The mood has changed after being eliminated from playoff contention. All hope feels lost, and although this fun loving team has surpassed expectations, we can't help but feel a little disappointed.
This game did not help us feel better.
Rays would start the game with starter (?) Jake Faria, while the Yankees had Luis Severino on the mound to hopefully lock home field advantage for the AL Wild Card game against the Oakland Athletics.
For the first two-ish innings, Faria looked pretty good! He gave up a leadoff single to Andrew McCutchen, but struck out Aaron Judge and had a strike-em-out-throw-em out double play of Luke Voit.
Bang-bang play. pic.twitter.com/UnrBnC5QJt
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 25, 2018
Faria would get into trouble in the 2nd as he would give up a triple to Neil Walker with only one out, but he then got Miguel “AL ROY Runner up” Andujar to ground out to Adames, who threw Walker out at home. Faria got slumping Gary Sanchez to pop out and escape the inning with no damage done.
The third inning would not be as kind to Faria and the Rays.
It started off with a leadoff homer by ex-Ray Hechavarria to give the Yankees an early lead. Followed by a Brett Gardner triple and a 4 pitch walk to McCutchen. A mound visit by Kyle Snyder worked his magic because then this happened:
What do you do when Aaron Judge drills a 110 MPH line drive at your head?
— FOX Sports Florida (@FOXSportsFL) September 26, 2018
REACT and flash the leather! ⚡
Catch the @RaysBaseball's action LIVE now on FOX Sports Sun and FOX Sports Go.#RaysUp #MLB pic.twitter.com/hQoxaCK8zf
That would be the end of the night for Faria, presumably from absolute shock and to make sure his heart hasn’t stopped after making that play.
Cash would go to Andrew Kittredge to face Luke Voit, and give up a double to score Gardner and move McCutchen to 3rd. 2-0 Yankees. Cash would intentionally walk Giancarlo Stanton while walking to the mound and bring Jalen Beeks in to face Neil Walker and a bases loaded situation.
Good news: He got out of the inning!
Bad news: 5 runs scored before then, including this blast by now-not-slumping Gary Sanchez
7-0 Yankees.
There would be some redemption in the bottom of the 3rd inning; Joey Wendle starting things off with a double then back to back walks by Ji-Man Choi and Tommy Pham loaded the bases with nobody out. Brandon Lowe would double to bring Wendle and Pham home to score, but Ji-Man was thrown out at the plate on a nasty slide. 7-2 Rays. Ji-Man Choi would later be taken out for a face laceration (!) receive stitches (!!) and be monitored for concussion like symptoms (!!!).
.@RaysBaseball get 2 runs off the Brandon Lowe triple; Ji-Man Choi almost gets a 3rd.#RaysUp #MLB pic.twitter.com/smXNlWkXnp
— FOX Sports Florida (@FOXSportsFL) September 26, 2018
Yankees would get one more in the 5th inning as Giancarlo Stanton doubled off Jalen Beeks and moved over on a Neil Walker groundout. A Gary “oh now you are a hot hitter” Sanchez single scored Stanton and makes it 8-2 Yankees.
Beeks would end up going 3.2 total innings and give up 4 H, 3 ER, 2 Ks and 2 BBs, but also had this nifty play.
Pitchers ARE athletes!
— FOX Sports Florida (@FOXSportsFL) September 26, 2018
Jalen Beeks makes a sliding basket catch. #RaysUp #MLB pic.twitter.com/4KrdUgJUUi
He would be replaced by Chih-Wei Hu (wow haven’t seen him in a while). Hu had a solid outing, holding the Yankees to 0 H while issuing 2 walks and striking out 2.
Vidal Nuno relieved Hu and started the inning strong, but gave up a solo homer to Andujar to give the Yankees another 7 run lead.
That would end up being the final, as the Rays would go down swinging for all three outs in the bottom of the 9th.
Rays will have another chance to work towards the increasingly elusive 90 win mark tomorrow as the Rays will have an Opener take on Masahiro Tanaka.