Rays Fall Farther Back in Wild Card Race With 5-4 Loss to Yankees

The Tampa Bay Rays dropped an extra-innings heartbreaker to the New York Yankees, losing 5-4 in 11 after failing to hold on to three one-run leads.

The loss moves the Rays to seventh in the American League wild card standings, three games out of the final spot.

Rays All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe re-entered the fold in fashion after another stint on the 10-day injured list. In the top of the third inning, Lowe sent an RBI double to right field to give the Rays a 1-0 lead. In the top of the fifth, he followed up with a single to right. He finished the night 2-for-4.

Late-game heroics

The Rays held on tight to the 1-0 lead Lowe provided for them earlier in the game, as starter Zack Littell -- traded after the game -- joined Garrett Cleavinger and Mason Englert to combine for seven innings of scoreless two-hit baseball. Then, in the eighth inning, Tampa Bay’s control began to unravel.

Recently acquired reliever Bryan Baker entered the game and surrendered four straight hits, including a home run to Trent Grisham and an RBI single to Giancarlo Stanton to give New York a 2-1 lead.

“You feel for him, no doubt about it,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said about Baker after the game.

Josh Lowe’s big moment and Anthony Volpe’s revenge

With their backs against the wall, the Rays needed an answer, and they got one.

After leadoff hitter Junior Caminero walked to open the top of the ninth, right fielder Josh Lowe came to the plate and crushed a 2-0 changeup off Yankees reliever Devin Williams to give Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead. It was Lowe’s eighth home run of the year.

However, the celebration in the Rays' dugout wouldn’t last long, as New York’s Anthony Volpe took closer Pete Fairbanks to left field with a game-tying solo shot with one out in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.

“Sometimes you get got, and we’ve been getting got,” Fairbanks said after the loss.

Crucial error

After Tampa Bay’s Jonathan Aranda and New York’s Cody Bellinger helped their teams tack on a run each and extend the game in the 10th inning, Rays reliever Kevin Kelly took the mound in the bottom of the 11th. 

After intentionally walking Yankees left fielder Jasson Domínguez, the umpires caught Kelly on a balk, which sent Domínguez to second and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third with no outs. Subsequently, third baseman Ryan McMahon walked it off for New York with a single to center field.

“I felt like I moved a little. I was hoping that nobody noticed,” Kelly said after the game. “Obviously just not acceptable in that situation.” 

With the loss, Kelly (0-3) loses his third-straight decision in July.

Failing to finish

The latest defeat brings the Rays to 5-4 in extra-inning games and 15-20 in one-run games. Moreover, they are 2-8 in their past 10 one-run games. Tampa Bay (54-55) also falls below .500 for the first time since May 25. 

The Rays and Yankees (59-49) will conclude their four-game series on Thursday at 1:05 p.m. as right-hander Ryan Pepiot (6-8, 3.42 ERA) faces New York’s Marcus Stroman (2-2, 6.09 ERA).