Yandy Diaz crying about correct replay review is perfect fuel for Yankees

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 01: Yandy Diaz #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts after being called out at second base trying to stretch a hit into a double in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on June 01, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 01: Yandy Diaz #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts after being called out at second base trying to stretch a hit into a double in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on June 01, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)

This time last year, it was New York Yankees fans whining and yelling about their team’s inexplicable struggles. Similarly, the players were left baffled during postgame interviews and rarely had an answer for anything.

Additionally, there was endless finger-pointing at the umps whenever a call didn’t go the Yankees’ way. That just added more frustration on top of the 2021 experience.

But how the turn tables …

In 2022, who thought it’d be the Yankees coasting to win after win and the Tampa Bay Rays crying about the umps (who actually made the correct call!) after they failed to do anything productive in a narrow 2-0 loss.

In the top of the sixth inning on Tuesday night, Gerrit Cole allowed a leadoff single to Yandy Diaz. The next batter, Harold Ramirez, hit a grounder back to Cole, who fielded it and went for the double play, rifling the ball over to Gleyber Torres at second.

It was a bad throw that nearly took Torres off the bag, but the Yankees’ second baseman made a great play, securing the ball with an outstretched arm and keeping the tip of his foot on the bag to get the force out. Initially, Diaz was ruled safe (after some terrible baserunning, too), but the call was rightfully overturned on replay review.

The umps got the call right for the Yankees, but the Rays still cried about it

That was apparently an injustice to the Rays, though, if you ask Diaz. After the game, the slugger complained that the umps made a “bad call” that a “five-year-old could have made” and that it “cost” Tampa the game.

Cost you the game? COST you the GAME?! It was the top of the sixth inning and you were losing 2-0! And if Cole made a normal throw instead of once again nearly making a game-changing gaffe, that’s a double play! Diaz really grasping for straws here and trying to claim a double play ball should’ve kept a potential Rays rally alive?

But, again, the call was correct! You see it in real time, you see it in slow motion, and you see it on the close-up. What happened to the Stable of 98ers? What happened to the Rays doing all their talking on the field? Seven singles and two errors won’t get the job done, fellas.

Any word from Taylor Walls, by the way? After all, the Yankees are very beatable. Probably should’ve beat them, then! A pitcher you own was on the mound and New York registered just two runs, one of which scored on an egregious error.

Diaz complaining about a play that occurred in the sixth inning that wouldn’t have even scored a run is truly out of this universe. And it’s the exact fuel the Yankees need, since the Rays have had their number over the last two years.

Let them do the whining, crying, complaining and unprompted trash talking while you rack up the wins. Easy as that. We get it, though, it doesn’t feel great being 10 games back on June 15.

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