Rays look to carry momentum into finale vs. Yankees

After rallying for their most dramatic win of the young season, the Tampa Bay Rays aim for a split of their four-game series against the visiting New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon.

Tampa Bay snapped a four-game losing skid with a 10-8 win on Saturday when Jonathan Aranda hit a two-run, walk-off homer in the 10th inning. The Rays forced extra innings after tying the game with four runs in the bottom of the ninth against Yankees closer Devin Williams.

Yandy Diaz had three hits and two RBIs and Ben Rortvedt drove in two runs for the Rays, who ended a 17-inning scoreless streak earlier in the game.

“I don’t know how many must-win games you have in the month of April, but it was starting to feel that way, that we needed to find a way to win,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said.

New York had its five-game win streak come to an end despite another strong performance from star Aaron Judge, who had three hits and three RBIs, giving him 25 RBIs through 21 games.

The Yankees appeared to have the game in control in the ninth inning before Tampa Bay rallied against Williams, who has allowed nine runs (eight earned) in nine appearances (eight innings) this season.

“Obviously a tough one,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Lot of good things to get near the finish line, and then it just didn’t bounce our way there obviously in the ninth. Tough one, but those are going to happen. Dust ourselves off and get ready to try and finish a good series (on Sunday).”

Right-hander Ryan Pepiot (1-2, 4.91 ERA) is slated to start for Tampa Bay against New York left-hander Max Fried (3-0, 1.88) in the series finale.

Pepiot is looking to bounce back after giving up six runs on nine hits over six innings in a 7-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox last Tuesday.

“It felt like they were on everything,” Pepiot said. “Hitting the ball the other way, hitting balls hard, homers — it just felt like everything that they hit just missed our guys. It (stinks). You never want to have those days.”

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is hitless in eight at-bats against Pepiot, who is making his second career start versus New York. He allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings in a 5-3 win over the Yankees on July 9, 2024.

Fried won his third straight start last Tuesday, allowing two runs with seven strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings in a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

“He just executes,” Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe said. “You see the swings, and those are really good hitters that he makes look really off balance.”

Fried, 31, has given up a total of nine runs (five earned) with a 28-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his first four starts across 24 innings.

Fried is 2-0 with a 0.66 ERA in two career starts covering 13 2/3 innings against Tampa Bay.

The Yankees are monitoring the status of designated hitter Ben Rice, who exited Saturday’s game with a left elbow bruise after being hit by a pitch for the second time in the contest. The Yankees announced that X-rays were negative.

–Field Level Media