What started as a fantastic day for pitcher Brent Honeywell turned to disappointment for the Tampa Bay Rays, as they allowed four runs in the tenth inning to allow the New York Yankees to salvage the finale of the weekend series at Tropicana Field 8-4.
For Honeywell, it was a day of realization 1,300 days in the making. He had not pitched in a game that counted since the Triple-A National Championship game on September 19, 2017, and after undergoing four elbow procedures, tossed two perfect innings. He needed just nine pitches in the first, and ended up striking out both Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres in the second.
Tampa Bay took the lead in the bottom of the second, as Jordan Montgomery gave up a base hit to Mike Brosseau and two batters later, Mike Zunino deposited a full-count pitch into the seats in left for his second home run of the year.
New York rallied to take the lead on Michael Wacha, who came on to replace Honeywell to begin the third. Gary Sanchez drew a leadoff walk, and Gio Urshela followed with a two-run homer to center, his first of the year, and the first of his four hits on the afternoon.
The Yankees could not hold that lead though, as Yandy Diaz led off the home half of the inning with a sharp single to left, and Randy Arozarena followed with a blast to right, his second homer in as many games for a 4-3 lead.
Wacha put up zeroes in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, and Ryan Thompson bailed the Rays out in the seventh by getting DJ LeMahieu to hit into a double play to keep Tampa Bay up 4-3.
But the right-hander walked two of the first three batters in Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, then giving up a base hit to Torres, allowing Judge to score the tying run. Kevin Cash then had to bring in Diego Castillo, who got out of the eighth with the game tied, then worked a scoreless ninth.
Collin McHugh was tasked to work the tenth inning, and started by hitting Aaron Hicks with a pitch. Mike Tauchman moved Hicks and Judge, who started the inning at second base, up a base each. Torres grounded into a fielder’s choice, erasing Judge at the plate before Rougned Odor, playing in his first game with the Yankees after being acquired from the Texas Rangers, singled to center to break the tie.
Sanchez gave New York some insurance with a base hit that scored Torres, and Urshela’s single, coupled with an error by Manuel Margot, plated two more setting the score 8-4.
The Rays will look to rebound Monday, when they open a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. Tyler Glasnow (0-0, 0.75 ERA) will get the start, taking on Dane Dunning (1-0, 1.80 ERA). Furst pitch is scheduled for 1:10.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
