Yankees take three of four from Rays in weekend series

Despite failing to complete the sweep, the Yankees take another series against the Tampa Bay Rays, winning three of four games.

In Game 1, Domingo German put on a strong pitching performance to lead the Yankees to a 4-3 victory. His line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 10 K. All of the Yankees’ runs came in the fifth inning. A solo shot from Aaron Hicks and a three-run homer by Gleyber Torres put the Yanks on top. Another strong performance from the bullpen secured the win.

Jonathon Loaisiga sparkled in his scoreless major league debut in Game 2: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K. The bullpen came to his relief for four scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. Didi Gregorius and Greg Bird both hit home runs. And Gary Sanchez broke it open in the eighth inning with a 3-run double to lead the Yanks to their second win.

In Game 3, Luis Severino pitched another gem, despite having some issues with command: 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K. Stanton and Sanchez homers, an RBI double from Torres and RBI single from Didi paved the way for another victory for the Yankees. Chasen Shreve struggled in relieving Sevvy in the ninth, but Chapman recorded another save for the Yankees’ third win of the series.

CC Sabathia pitched a strong Game 4 despite not having his best stuff. However, the bats failed to capitalize on RISP opportunities, and the Yanks lost a tough one to the Rays 3-1. Aaron Hicks recorded the only run, a solo shot in the fifth.

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The Yankees had several substantial takeaways from this weekend, including positive pitching performances and offensive breakthroughs.

The rookie starters, Germán and Loaisiga, looked impressive in their respective games. Despite an inflated ERA and losing record, Germán earned his first win of the season and executed well following a shaky first inning.

Twenty-three-year-old pitcher Jonathon Loaisiga put up an impressive start in his debut upon arriving from Double-A Trenton. The enervated starting rotation may have a boost if he continues to showcase his talent and seize opportunities as a starter.

Cole Harvey reports Loaisiga’s comments following his first major league win:

"“It’s exciting to see people from your home country come out and support you,” Loaisiga said. “Getting to your goal, achieving your goal, it’s a dream to pitch in the big leagues. So having the opportunity to do that … it’s a dream come true.”"

This series, the bullpen put on a dominant display, showing its ability to relieve starters regardless of the situation’s severity. Aroldis Chapman recorded his 20th save this season on Saturday. He’s been utterly dominant, pitching to a 1.17 ERA on the season with 53 Ks.

Dellin Betances continues to excel. He pitched in the first two games, logging two scoreless innings. He’s lowered his ERA to 3.19 with 55 Ks after struggling early in the season. Over the past several weeks, Betances has been a significant component of the bullpen’s success, rallying back from his initial struggles.

Didi Gregorius has steadily improved and his month of June has been a great turnaround from a subpar May. He’s increased his batting average to .333 and SLG to .563, recording six hits in three games this series.

Hicks’ two homers this series accounted for a substantial portion of the runs in two of four games. Aaron Judge recorded seven hits, including two doubles. His average and OPS continue to climb and his contributions to the team this season are undeniable.

Next: Severino continues his Cy Young-worthy season

This week, the Yankees head to Washington D.C. to play a suspended game followed by a regularly scheduled game against the Nationals. Afterward, the team heads back to the Bronx to play three against the red-hot Mariners.

Sonny Gray (4-4, 4.98 ERA) will face Erick Fedde (0-1, 5.91 ERA) on Monday in the makeup game against the Nationals.