New York Yankees lose rubber game to the Tampa Bay Rays in Opening series

The New York Yankees were defeated by the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night.  The game took place at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida and the final score was 4-1.  Michael Pineda started for the Yankees and was shaky.  The bullpen pitched great and the offense couldn’t get much going. 

Pineda pitched 3 2/3 innings giving up eight hits and four runs with no walks and six strikeouts.  Pineda took his first loss of the season.  Tommy Layne pitched an inning giving up a walk, Adam Warren pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings with four strikeouts and Chasen Shreve pitched an inning walking one. 

Alex Cobb picked up his first win of the season for the Rays and he pitched 5 2/3 innings giving up four hits and a run with a walk and four strikeouts.  Xavier Cedeno pitched to one batter and gave up a hit, Jumbo Diaz struck out the only batter that he faced and Erasmo Ramirez pitched two innings giving up a hit and a walk and he struck out one.  Alex Colome pitched an inning giving up two hits and he earned his second save of the season. 

Brett Gardner had a hit and drew a walk, Gary Sanchez got his first hit of the young season and Matt Holliday had a hit.  Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits and an RBI, Chase Headley had two hits and drew a walk and Headley hit a double and Ellsbury hit a homerun.  The Yankees were 0-9 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.  Sanchez had a passed ball. 

Corey Dickerson had two hits and two RBI, Kevin Kiermaier had a hit and Evan Longoria drew a walk.  Steven Souza Jr. had a hit and drew a walk, Logan Morrison had two hits and Mallex Smith had a hit.  Derek Norris had a hit and two RBI.  Dickerson hit a homerun and the Rays were 2-6 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.  Smith and Norris each had a stolen base and Kiermaier was caught stealing.  Norris had a passed ball. 

In the first Dickerson hit a solo homerun to give the Rays a 1-0 lead.  In the second Ellsbury hit a solo homerun to tie the game at one.  In the second Norris hit a two-run single to give the Rays a 3-1 lead and Dickerson hit an RBI single to extend the lead to 4-1 which would be the final score. 

The Yankees lost two out of three and will be off on Thursday.  They will open up a three game set in Baltimore on Friday night.  Luis Severino will make his first start of the season.