Yank Offense Can’t Find It’s Way Home. Tampa 5 NY 3

April 11, 2026 paperbacklou 2026 0
Ben Rice hits a solo HR to center in the 8th to pull NY within 5-3.

The Yankees jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 1st inning, but after that the offense continued to struggle to find its way home — as NY lost their 3rd game in a row, 5-3 to the Rays in Tampa on a Friday night.

Former Met Steven Matz negotiated the Yankee lineup for the next 4 innings, and the Tampa bullpen did the rest — sans a Ben Rice HR in the 8th inning.

NY put runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out in the 9th, but still couldn’t plate a run.

Luis Gil made his first start of the season for NY, and was a bit rusty — allowing 3 runs on 3 hits in 4 innings. Brent Headrick, who has been terrific so far this year, allowed 2 runs in the 6th to put NY behind 5-2 at the time.

Some Yankee fan attention was diverted during the night by the Artemis moon mission landing back on Earth, and the Knicks winning a game against Toronto to clinch 3rd place in the East.

“Gets the first 2 outs there in the 1st inning, and then Aaranda works a tough at bat for the walk, and then hangs the slider to Yandy to clip him to make it a rough 1st inning,” said manager Aaron Boone about Gil. “Ended up being a long first inning, but battled — lot of pitches, lot of long counts and a little inconsistent command wise, but liked the way he competed. Made some pitches too when he need to, and held the line.”

NY drops to 8-5 after the red-hot 8-2 start. They are still in 1st in the AL East by 2 games. Tampa improves to 6-7.

1. Judge & Rosario Jump Yanks on Top in 1st

Aaron Judge got the Yankee offense off cracking with a 1-out single in the 1st. He proceeded to steal 2nd, and went to 3rd as the throw went into centerfield.

Cody Bellinger plated Judge with a sac fly to right.

With 2 outs, Giancarlo Stanton worked a walk, and next batter Amed Rosario tripled to left, scoring the speedy Stanton. Yankees 2 Rays 0.

2. Gil Gives It All Back

But Luis Gil — making his first start of the season — gave it all back in the bottom of the 1st. After getting the first 2 batters, he walked Jonathan Aranda in an 8-pitch at bat, and Yandy Diaz clipped him with a 2-run HR to right for a tie game.

Next batter Cedric Mullins then worked a 9-pitch walk, before Gil got the final out — but he was already at 32 pitches.

Gil got the first out of the 2nd, but hit Taylor Walls with a pitch, and then allowed a single to Nick Fortes. Gil got Chandler Simpson to hit a double-play grounder to 2nd — but the speedy Simpson just beat the throw to 1st to score another run and put Tampa on top 3-2.

Gil rebounded — pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd.

Gil then worked around trouble in the 4th — allowing a 1-out walk to Ben Williamson and infield single to Taylor Walls, but throwing out Williamson at home on a bunt by Fortes, and getting Simpson to groundout to end the inning and his outing.

Final line: 4 IP, 3 hits, 3 runs, 2 K’s, 3 walks in 88 pitches. He gets the loss.

3. Headrick/Doval Cough Up Runs in 5th to Put Tampa Up 5-2

Jake Bird pitched a shutout 4th — striking out the first 2 batters before allowing consecutive singles, then getting a groundout to end the frame.

But Brent Headrick — who has been pitching great — stumbled in the 5th — allowing a leadoff double to Williamson, and a 2-out single to Simpson for a 4-2 Tampa lead.

Camilo Doval came in and allowed a single to Caminero, and groundout by Aranda that scored Simpson to put Tampa up 5-3.

4. Matz Goes 5; Tampa Middle Relief Shuts Down NY

After the rough 1st inning, Steven Matz settled down, pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 2nd, allowing just a walk (of Paul Goldschmidt) in the 3rd, pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 4th, and allowing just a 2-out hit-by-pitch (of Paul Goldschmidt) in the 5th.

Griffin Jax shut the Yanks out 1-2-3 in the 6th, with 2 strikeouts, and Ian Seymour shut NY out 1-2-3 in the 7th.

5. Rice HR in 8th Pulls Yanks within 5-3

Ben Rice finally got the Yanks back on the board in the 8th with a 1-out HR to center off Hunter Bigge, to make it a 5-3 game.

6. Yanks Put First 2 Batters on in 9th, but Fail to Score

Ryan Yarbrough pitched a shutout 7th and 8th to keep the Yanks in it — and NY made a last charge in the 9th against Tampa ace reliever Bryan Baker, a 6’6 righty.

Giancarlo Stanton RIPPED a single to left to start the inning, and Amed Rosario followed with a single up the middle.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. grounded out to 2nd — JUST beating the throw to 1st which was originally called a double play but the Yanks won the challenge.

With runners on 1st and 3rd, Boone left the righty Randall Grichuk in — as many Yankee fans pinned for the switch hitting Jasson Dominguez who remains in AAA. Grichuk struck out swinging for the 2nd out.

Boone pinch hit lefty-swinging Trent Grisham — but he popped out to 1st for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401814882

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