The New York Yankees will look to complete a sweep of their five-game road trip Wednesday night when they visit the Tampa Bay Rays in the finale of their two-game series.
Even a weather delay of almost two hours was not enough to slow the Yankees, who matched a team record with nine homes in Tuesday’s 13-3 thumping of Tampa Bay.
New York also hit nine homers on March 29 in a 20-9 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
On Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone watched from the Yankees’ dugout as his squad produced three consecutive deep shots by Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton in the first inning.
Bellinger, Stanton and Jose Caballero each went deep twice for the Yankees.
“We hit nine? Wow,” Boone replied incredulously. … “Just a really impressive offensive showing against a team that obviously is not always easy to score runs against.”
The Rays did little right in losing for the eighth time in 12 games against the Yankees this season.
Manager Kevin Cash’s club was outhit 16-8, allowed its most runs this season, and did not retire the first two Yankees in an inning until the eighth.
“It’s certainly a game you’d like to move past as quick as possible,” Cash said. “I think you have to credit the Yankees’ lineup. … But disheartening is a good way to describe this (loss).”
In the finale, the Rays will roll out staff ace Drew Rasmussen, who has been consistently excellent even when his squad around him struggled to score.
Pitching in mostly five- and six-inning starts, Rasmussen (10-5, 2.60 ERA) has crafted stellar outings: Fourteen of his 24 games have featured the right-hander allowing either one earned run or none at all.
August has been the best month thus far for Rasmussen, who is 2-0 with a 0.52 ERA and a ridiculously low 0.635 WHIP.
In his previous road start against the Yankees on July 28, he earned the win in a 4-2 decision by throwing five innings of two-run ball despite missing the strike zone early.
“Anytime Ras, whatever lineup he’s facing … we’ll feel good about it,” Cash said before Tuesday’s long-ball display. “He’s put together a really solid season. He’s been dominant here at certain points.”
Rasmussen, who has wins in his past four decisions, is 3-1 with an 0.85 ERA in six career appearances (five starts) against New York.
The Yankees will counter with right-hander Cam Schlittler, who is 1-2 with a 3.94 ERA in an impressive beginning to his career over six starts.
In his lone career appearance against the Rays, Schlittler was matched up against Rasmussen in the Yankees’ 4-2 loss and surrendered three runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings and walked four.
Tampa Bay All-Star Junior Caminero ripped a two-run homer off the Walpole, Mass., native to set the tone in the first inning.
–Field Level Media
