baseball, and have a two-game lead in the NL Central. They are on a nine-game winning streak, as after a great West Coast trip they returned home to sweep the Brewers this past weekend.

2.) St Louis Cardinals (49-32) – St Louis had a bit of a tough week against the AL West, losing three out of five games to the Athletics and Astros. The Cardinals are still in the top 10 in most batting and pitching categories, and still have the second best record in baseball.

3.) Boston Red Sox (50-34) – A good week for the AL East leading Red Sox keeps them on top of their division, and they cooled off the Toronto Blue Jays, taking three out of four games against them this weekend. They are the number one in runs scored with a lineup led by Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz.

4.) Texas Rangers (48-34) – The Rangers are rolling, and are in first place in the AL West going (8-2) in there last 10 games. Elvis Andrus is having a disappointing first half of the season however batting just .243

5.) Atlanta Braves (48-34) – Atlanta has built a very good pitching staff once again, as they are second in team ERA and quality starts. The main concern for the Braves has to be their team batting average, which is just .245.

Yankees Lose to Rays on Old Timers Day

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 23^rd, 2013

Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rays 3 Yankees 1

On the always fun Old Timers Day in the Bronx, the New York Yankees were unable to get the win against the Tampa Bay Rays with so many Yankee greats in attendance. The 3-1 loss moves the Yankees to (41-34), which is still 2.5 games behind the AL leading Boston Red Sox.

Ivan Nova made his return to the Yankees, but despite pitching much better than he had, he picked up the loss which was his second of the year. Nova looked shaky early, as the Rays go on the board quickly in the first with a Ben Zobrist base hit that scored Matt Joyce. Nova would calm down and pitch extremely well until hitting back to back batters in the seventh inning with two outs. Shawn Kelley would come in for Nova, but he walked Evan Longoria to load the bases, and with a lefty in James Loney up Joe Girardi quickly pulled Kelley for Boone Logan. Loney would get the best of Logan however with a two out two run single, which ended up being all the Rays would need for the win.

Yankees Get Come From Behind Victory Against Rays

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 22^nd, 2013

Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rays 5 Yankees 7

The New York Yankees were able to win their second straight game against the Tampa Bay Rays, this time in come from behind fashion to ensure at worst a split in the four-game series. The win moves the Yankees to (41-33), which is three games behind the Red Sox for first place.

C.C. Sabathia's woes against the Rays continued on Saturday afternoon, but with a lot of run support, Sabathia was able to notch his eighth victory of the season. Evan Longoria got the Rays on the board in the second inning off of Sabathia, which was Longoria's 17^th of the season, and third of the series. The big hit off Sabathia came in the sixth inning, as rookie Wil Meyers hit a Grand Slam off of Sabathia, which made it a 5-3 game, and was Meyers' first home run since being called up. Sabathia finished going seven innings allowing five runs on six hits, and two walks.

Zoilo Almonte Shines in Yankees Victory

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 21^st, 2013

Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rays 2 Yankees 6

The New York Yankees were able to snap their two-game skid on Friday night, with a win over the Tampa Bay Rays to even their series up at a game a piece. The win moves the Yankees to (40-33) on the season, which is 3.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox for first place in the AL East.

The offense wasted little time getting on the board against Roberto Hernandez, as in the first inning Robinson Cano hit a sac-fly to score Brett Gardner for the first run of the game. Ichiro Suzuki would knock in the Yankees next run in the third inning on a RBI ground out, which scored Austin Romine. In the fourth inning the Yankees would load the bases with none out, but Jayson Nix grounded into a double-play, as Travis Hafner scored for the third run. With two outs and Lyle Overbay on Third Base, David Adams was able to have an infield single to score Overbay, and give the Yankees a 4-2 lead. The sixth inning is where the now legend of Zolilo Almonte began, as in his first major league start he hit his first career homerun off Hernandez, and gave the Yankees a 5-2 lead. Almonte in his first start was great, and it will be hard to imagine him out of the lineup on Saturday, as he went three for four on Friday. For Hernandez it is just yet another bad start in what has been a bad season, as he now has eight losses.

Yankees Lose Series Opener to Rays

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 20^th, 2013

Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rays 8 Yankees 3

The New York Yankees did not start their weekend four-game home series against the division rival Tampa Bay Rays they would have liked to, losing by a score of 8-3. The loss moves the Yankees to (39-33), and the AL East is really starting to tighten up from top to bottom.

Andy Pettitte was not very good for the Yankees on Thursday night, as his poor performance led to him getting his fifth loss of the season. The Rays got to Pettitte pretty early, as a Jose Lobaton sac-fly scored recently called up Wil Meyers for the first run of the ball game in the second inning. In the third inning the Rays would tack on two more with a Ben Zobrist RBI single which scored Desmond Jennings, and then a sac-fly from Evan Longoria scored Sean Rodriguez. Longoria would make it a 4-0 game in the sixth inning with his 15^th home run of the season off Pettitte. Back to back doubles in the seventh inning from Rodriguez and Jennings would send Pettitte to the locker room. Pettitte finished going 6.2 innings allowing five runs on nine hits with one walk.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 9

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

Week 9 MLB Power Rankings

1.) St Louis Cardinals (37-19) – The Cardinals are certainly looking like the best team in baseball with a run differential of +84. It doesn’t seem to matter who the Cards use in the starting rotation, but they all have success, with a majors best team ERA of 2.99.

2.) Texas Rangers (35-21) – Texas looks good once again this year, as Yu Darvish is having a great sophomore season. Darvish is (7-2), with a ERA of 2.77, and a ridiculous 111 strikeouts already. Having an ace like Darvish should keep the Rangers high in the rankings from here on out.

3.) Cincinnati Reds (35-22) – Considering they play in one of the more hitter friendly ballparks in all of baseball it is amazing that the Reds have the third best team ERA in baseball. Good pitching and a talented lineup is the Reds recipe for playing so well thus far.

4.) Pittsburgh Pirates (35-22) – The Pirates started the week with an impressive series win over the Tigers taking three out of four games, and they finished the week with a thrilling extra-innings win over the Reds, as their bullpen went 10 scoreless innings in relief. The Pirates are 13 games over .500, and seem like a real threat to the Cardinals and Reds in the NL Central.

5.) Oakland Athletics (34-24) – The young arms for the Athletics seem to be looking like they did last year, which is why they have one nine out of their 10 ball games. The great stretch of baseball the Athletics have been on has put them right back behind Texas for the division lead.

Yankees Come From Behind to Defeat Rays in Extra-Innings

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 25^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays

Final Score: Yankees 4 Rays 3

The New York Yankees were able to take the second game of the series in Tampa Bay against the Rays with some late inning heroics, as they won in 11 innings. The win moves the Yankees to (30-18), and they still hold a one game lead over the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

Vidal Nuno came thru for the Yankees with his second straight good start, but he did not factor in the decision. He pitched very well for most of the game, but seemed to tire down in the later innings, which led to Girardi pulling him. Nuno finished going six innings allowing just two runs on five hits, and one walk. Nuno has done as well as the Yankees could have hoped for in his two starts.

Yankees Defeat Rays, But Lose Granderson Again

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 24^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays

Final Score: Yankees 9 Rays 4

The New York Yankees were able to start their weekend series in Tropicana Field with a win Friday night over the Tampa Bay Rays behind a good offensive performance. The win moves the Yankees to (29-18) on the season, and they are still one game ahead of the Boston Red Sox.

Yankees Starter David Phelps has seemed to gain a stranglehold on the fifth spot in the rotation, as he picked up his third win of the season on Friday night. Phelps was cruising in the game until the sixth inning, but with an eight run lead the game was never in jeopardy for Phelps. He finished the game going 7.2 innings allowing four runs on on six hits, with three strikeouts. Ivan Nova was back with the Yankees, but instead of getting the start was sitting in the bullpen, so it would appear that Joe Girardi will be sticking with Phelps for the foreseeable future.

Yankees Get Shutout and Lose Series to Rays

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 24th, 2013

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 0 Rays 3

The New York Yankees lost on Wednesday night to the Tampa Bay Rays, which is their first series loss in their last four. The offense had a lot of problems against the Rays, as the scoring problems the Yankees thought they would have with all the injuries came to light in this series.

Yankees Starter Andy Pettitte didn’t pitch badly, but with zero run support he picked up his first loss of the season. Pettitte went six innings allowing three runs, two of which were earned on seven hits, and one walk. Andy had the strikeout pitch working, as he was able to strikeout a season-high 10 batters. Pettitte even with the loss is still (3-1) with a 2.22 ERA, which is great.