Tag: tampa bay rays

Rays unveil dubious 2022 Wild Card banner on Opening Day

Don’t call it a banner day.

The Tampa Bay Rays unveiled a banner on Opening Day at Tropicana Field on Thursday – commemorating their 2022 Wild Card appearance.

The Rays’ playoff run last season lasted all of two games, both of which were losses to the Cleveland Guardians in which they failed to score a run.


The Rays’ 2022 Wild Card appearance wasn’t exactly much to celebrate.
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It joins the pantheon of dubious banners raised to the sports rafters.

The NFL’s Indianapolis Colts famously raised a banner lauding their status as a “2014 AFC Finalist” following their 45-7 loss to the Patriots in the AFC title game, continuing their history of “finalist” banners.

In 2018, the NHL’s Nashville Predators celebrated their status as the Presidents’ Trophy winners the previous season with three banners – one for finishing as the league’s top regular season team, another for winning the Central Division crown, and one to mark their status as “Regular Season Western Conference Champions,” which is not a thing.


The Nashville Predators pose with the Presidents' Trophy during the banner raising ceremony.
One of the Predators’ 2018 banners drew some derision from fans.
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The WNBA’s Washington Mystics celebrated being the league’s “attendance champions” in back-to-back seasons with banners for 2002 and 2003.

As for the Rays, the sellout crowd of 20,025 at Tropicana Field was at least treated to a 4-0 win over the Tigers, relying heavily on their pitching and defense.

“A very Rays-like win,” manager Kevin Cash said. “We’ll sign up for those types of wins a lot.”


The Washington Mystics unveil the 2003 attendance banner before opening night.
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Helping matters was outfielder Manuel Margot’s diving catch on a ball lined toward the right field line in the seventh inning to preserve a 3-0 lead.

“I knew I had to do something, whether it was just to trap it or make a play,” Margot said through an interpreter, “because the game was close at that point.”



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Yankees get pitcher Colten Brewer in trade with Rays

The Yankees finally settled on their 26-man Opening Day roster — for Thursday’s game anyway.

After making their signing of outfielder/first baseman Franchy Cordero official, the Yankees opened the season Thursday with a roster that included 14 position players and 12 pitchers — one arm short of how they will typically operate during the season.

But manager Aaron Boone indicated the Yankees would soon add a 13th pitcher — meaning an eighth reliever — with the club having a “potential deal” for another arm.

That deal appeared to come Thursday night when the Yankees acquired right-handed reliever Colten Brewer from the Rays in exchange for cash considerations.

“A pitcher could be in play for us that we add or not, but then whether or not we do [that], we’d be in a position to pull from the minor leagues too,” Boone said before the Yankees’ 5-0 win over the Giants.


The Yankees acquired Colten Brewer in a trade with the Rays.
AP

It was not immediately clear whether the Yankees planned to add Brewer to the 26-man roster ahead of Saturday’s game, but he will be added to their 40-man roster, per the Tampa Bay Times.

Brewer, 30, did not allow an earned run in 9 ¹/₃ innings with 15 strikeouts this spring for the Rays.

Otherwise, the Yankees could look to call up reliever Ian Hamilton, who impressed in spring training then pushed back his opt-out date (which triggers if he is not added to the roster) to next week.

In the meantime, Estevan Florial was still on the roster for Thursday’s game, pinch running for Giancarlo Stanton in the eighth inning and playing center field in the ninth.


The Yankees could move on from Estevan Florial.
Steve Nesius/UPI/Shutterstock

Florial could be on the move before the Yankees play again on Saturday, though, since he is out of minor league options.

Cordero, who does have options remaining, hit .413 with a 1.099 OPS this spring with the Orioles before being released, but the Yankees scooped him up and signed him to a major league contract.

“The biggest thing is it’s an opportunity to create some more depth,” Boone said. “Like what he brings from the left side of the plate against right-handed pitching. Feel like he has the ability to play a really good corner outfield, also fill in at first base if you need him. But the biggest thing is a guy with talent that adds more depth to the organization that inevitably you know you’re going to have to lean on.”

Aaron Judge was a fan of Anthony Volpe choosing No. 11, which was previously worn by Brett Gardner.


Anthony Volpe wearing No. 11 on Opening Day.
Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post

“Getting the chance to see 11 back on the field, no better guy to keep that legacy of Gardy going on than Volpe,” Judge said. “He’s got that same tenacity and excitement. I’m hoping he can steal 50 bases just like Gardy can.”

Oswaldo Cabrera drew the first start of the season in left field after competing with Aaron Hicks and others for the job in spring training.

“Oswaldo’s earned it,” Boone said. “[Hicks] is going to play a huge role. This is just Opening Day. But I just felt like Oswaldo is a guy that has earned that right to be in there.” Cabrera went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.

Before Thursday’s game, the Yankees recalled Jhony Brito, who will start Sunday’s game against the Giants.

They also placed Harrison Bader (strained oblique) and Ben Rortvedt (shoulder aneurysm surgery) on the 10-day injured list, put Luis Severino (lat strain), Lou Trivino (UCL sprain), Tommy Kahnle (biceps tendinitis), Carlos Rodon (forearm strain) and Frankie Montas (shoulder surgery) on the 15-day IL, and placed Scott Effross (Tommy John surgery) and Luis Gil (Tommy John surgery) on the 60-day IL.

Hicks and Josh Donaldson both heard boos and grumbles from the crowd when they were announced during pregame introductions.

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Yankees spoil Derek Jeter night in rough loss to Rays

After relishing in a pregame ceremony Friday, during which it bestowed lavish cheers and love on Derek Jeter, a boisterous Yankee Stadium crowd spent much of the next few hours voicing its frustrations with the current Yankees. 

While the loudest boos were reserved for Aaron Hicks, who was pulled mid-game after a pair of defensive miscues in left field, the rest of the Yankees were not immune from the grumblings as they lost to the Rays 4-2 in front of a sellout crowd of 46,160. 

After the rough start to a critical series against the Rays (78-58), the Yankees (83-56) now lead Tampa Bay by just 3 ½ games in the AL East. That’s the smallest their division lead has been since May 9. 

Another stripped-down Yankees lineup could not mount any offense against Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who struck out 10 over six shutout innings. The Yankees scored a pair of runs against the Rays bullpen, but it wasn’t enough. 

“The season waits for no one,” manager Aaron Boone said before the game. “Our job is to prepare as best we can for a really good opponent. … We know where we are, we know we’re banged up, we know we’re certainly in the midst of some adversity from a roster standpoint. But it’s opportunity for guys and we gotta get ready to play.” 

Aaron Hicks reacts after striking out to end the first inning.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

A reprieve from the boos came in the seventh inning, when Aaron Judge, naturally, roped an RBI single off lefty reliever Jalen Beeks that scored Oswald Peraza — who ducked under the tag at home and was ruled safe upon replay review — to get the Yankees within 4-1. 

Another came in the ninth, when Kyle Higashioka crushed a solo homer to make it 4-2. After Marwin Gonzalez flew out to the warning track, Judge drew a walk to bring up Gleyber Torres, who also flew out to the warning track to end it. 

The Rays, meanwhile, got to Frankie Montas for four runs across 5 ²/₃ innings. Three of those runs scored on a pair of rough plays from Hicks in left field that led to him being pulled after the fourth inning. 

Hicks’ first mishap came with one out and runners on first and second. Rays star Wander Franco, who went 3-for-5 in his return from an extended stay on the injured list, hit a fly ball to left field. Hicks ran to track it down, but dropped the ball just before he stepped across the foul line. He then took a few seconds to pick it up, seemingly thinking it was foul. In the process, both runners scored and Franco reached second for a double and a 3-0 lead. 

Frankie Montas walks back to the dugout after the second inning.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

After Hicks was showered with loud boos and a brief “Joey Gallo” chant, Randy Arozarena came up and ripped a line drive to left that got over Hicks’ head and dropped for an RBI double that put the Rays up 4-0. 

Boone then called on Estevan Florial to replace Hicks in left field to begin the fifth inning, a move that drew cheers from the exasperated crowd. 

Hicks had lost his everyday job last month after the arrival of Andrew Benintendi, but recent injuries to Benintendi and a slew of other Yankees led to Hicks getting back in the lineup more regularly — as the No. 3 hitter, no less, on Friday night. He went 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts. 

Derek Jeter looks at his Hall of Fame plaque.
Robert Sabo for the NY POST
Gleyber Torres reacts after striking out.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

The Rays quickly jumped on Montas in the first inning. They swung at each of the first three pitches he threw, with the latter two going for back-to-back doubles from Franco and Arozarena that gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead. 

The Yankees threatened to answer in the third inning against Rasmussen, as a Judge single put runners on first and third with one out. But Torres and Hicks followed with strikeouts, each drawing boos from the crowd.

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Frankie Montas finally delivers in best Yankees outing

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — If ever the Yankees were in need of a good start, it was Sunday, with the offense inept and their lead in the AL East slipping away.

Frankie Montas delivered, tossing five shutout innings in the Yankees’ 2-1 win over the Rays, in his best start since arriving in a trade from the A’s in July.

The right-hander, who had a 7.01 ERA in his first five starts as a Yankees, was much better on Sunday.

“I wouldn’t say [I felt] pressure,’’ Montas said. “I wanted to keep the team in the game.”

While he was excellent, Montas wasn’t especially efficient.

Despite giving up just one hit — and no walks — he needed 93 pitches to get through his outing before being replaced by Lou Trivino, who tossed a scoreless sixth.

Trivino, Ron Marinaccio and Jonathan Loaisiga backed up Montas with three scoreless innings before Clay Holmes allowed a run in the bottom of the ninth before picking up the save.

Frankie Montas pitches on Sunday during the Yankees’ win over the Rays
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Aaron Boone was ejected for arguing a catcher’s interference call on Kyle Higashioka in the bottom of the fifth, with the Yankees up, 1-0.

Boone and the Yankees were already frustrated by a call in the top of the inning, when DJ LeMahieu popped out and the Yankees thought the ball hit the screen behind the plate before Christian Bethancourt caught it.

The Yankees ended up challenging the play, which was confirmed, so they couldn’t ask for a review when Taylor Walls was awarded first base on catcher’s interference.

An exasperated Boone argued with home plate umpire Vic Carapazza and as he headed back to the dugout, was tossed for the seventh time this season.

Boone defended Josh Donaldson, who had a heated reaction when he was nearly hit by a pitch up and in during the second inning. Benches cleared briefly and both teams were warned, but there were no other issues. The Rays visit the Yankees for another series in The Bronx on Friday.

“It gets your attention,’’ Boone said of getting a pitch thrown near your head. “It was the heat of the moment.”

Benches cleared after Josh Donaldson took offense to an inside pitch.
AP

Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s woes at shortstop aren’t going away, as he booted another routine grounder for an error in the first and nearly threw a ball away on another easy play in the third, but was saved by a leaping grab by LeMahieu at first.

He made two good plays on the run later in the game, further evidence that he struggles more on routine plays than on more difficult chances.

Anthony Rizzo remained back in New York following the epidural he got this past week.

Boone said still hoped to have Rizzo go through baseball activities on Monday with a potential return to the lineup on Wednesday.

Boone said again the team isn’t considering an injured list stint for Rizzo, who has missed games due to lower-back issues three times in the past two months.

“He felt good [Saturday],’’ Boone said. “They were being really careful the first couple days after he had to fly across the country.”

Nestor Cortes is slated to rejoin the rotation Thursday against Minnesota in The Bronx after coming off the 15-day IL due to a groin strain.

Scott Effross still has some hurdles to clear before he can rejoin the bullpen. Boone said the right-hander, on the IL with a shoulder strain, has started a throwing program with a target date of Friday for his first bullpen session since the injury.

Zack Britton reported no problems on Sunday following his rehab appearance on Saturday for Low-A Tampa.

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