Rays get comeback victory as Yankees fail to secure elusive series win – The Denver Post

TAMPA — The Yankees started their long road trip with a series loss, as the team fell to the Rays, 7-4, on Sunday at Tropicana Field.

The Yankees, who have won just one series since July began, blew a 4-2 lead with two outs in the sixth inning when an erratic Ian Hamilton gave up a single and hit a batter before Randy Arozarena picked up an infield hit. Harold Ramírez then poked one just over the head of Gleyber Torres, who didn’t get the best read on the two-run, game-tying blooper.

Brandon Lowe then gave the Rays the lead with his own two-run single off of Wandy Peralta. Hamilton was charged with all four runs that scored in the sixth.

The Yankees had already overcome one rocky inning, as a first-inning stolen base attempt from Arozarena drew errant throws from Kyle Higashioka and Harrison Bader. The latter throw went by Oswald Peraza and Carlos Rodón near third base and allowed Arozarena to race home. Lowe followed up by immediately clobbering a solo home run to The Trop’s stingray tank in right-center field.

Rodón proceeded to load the bases, but he escaped the taxing inning without more damage.

The southpaw, working on a pitch count in his second start back from a hamstring injury, lasted 4.2 innings while tallying four hits, two earned runs, two walks and seven strikeouts. Rodón, who now has a 5.97 ERA this season, threw 84 pitches.

The Yankees scored their first runs in the third inning when Higashioka and DJ LeMahieu hit solo homers. Anthony Volpe then added a two-run shot in the fourth inning.

Zach Littell surrendered all of the Yankees’ dingers. The Rays righty logged six innings while totaling four hits, four earned runs, one walk, four strikeouts and 92 pitches.

Things escalated in the eighth when Albert Abreu made Arozarena the game’s fourth Ray to get hit by a pitch. Arozarena immediately became angry and exchanged words with the pitcher as the benches cleared.

Both teams were warned, but another bench-clearing transpired moments later after Arozarena swiped second and third. The second steal prompted another interaction with Abreu as the two teams raced to the middle of the field.

Lowe then brought Arozarena home, without incident, on a double.

With another series loss in the books, the last-place Yankees will try to take a four-game set in Detroit. The Tigers are in third-place in the abysmal American League Central, but they owned a 59-70 record before play began on Sunday.

Luis Severino and Michael King will start the first two games of the series, which begins Monday, for the Yankees, while Reese Olson and Tarik Skubal will take the ball for Detroit.

The Tigers had yet to announce their Wednesday and Thursday starters at the time of publication. Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt will start the last two games of the series before the Yankees head to Houston.

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