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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The New York Yankees had stressed the importance of clean play, of catching the ball, of limiting free baserunners. They knew that against the Tampa Bay Rays, any small opening could lead to a quick exit from Tropicana Field. But in a critical moment, the Yankees failed to turn that talk into action, and now they are nine innings away from another long, bitter winter.
"I feel like we beat ourselves today, in a lot of ways," said Jazz Chisholm Jr., reflecting on Monday night's error-filled 5-2 loss in Game 2.
Cam Schlittler's early exit on a disappointing night all around. This already felt like an elimination game, with Schlittler tasked with getting the Yankees even in this best-of-five AL Division Series. Now, their best hope is to return to Tropicana Field — with its catwalks in play, its spongy fake turf, where the Rays dominate — just to give Schlittler one more shot.
"(We'll be) playing for our lives on Wednesday night," said manager Aaron Boone, who will start Max Fried against Fordham's Nick Martinez at Yankee Stadium in Game 3. But they should have been playing for their lives on Monday night.
Instead, a three-error first inning set the stage for a four-run fifth, where the Rays' constant pressure and the Yankees' rushed mistakes led to Schlittler's early exit.
"Obviously, it starts with me. I'd be the first one to say it. I didn't do my job," said Schlittler. "But it didn't seem like we really showed up today." Schlittler would soften that take, saying he wasn't disappointed in a defense that committed four errors (and two other misplays), or an offense that consisted of two Ben Rice solo homers, with a grand total of one at-bat with a runner in scoring position.
"I'm really just disappointed in myself," said Schlittler, who limited the first-inning damage to one unearned run.
Rays flaunt their strength, as they did in the regular season. Over 162 regular season games, the Rays were better than the Yankees, and Tampa Bay is proving it again. They were 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position in Game 2, with Schlittler — admittedly operating without his best stuff, with his velocity down a tick — throwing 76 stressful pitches.
And yet, the Rays slapped and dashed their way to victory, and took advantage of every Yankee gift.
"That's what they do — put pressure on you and find a way to get runs across," said Schlittler, who had just two strikeouts.
With the ball in play so often, on the ground, "We just made it harder for ourselves," said rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr., whose two-out throwing error set up Richie Palacios' two-run single. That full-count base hit, off Brent Headrick, gave the Rays a 5-1 lead that seemed insurmountable, even with 12 outs to go.
Earlier that inning with the infield in, trying to nail Junior Caminero at the plate, Lombard whiffed at backhand attempt to field speedy Chandler Simpson's soft grounder.
"Against a good team like that," said Lombard, "you can't afford to make as many mistakes as we did."
Key Analysis
The Yankees' defensive lapses were costly, but their offensive struggles with runners in scoring position also played a significant role. The Rays' ability to apply pressure and capitalize on mistakes has been a recurring theme, and unless the Yankees can clean up their play, their season could end abruptly.
At second base, Chisholm's first-inning error — rushing an odd-angled, off-balance throw in a wild attempt for a double play — led to an unearned run. If he'd had a mulligan on that Caminero grounder, "honestly, I'd probably still throw it," said Chisholm, feeling he could've put himself in a better position. "I'm just trying to make a play." That sounded a lot like Austin Wells' "trying to make something happen" after an inexcusable baserunning error in the eighth inning of Game 1, a 1-0 Yankees' loss.
Only, Boone said he didn't "necessarily have a problem with the throw," while also lamenting "too many free baserunners" from his defense. It began with third baseman Ryan McMahon booting Yandy Diaz's leadoff grounder in the first. And maybe a sparkplug like Jose Caballero, who loves tormenting his former team, should've started over McMahon, 1-for-14 against Rays starter Freddy Peralta.
A Spencer Jones fly ball hit a catwalk, in play, and was caught. Cody Bellinger's fifth-inning bid for a grand slam died at the center field warning track, 405 feet away. In every way, this madhouse dome haunted the Yankees, and the Rays forced them to the brink.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees' fail to heed their own warnings vs Rays, face elimination.
Originally reported by yahoo.