They can’t even get it done when Gerrit Cole is on the hill.
The New York Yankees were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, dropping a 4-2 contest at Yankee Stadium to drop to 5-10 on the season — good for the worst record in the American League.
Now on a five-game losing streak, it’s just the third time since 2007 that the Yankees have been on a skid this long during the month of April.
“A bad series,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We’ve got to get better. Period.”
Once again it was the offense that had no bite in its bats, recording just three hits against a four-pitcher combination that the Rays threw at them.
It spoiled yet another gem put up by Gerrit Cole, who allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits over 6.1 innings pitched with 10 strikeouts.
He was given an early lead when Giancarlo Stanton cannoned his third home run of the season the other way into the right-field bleachers off Andrew Kittredge.
But a couple of bobbles in the outfield by center fielder Aaron Hicks opened the door for the Rays go immediately answer off Cole — Yandy Diaz driving in one with a single before Manuel Margot gave Tampa the lead with a sacrifice fly in the top of the third.
The Yankees would get to Ryan Yarbrough in the fifth as DJ LeMahieu drove in Gio Urshela to tie things up, but it was all they would get off the Rays’ pitcher. In five innings, Yarbrough allowed that one run on two hits with four strikeouts.
Cole would be driven from the game with one out in the seventh after relinquishing the lead when Yoshi Tsutsugo doubled home Joey Wendle to put the Rays back in front. For good measure, Wendle added some insurance with a solo home run in the ninth inning off Darren O’Day.
“We’re getting punched in the mouth right now,” Boone said. “You’ve got to work. You’ve got to grind your way through it.”
