The Yankees still can't find a win in Tampa Bay

The New York Yankees were defeated by the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night. The game took place at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Yankees have now lost nine straight games in that stadium. Ivan Nova started for the Yankees and he wasn’t great but he didn’t also get help from his defense. Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Raul Ibanez and DeWayne Wise all had good nights for the Yankees offense. James Shields wasn’t great but he did enough to win. The Rays offense was led by Sean Rodriguez. 
Nova pitched six plus innings. He gave up seven hits and six runs with three of them being earned. Nova walked two and struck out five and lost his third game of the season. Clay Rapada struck out the only batter that he faced and Chad Qualls pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up three hits and a run. Shields earned his eighth win of the season pitching seven innings giving up ten hits and four runs. He walked none and struck out five. Burke Badenhop pitched to one batter and retired him, Joel Peralta pitched to two batters and retired them both and Fernando Rodney saved his 24^th game of the season. He pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts.

Jeter had two hits, Curtis Granderson had a hit and an RBI and Cano had two hits and an RBI. Ibanez had two hits, Eric Chavez had a hit and an RBI and Wise had two hits and an RBI. Jeter and Granderson each had a double. Ibanez hit two doubles and Wise hit a homerun. The Yankees were 3-8 with runners in scoring position and they left four men on base. Martin committed two errors and Chavez had one. Wise had an outfield assist as his great run continues.

Brandon Jennings had a hit and drew a walk, B.J. Upton had two hits and Jeff Keppinger had a hit and two RBI. Ben Zobrist had a hit, RBI and drew a walk, Jose Molina had a hit and Rodriguez had three hits and two RBI. Elliott Johnson had a hit. Rodriguez and Jennings each had a double. Rodriguez hit a homerun. The Rays were 4-14 with runners in scoring position and they left six men on base. Jennings had two stolen bases, Johnson, Upton and Rodriguez each had one. Upton and Zobrist each had an outfield assist.

Granderson had an RBI double in the first and Cano had an RBI single to make it 2-0 Yankees. Wise hit a homerun in the third to extend the Yankees lead to 3-0. In the bottom of the third Upton had an RBI single and Keppinger had a two run single to tie the game at three. Chavez had an RBI single to make it 4-3 Yankees in the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth Rodriguez hit a two run homerun to make it 5-4 Rays. Jennings stole home and Zobrist had an RBI single in the seventh inning. The final score was 7-4 Rays.

The Yankees have lost the first two games of the series and will try and salvage the final game on Wednesday afternoon. The Yankees record fell to 48-32 and the Rays record improved to 43-38. The Yankees will be off on Thursday and then play a four game series in Boston before the All-Star Break.