Yankees 'expect better' after costly errors

NEW YORK -- Frustration spilled out of the grandstands during the eighth inning on Friday, thrown baseballs littering the Yankee Stadium outfield and prompting a confused Clint Frazier to step out of the batter’s box. To hear his players describe it, the display was nothing compared to the anger that Yankees manager Aaron Boone would soon show behind closed doors.

Boone scrapped his trademark “attaboy” persona to address his team after an 8-2 loss to the Rays, a contest that featured two costly fifth-inning errors and saw the Yankees manage just one hit through the first six innings. With eight losses in 13 games, Boone’s squad owns the American League’s worst record.

“We can’t be rolling out there, taking hits like that,” said Giancarlo Stanton, who hit a two-run homer late to avoid the shutout. “That’s not our game. That’s not how we should come out and play. We’ve just got to come out and play better. He was obviously very upset, and rightfully so.”

Brandon Lowe’s two-run double off opener Nick Nelson put the Yankees behind three batters into the evening, and they never recovered. A Gio Urshela fielding error and an errant Rougned Odor throw served as low-lights in a fifth-inning Tampa Bay outburst facing Luis Cessa, who was knocked for four runs (one earned).

That sloppy play seemed to be the target of Boone’s ire. The Yankees have committed three or more errors five times in their last 28 regular-season games, dating to last season.

“I feel like [Boone] is a person that’s so chill, that when he does address us the way he does, everyone should listen,” said Frazier. “He’s not the kind of guy that really gets that upset, so I think your ears perk up a little more. Everyone is going to come ready to go tomorrow, and maybe we needed Boone to address us that way for it to happen.”

Mike Zunino gave Tampa Bay an eight-run advantage in the sixth, lifting a two-run double to left field that eluded Frazier’s diving attempt. The Yanks’ most effective pitcher of the evening was Michael King, who tossed three scoreless innings out of the bullpen and was optioned to the alternate site following the loss.

“It’s got to be better,” Boone said. “We’re certainly capable. We expect better.”

Nothing doing
The Bombers’ bats were ice cold against Michael Wacha, who struck out nine and permitted only one hit -- Urshela’s second-inning single -- through the first six frames.

“He was throwing a lot of pitches that were going in different directions,” Frazier said. “I’m assuming that’s what he did to other guys. When guys do that, it makes it really hard to focus in a location that you want to swing at.”

Stanton lifted a two-run homer in the seventh off Trevor Richards, but that was the last baserunner New York managed. Richards and Hunter Strickland combined to retire the final nine Yankees batters. New York hitters struck out 14 times in the loss.

“We’re definitely underperforming,” Stanton said. “We’ve got to pick it up. We can’t keep rolling this same look out there.”

Ugly scene
Play halted with Frazier batting in the eighth inning, as about a half-dozen baseballs and other objects were thrown onto the playing field, prompting Rays players to scamper to safety.

The umpires huddled as public address announcer Paul Olden reminded fans that anyone throwing objects onto the field would be subject to ejection and/or arrest.

“That was the first time that I think I’ve experienced that,” Frazier said. “You never want it to come to that. Hopefully moving forward, we’ll play well enough to where that does not happen again.”

The Yankees have lost 14 of their last 19 games against the Rays, including the 2020 postseason.

“We have a passionate fanbase with understandably high expectations,” Boone said. “We expect to play better. We also understand that adversity is going to hit us at some point. It’s certainly at our doorstep right now. We’ve got to answer it, and we’ve got to find out what kind of club we are.”