Rays 3, Yankees 6: Stanton returns to the Bronx

After getting shut out by Masahiro Tanaka in the series opener, the Rays looked to even the series in tonight’s contest, featuring opener Ryne Stanek opposite J.A. Happ for the Yankees. But the game’s start didn’t quite go as planned:

All in all, it was a one hour, sixteen minute delay:

Both teams brought a different look to their respective lineups, with the Yankees with a new addition off the injured list:

For the Rays, a new leadoff hitter:

Nursing a mild hamstring issue, Yandy Diaz was left out of the starting lineup.

As the game started, the rain continued to fall, and while Happ pitched a scoreless first, Stanek found himself in some trouble in the bottom half, allowing the first two batters to reach base. A goundout, an uncomfortably deep sac fly and a pop out limited the damage to one.

The Rays responded with two baserunners of their own in the second after singles by Kevin Kiermaier and and Guillermo Heredia brought Mike Zunino to the plate:

Stanek went back out for the second inning, but faced only one batter before conceding to lefty Ryan Yarbrough to finish that inning and the next few thereafter.

After a leadoff double by Pham to start the top half of the third, old-school baseball fans rejoiced as Avisail Garcia drove in they Rays’ second run of the game by poking a ground ball to the opposite side of the infield, beating the shifted infield:

Yarbrough continued to stifle the Yankees, twirling three scoreless innings before giving way to Chaz Roe. Unlike Yarbrough, it wouldn’t be a scoreless outing for the Rays right handed reliever. After allowing four consecutive singles, and a fifth later in the inning, the Yankees led 4-2.

The Rays wouldn’t go down quietly, though. Following Oliver Drake’s scoreless sixth, they cut the deficit in half when Travis d’Arnaud doubled to score Joey Wendle on an aggressive baserunning play that paid off:

But the Yankees took that run right back, as Drake gave up a home run to the scalding hot Cameron Maybin, his fourth longball in as many games. Recent callup Andrew Kittredge took over with one out to hold the Yankees at five.

Like Drake, Kittredge returned the following inning, and also like Drake, allowed a solo homer, this time to newly acquired Edwin Encarnacion. It was his first hit in a Yankee uniform.

Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the ninth, and I indeed enjoyed the telecast and not the outcome.

Ouch.

The Rays can pull back within a game and a half with a win tomorrow afternoon. Blake Snell gets the ball for the Rays and CC Sabathia for the Yankees.

Here’s some good news!