The Rays came to the Bronx needing one win to put the American League East away, but the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader belonged to the Yankees.
New York beat Tampa Bay 2-0 at Yankee Stadium in the makeup of the May 23 rainout, delaying the Rays’ first division-clinching opportunity. Tampa Bay still needed only one victory in the four-game, three-day set to secure its first AL East crown since 2021.
A sharp start goes unrewarded
Nick Martinez gave the Rays the kind of outing that usually keeps a club in position to win. Making his career-high 30th start, the veteran right-hander worked six innings and surrendered only two runs on five hits and one walk. He struck out seven.
- Martinez retired the first nine Yankees he faced.
- Ben Rice opened the fourth inning with a double.
- Cody Bellinger followed immediately by driving a two-run homer, giving New York all the offense it needed.
- Martinez settled back in and allowed nothing else, completing six innings for the 18th time this season.
The outing marked Martinez’s 16th quality start of the year, but there was no room for error against Carlos Rodón.
Rodón keeps the Rays quiet
Rodón controlled the afternoon from the first inning through the eighth, striking out eight while holding Tampa Bay scoreless. The Rays managed three singles, never moved a runner as far as second base and saw two of those hits wiped away on double plays.
Victor Mesa Jr. was erased on one of those twin killings in the sixth, a moment that summed up a frustrating afternoon for a Tampa Bay lineup that never put sustained pressure on New York.
| Team | Runs | Key note |
|---|---|---|
| Rays | 0 | Three singles; no runner reached second base |
| Yankees | 2 | Bellinger’s two-run homer in the fourth decided the game |
Another chance waiting in the nightcap
The loss kept the Yankees alive in the division race for at least a few more hours, but the Rays did not have to carry the disappointment into another day. The second game of the doubleheader offered an immediate reset.
Tampa Bay was scheduled to send Drew Rasmussen, its top starter, to the mound in the nightcap. The Rays were also set to wear their new Tampa Bay road-gray uniforms as they tried again to claim the AL East in New York.
