New York Yankees lose to the Rays as Masahiro Tanaka just doesn't have it

The New York Yankees were defeated by the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon.  The game took place at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida and the final score was 7-3.  Masahiro Tanaka started for the Yankees and he wasn’t good at all.  The Yankees bullpen was really good and Chase Headley and Starlin Castro led the offense with three hits each. 

Tanaka pitched 2 2/3 innings giving up eight hits and seven runs with two walks and three strikeouts.  Tanaka took the loss.  Tommy Layne pitched an inning giving up a hit and he struck out two, Adam Warren pitched 2 1/3 innings giving up no hits or runs and he struck out two and Jonathan Holder pitched an inning giving up two hits and he struck out two.  Chasen Shreve pitched an inning giving up two hits and a walk and he struck out one. 

Chris Archer started for the Rays and he pitched seven innings giving up seven hits and two runs with a walk and five strikeouts.  Archer picked up the win.  Danny Farquhar pitched a perfect inning with a  couple of strikeouts, Austin Pruitt pitched giving up two hits and a run without recording an out and Alex Colome pitched an inning striking out one and picking up the save. 

Brett Gardner had a hit, Chris Carter had an RBI and Greg Bird drew a walk.  Castro had three hits, Headley had three hits and Aaron Judge had a hit and an RBI.  Ronald Torreyes had an RBI and Aaron Hicks had a hit.  Judge hit a double and the Yankees were 3-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.  Sanchez committed an error. 

Corey Dickerson had a hit, Kevin Kiermaier had two hits and drew two walks and Evan Longoria had two hits and three RBI.  Brad Miller had two hits, Steven Souza Jr. drew a walk and Logan Morrison had three hits and three RBI.  Tim Beckham had a hit, Mallex Smith had a hit and Derek Norris had a hit.  Kiermaier and Beckham each hit a double and Longoria and Morrison each hit a homerun.  The Rays were 4-11 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.  Kermaier had a stolen base, Longoria committed an error. 

In the first Longoria hit a sac fly to give the Rays a 1-0 lead.  Morrison hit a two-run single and the lead was pushed to 3-0 still in the first.  In the second Judge hit an RBI double and Torreyes hit an RBI ground out to cut the lead to 3-2.  In the bottom of the second Longoria hit a two-run homerun to increase the Rays lead to 5-2.  In the third Morrison hit a solo homerun and Smith hit an RBI single and the lead was 7-2 Rays.  In the ninth Carter hit a sac fly to cut the lead to 7-3 but that would be the final score. 

The Yankees had plenty of chances especially late but they couldn’t capitalize.  The bottom line in this game though was that Tanaka just didn’t have anything.  His stuff was off but so was his command.  It is one game and you have to just shake it off and move on.  If you are going to worry about Tanaka that is crazy and if he is bad this year the Yankees have no shot.  The two teams will be off on Monday and then resume the opening three game series on Tuesday night.  It will be CC Sabathia matching up against Jake Odorizzi.