Baserunning Mistakes Cost Yankees Again

One of the most infuriating parts about watching the 2014 New York Yankees this season is not only the lack of offense, but the baserunning mistakes that continue to plague this Yankee team. Tonight featured two of those as the Yankees fell again, this time to the Tampa Bay Rays by a 4-3 score.

Hiroki Kuroda started and didn’t exactly have his best tonight. James Loney led off the second with his ninth homer of the year. In the third, four singles by Ryan Hanigan, Ben Zobrist, Evan Longoria and Loney made it 3-0.

The Rays would add their fourth run in the fourth with singles by Kevin Kiermaier, Hanigan and Zobrist to knock out Kuroda.

Seven Yankee relievers would follow Kuroda, giving up only two hits, walking two and striking out six in 5.2 innings of work.

Chris Archer held the Yankees hitless until the bottom of the fourth when Jacoby Ellsbury hit his 15th homer of the year leading off the frame.

In the fifth, Chase Headley was hit by a pitch. Ichiro Suzuki and Stephen Drew singled to load the bases. Chris Young, in for an injured Brett Gardner, drove in two with a single. Ellsbury followed with a single, but Drew, after a review, would be ruled out at the plate. Young was then doubled off second on a line drive by Derek Jeter to end the frame.

Ichiro would get doubled off  second in the bottom of the seventh when Drew flew out to right.

Game two of the series is at 7:05 tomorrow. Jake Odorizzi against Chris Capuano.