TAMPA — Some things were very unusual Thursday, most notably the Yankees being the visitors at their longtime spring home of Steinbrenner Field.
And some things seemed rather familiar, such as the Rays wasting several scoring opportunities in a 6-3 loss to the American League East leaders.
The Rays were 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on, and it was a worse showing than it sounds.
Especially for shortstop Taylor Walls, who came up three times with the bases loaded, drove in only one run and made four outs. He had a sac fly in the second, grounded into an inning-ending double play in the third and grounded out to end the fifth. (He also lined out in the eighth with a man on first.)
After allowing three singles that produced a run to start the game, Taj Bradley got the Rays to the fifth with a 3-1 lead, but he couldn’t hold it as his outing turned messy.
The Yankees got two to get even in the fifth, on a one-out homer by No. 9 hitter Oswaldo Cabrera and another on Cody Bellinger’s fielder’s-choice grounder after they loaded the bases on a single, a double and a walk.
The Yankees went ahead in the sixth and knocked out Bradley, who gave up a leadoff walk, a single and a fielder’s-choice grounder that scored one run, then another walk.
Manny Rodriguez got one out, then allowed a two-run single to Ben Rice, who went 4-for-4.
The Rays took the lead in the third on a two-run homer by Junior Caminero, his fifth of the season.
Familiar face of the day
After tying it 1-1 in the second on Walls’ bases-loaded sac fly, the Rays had a chance for more when Kameron Misner walked to re-load the bases. The Yankees brought in Ryan Yarbrough, the lefty who spent 2018-22 with Tampa Bay, and he ended the inning by striking out Brandon Lowe.
Friday: vs. Yankees
7:05, Steinbrenner Field, Tampa
TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Sun; 95.3-FM, 620-AM, 106.7-FM (Spanish)
Pitchers: Rays — RH Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 0.60); Yankees — LH Carlos Rodon (1-3, 5.48)
Info: raysbaseball.com
On deck
Saturday: vs. Yankees, 4:10. Rays, RH Shane Baz (2-0, 1.42); Yankees, RH Carlos Carrasco (2-1, 5.94)
Sunday: vs. Yankees, 1:40. Rays, RH Ryan Pepiot (1-1, 3.38); Yankees, LH Max Fried (2-0, 1.56)
Monday: Off
Tuesday: at D-backs, 9:40. Rays, RH Zack Littell ( ); D-backs, TBA
Wednesday: at D-Backs, 9:40. Rays, RH Taj Bradley (2-0, 3.71); D-backs, TBA
Thursday: at D-backs, 9:40, Rays, RH Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 0.60); D-backs, TBA
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