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The New York Yankees were once again left stunned after losing a close game against the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4. This was only two days removed from their heartbreak at Rogers Centre after a come-from-behind win by the Toronto Blue Jays.
This was a different theme, however, as the Rays mostly controlled the game before the Yankees attempted a comeback late in the contest. In a rare occurrence, the so-far excellent Nestor Cortes gave up two early home runs to Rays batters Isaac Paredes and Harold Ramirez.
DJ LeMahieu reached on an infield single to tie the game in the top of the second after Kyle Higashioka and Marwin Gonzalez were driven in. However, Paredes, who was having a day against the Yankees, hit another long shot in the bottom of the third.
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"You can't stop Isaac Paredes; you can only hope to contain him. That's 3 HR tonight in just the first 5 innings!" - @ MLB
The infielder continued to punish the New York Yankees in the bottom of the fifth as he hit his third blast of the game. The homer tied a franchise record for the Rays for most home runs in a single game by a player. This pushed the lead to 5-2.
Marwin Gonzalez scored a two-run blast for the Bombers in the top of the ninth, but the Rays managed to close them out.
"Take a bow Isaac Paredes 🔥🔥🔥" - @ Tampa Bay Rays
It is yet to be a cause of concern for the Yankees. But of course, losing two heartbreakers in the span of three days will surely illicit some criticism from baseball's biggest team fanbase.
Fans of the New York Yankees react to their team's defeat to the Tampa Bay Rays
One fan thought Harold Ramirez's home run in the first inning should have been a foul ball in any other stadium except Tropicana Field.
Another fan lamented the tragedy of New York sports teams this year.
One fan thought Aaron Judge's fly ball in the ninth was almost a home run to tie the game.
Meanwhile, this fan blamed the supposed dead balls for the loss.
One fan wanted more from the New York Yankees offense, but they went cold mid-game.
This particular fan thinks Nestor Cortes was overall a different player after getting hit by a ball in his last appearance.
Another fan wasn't impressed that they were defeated by the fourth-best team in the division.
One fan pointed out the importance of delivering in the clutch, two days removed from the same situation that they faced in Toronto.
The New York Yankees will look to exact revenge against their division foes again tomorrow. Maybe this time, they would have learned their lesson after dropping two close games.
