Yankees’ dormant offense blanked again in concerning loss to Rays

Not even the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium could awake the Yankees from their recent slumber. 

Arriving home on Monday from a brutal road trip, it didn’t get any better in The Bronx as the Yankees were shut out for a second straight night in a 4-0 loss to the Rays. 

In front of an impatient crowd of 42,192, the Yankees (72-44) lost for the 10th time in their last 12 games. They have scored just eight runs over their last six games, including three shutouts, after scattering seven hits against five Rays pitchers on Monday night. 

Aaron Hicks got booed throughout his rough night. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Anthony Rizzo reacts after striking out to end the eighth inning. Jason Szenes

It was a 1-0 game until the ninth inning, when the Rays (61-53) piled on three insurance runs against Wandy Peralta and Lou Trivino. 

Aaron Hicks was the face of the Yankees’ struggles on Monday, combining a defensive blunder in center field that gave the Rays the lead with an 0-for-3 offensive effort in which he left five men on base. The boos for him only got louder as the night went on. 

It was a rough way to start a key nine-game homestand against the Rays, Blue Jays and Mets. With the win, the Rays climbed into a tie with the Blue Jays for second place in the AL East, 10 games behind the Yankees. Since leading the division by a season-high 15 ½ games on July 8, the Yankees are 11-21. 

The listless offensive performance wasted a second straight strong start from Gerrit Cole. After tossing seven shutout innings in a no-decision last Tuesday in Seattle, the right-hander held the Rays to one run over six innings. 

The Yankees came out aggressively against Rays opener Jalen Beeks, swinging early in counts and recording four base runners through two innings, though none scored. 

Their frustrations were exacerbated with one out and one on in the third inning, when Anthony Rizzo was hit in the leg by a Ryan Yarbrough curveball but was not awarded first base. Home-plate umpire D.J. Reyburn ruled that Rizzo did not make an attempt to get out of the way. After Rizzo and manager Aaron Boone argued to no avail, Rizzo struck out chasing a pitch outside. 

The Rays then struck first in the top of the fourth. Cole’s defense had saved him in the third inning, when shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa made a leaping grab on a liner to his left to start a double play. But it betrayed him an inning later. 

Gerrit Cole pitches on Monday during the Yankees’ loss to the Rays. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Anthony Rizzo (middle) and Aaron Boone argue with umpire DJ Reyburn in the third inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

David Peralta led off with a bullet to center field that Hicks got twisted around on, allowing it to bounce on the warning track for a triple. Isaac Paredes came up next and, with the infield at medium depth, shot a single through the left side to give the Rays a 1-0 lead. 

The Yankees tried some small-ball in the bottom of the inning, with a pair of bunts by Andrew Benintendi (fielding error on the pitcher) and Jose Trevino (fielder’s choice) on the way to the bases getting loaded with one out. But Hicks, who had struck out with runners on first and second in the second inning, ended the threat again by weakly grounding into a 1-2-3 double play.