Gerrit Cole’s royal return spoiled by the Rays’ relentless bite
The Yankee Stadium crowd was ready to salute its king. In his first appearance in 14 months after Tommy John surgery, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole looked every inch a Cy Young winner. New York’s right-hander blanked Tampa Bay over six sparkling innings, allowing just two hits. But once Cole stepped off the mound, the Rays reminded everyone why they sit atop Major League Baseball, piecing together a late rally to win 4-2.
Tampa Bay’s late-game magic strikes again
Down a run late, the Rays went straight to their favourite trick: the comeback. It was their 14th come-from-behind win of the season and their fifth this year when trailing after the seventh. On the mound, Nick Martinez held firm against Cole, limiting the damage to just one earned run. “That’s our identity. Everyone buys into the way we play. We don’t quit until the final out is recorded,” Martinez said after the game.
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The Rays are burying the AL East
With a fifth straight win, Tampa Bay is now 34-15, the best record in MLB. Even more eye-catching, the club keeps chewing up its own division rivals, sitting at 14-2 against the AL East and opening up a 5.5-game lead over the Yankees at the top of the standings. Against American League teams overall, the Rays are 24-4, which is getting a bit silly now.
A bitter loss for the Yankees bullpen
For New York, this one hurts. Cole’s return had lifted the mood around the club, and for good reason. Restricted to 72 pitches, the Bronx ace did his job, but the bullpen couldn’t shut the door on Tampa Bay’s repeated attacks in the eighth. With Junior Caminero bobblehead weekend looming next week, the Rays are showing they can do more than have fun — they’ve got a nasty little formula for blowing up the plans of even the league’s best arms.
Crédit : Ishika Samant / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP
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