By Tiffany Williams –
Tuesday night, the Tampa Bay Rays faced off against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field to kick off a three-game series. The Rays managed to secure a 5-3 victory.
This game marked the beginning of the final homestand for the Rays prior to the All-Star break. For the Yankees, it signaled the start of their final road trip before the All-Star break.
The Rays have encountered a challenging period recently, suffering three consecutive losses and four defeats in their last five games, despite a strong performance with a 10-4 record from June 16th to July 2nd. Conversely, the Yankees had a tough time during their recent homestand, going 1-5 after being swept by Cincinnati and losing two out of three games against Boston. They are currently in the midst of a demanding stretch, playing 13 consecutive games until July 22nd, with 16 out of 18 games against AL East teams until July 28th. Up to this point, they have only secured one victory and suffered three losses during this challenging run.
Tuesday night’s victory was crucial for the Rays to avoid a fourth consecutive loss, a feat they have not experienced since June 7-10.
In the early stages of the game, Juan Soto scored for the Yankees in the top of the first inning, giving them a 1-0 lead. However, in the bottom of the first, Randy Arozarena connected with an 87.8 mph slider from Carlos Rodón to secure his 16th double, allowing Yandy Díaz to score and bringing the game to a 1-1 tie. Later, Isaac Paredes hit a three-run homer, launching a 96.2 mph four-seam fastball 107 mph and 383 feet into section 143, with both Arozarena and Amed Rosario scoring.
In the top of the seventh, Ben Rice hit a two-run homer off a 90.5 mph four-seam fastball, launching the ball 104.2 mph and 372 feet into right field, narrowing the Rays’ lead to 3-4.
Finally, in the bottom of the eighth, the Rays secured their fifth run, with Jonny DeLuca hitting his fifth double, allowing Jose Siri to score.
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