Rays 1 Yankees 2: Sweet Sixteen (baserunners and only one run to show for it)

If I told you that Zach Eflin pitched 7 very strong innings, and the Rays had 16 baserunners, you’d probably think the Rays had won, right?

Ah but then you haven’t met the 2024 version of the Rays.

Because these Rays only hit singles, and trying to score on just singles is like trying to save money when you only put away pennies. You can do it but it’s very hard.

Throw in a caught stealing (Randy), grounding into a double play, and actually managing to run into the path of a hit (Walls), and it’s even harder.

Before we return to the offense, let’s take a moment to give credit to Eflin, who threw one of his better games as a Ray. He gave up just four hits and walked one. One of the Yankee’s runs was unearned, with Yandy Diaz having a rare yip and throwing away what should have been a double play ball, which allowed the lead runner to get to third base and then score on a sac fly.

With the Rays bullpen as problematic as it’s been, we’ve got to love a starter who can get them through the seventh inning.

The Rays one run came when they managed to piece together two singles in a row to put runners on first and third, with the lead runner scoring on a force play. It seemed like they were on the verge of tying the game after that, when they loaded the bases on another single and walk, but Josh Lowe struck out, and Randy Arozarena hit a hard liner caught for the third out.

As the Yankees had brought in a lefty to face Josh Lowe, there was some discussion (on the broadcast and among our writers) about whether Cash should have pinch hit for him. Does it make sense to switch out Lowe in the fifth inning, given that the Yankees would be going back to right-handed relievers in future innings? I voted yes: that was such a huge pivot point, you may not have anything like that scoring opportunity in the coming innings; and Josh Lowe has been pretty terrible lately even when not facing a tough lefty. And while the Rays had some other opportunities, none had the potential for crooked numbers that they had in that situation.

Let me add that Josh Lowe’s very unimpressive performance this season has been perhaps one of the under the radar reasons for the team’s poor showing. We talk a lot about Arozarena, but J-Lowe has just never found his mojo this year. Tonight he was the only hitter who did not get on base even once.

The Rays also had some bad luck, because of course when you only score one run with 16 baserunners there is always some bad luck involved. Take the bottom of the eighth. Ben “can’t stop won’t stop” Rortvedt singled, and Taylor Walls walked (on 6 balls — that strike zone had issues). With two outs Yandy hit it 106 mph and 351 feet but it was caught to end the inning.

Well I guess the positives to take away: pitching (Eflin, a scoreless inning for Cleavinger, the first in a while). And....just about everyone got a hit!

We can still take this series from the Yankees, however, and keep them on their downward trajectory, so let’s get them tomorrow.