While not the prettiest display, the Yankees are not concerned with aesthetics when it comes to winning.
Despite recent struggles, they will gladly accept any victory, regardless of style points.
In a game on Wednesday evening, they heavily relied on their bullpen to secure a narrow 2-1 win against the Rays at Tropicana Field, only their seventh win in the last 24 games.
Trent Grisham’s two RBIs in the fourth inning allowed the Yankees (56-38) to maintain a 2-0 lead and hang on for the win, giving them a shot at their first series victory since mid-June.
Grisham expressed the significance of such a hard-fought win, praising the pitchers for their pivotal performances throughout the game. He highlighted the close nature of the game and the importance of such victories for the team’s future.
Following Marcus Stroman’s early exit after 4 1/3 innings, the quartet of Tim Hill, Luke Weaver, Tommy Kahnle, and Clay Holmes from the Yankees’ bullpen stepped up to preserve the one-run lead with impressive performances.
Despite the bullpen’s struggles in recent months, the four relievers combined to pitch 5 2/3 scoreless innings and left 12 Rays runners stranded.
Manager Aaron Boone commended the team’s resilience, describing their defensive efforts as bend-but-don’t-break, particularly pointing out the pivotal moments and clutch performances throughout the game. He praised Grisham for his contributions on both offense and defense.
Overall, the Yankees prevented the Rays (45-47) from scoring with runners in scoring position, despite being outpaced in hits by Tampa Bay.
Boone made lineup changes for the game, with Alex Verdugo leading off and Ben Rice batting cleanup, but it was the lower half of the lineup—specifically Grisham in the seventh spot—that propelled the Yankees to a 2-0 advantage against Rays’ pitcher Zach Eflin.
Although the Rays scored a run off Stroman in the fifth inning and loaded the bases with one out, Hill’s stellar pitching performance shut down the threat, striking out Josh Lowe and inducing a lineout from Randy Arozarena to escape the inning unscathed.
Stroman described the play as significant, highlighting the pivotal moment in the game where the outcome was uncertain. He commended the pitcher for delivering a crucial strikeout and out.
In the sixth inning, Hill allowed two runners on base, but Weaver swiftly ended the threat with a double play on his first pitch.
Weaver walked two batters in the seventh but managed to leave them stranded. Kahnle took over in the eighth and faced trouble as the Rays’ bottom hitters reached base with two outs.
This situation led to Holmes being called upon for an early four-out save. The sequence began with Grisham making an impressive running catch in right-center field on Diaz’s fly ball.
