New York Yankees Offense Sputters, Spoils Sonny Gray’s Impressive Start…Again

The New York Yankees offense couldn’t pick up Sonny Gray on Tuesday night. In arguably the best start of Gray’s brief Yankee career, the Bronx Bombers fell to the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 at Citi Field.

Sonny Gray had some of his best stuff on Tuesday night in Queens but came away with a tough-luck loss. The New York Yankees couldn’t get the bats going against Blake Snell and the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen, mustering up just three hits in their 2-1 defeat.

The Yankees prized trade deadline acquisition pitched just the second complete game of the season for New York. It took Gray just 94 pitches to get through eight innings of work, allowing just five hits, two runs, one walk, and striking out nine.

Both of the Rays runs were scored on solo home runs from Kevin Kiermaier and Adeiny Hechavarria. Kiermaier started the game off with a homer in the bottom of the first and Hechavarria hit the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth.

The only other trouble Gray got into was in the fifth inning when he gave up back-to-back hits to Wilson Ramos and Brad Miller, leaving Sonny in a first and third jam with just one out.

Never one to back down, Gray struck out Tampa’s two sluggers, Hechavarria and Kiermaier, swinging. Gray was pumped up after punching out Kiermaier and you had the feeling that the tide was turning and the Yankees offense was about to get going.

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Unfortunately, it was not New York’s night offensively. Brett Gardner would lead off the top of the sixth with a single but Rays manager Kevin Cash brought on Steve Cishek, who retired Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Matt Holliday in order. The New York Yankees wouldn’t put together any real threat the rest of the way as Chase Headley’s one-out single in the seventh was the Yanks’ last baserunner.

Gray pitched more than well enough to earn a victory but the offense let him down. The real issue here is that this is becoming a trend in Sonny Gray’s starts.

In eight starts since joining the New York Yankees, Sonny Gray is 3-5 with a 2.66 ERA. Gray has given up more than two earned runs in just one start and has struck out nine batters in three of his last four outings.

So how does Sonny have five losses? Well, in Gray’s five losses, the Yankees have scored just four runs! Can we get this poor guy some offense? Give the man quality defense and three or four runs and he’ll bring home the “W”.

Gray has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last few months. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Sonny Gray ranks second in the AL with a 2.73 ERA since June 1. *Notice that the tweet was from before Tuesday night’s start and that Gray lowered his post-June 1 ERA even further against the Rays.

The New York Yankees gave up a significant prospect package to acquire Sonny Gray at the trade deadline. They need to give him the run support he needs to start winning his starts. The Yankees can’t afford to lose games when they get great pitching performances in the middle of their playoff push.

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New York lost another game to the Boston Red Sox in the AL East race on Tuesday and now sit four games back. They still have a three game lead over the Minnesota Twins for the top Wild Card spot but their best shot at a deep playoff run starts with a division title.

Sonny Gray, Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, and even CC Sabathia have all been pitching well of late. The New York Yankees offense needs to start scoring runs for their pitchers. Their playoff position, and ultimately their World Series chances, depend on it.