Wasted opportunities haunt Yankees in Sunday’s 6-4 loss to Rays

The Yankees fell to the Tampa Bay Rays by a score of 6-4 on Sunday afternoon in the Bronx.

Here are the key takeaways…

– The story of the day for the Yankees was failing to bring home runners in scoring position. The Bombers loaded the bases in the first inning after hits from Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, but Gleyber Torres and Alex Verdugo both failed to bring any runs home. In the second, with the bases loaded and a 3-0 count, Soto swung and grounded into an inning-ending 3-6-1 double play.

It was the same story in the fourth, when the Yankees had two men in scoring position and one out following a double steal, but Ben Rice struck out, and Soto flew out to center.

In all, the Yankees went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.

– Finally, the Bombers broke through when Judge, who else, blasted a three-run home way into the bleachers in left field, turning a 5-0 deficit into a two-run game. Judge now has 35 home runs on the season.

Soto would chip in as well with an RBI double in the ninth, but it was too little, too late.

– Marcus Stroman had a decent day on the bump, but he did allow a pair of home runs, including to Richie Palacios to lead off the game. Randy Arozarena, who continues to kill the Yankees this weekend, crushed his third home run of the series in the fourth inning.

Stroman went 5.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

– The boo birds were out for Torres after committing an error in the top of the fourth. The ball was hit hard by Brandon Lowe, but it was a play that Torres probably should have made. Lowe would steal second and come around to score on a Jose Caballero single.

Torres went 0-for-4 at the plate, and is now hitting .229 on the season.

– Aaron Boone earned his 38^th career ejection, and fifth of the season, after barking at home plate Emil Jimenez following a more than questionable strike three called on Verdugo. A 3-2 pitch appeared to be both low and away, but it was called strike three, and Boone was tossed in between innings.

– Caballero homered in the ninth inning to extend the Rays’ lead to three runs, giving them four home runs on back-to-back days. Prior to this series, the Rays had only homered four times in a game once this season, which came against the Giants in April.

Who was the game MVP?

Caballero, who had two hits, drove in two, and scored a run.

Highlights

Upcoming schedule

The Yankees and Rays finish their four-game set on Monday afternoon at 1:05 p.m.

Carlos Rodon will face righty Zack Littell.