Rays' Drew Rasmussen takes aim at Yankees' struggling offense

Rays' Drew Rasmussen takes aim at Yankees' struggling offense

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen will make his final start before the All-Star break on Thursday afternoon in the finale of a four-game series against the New York Yankees in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The All-Star selection and American League Pitcher of the Month for June will look to rebound from a bad outing the last time out.

As one of the Rays' big three starting pitchers along with Nick Martinez and Shane McClanahan, Rasmussen has fantastic numbers through 17 starts, going 7-4 with a 2.78 ERA. He has struck out 96 batters in 97 innings.

Rasmussen went 3-2 with an 0.82 ERA in five starts in June, allowing only three runs and 16 hits over 33 innings while fanning 39 and issuing four walks.

However, he started July on the wrong foot Saturday by yielding five runs in five innings in Houston's hitter-friendly park. He allowed two-run homers to Yordan Alvarez and Yainer Diaz as the home offense exploded on July 4 like neighborhood fireworks in the Astros' 10-8 victory.

Was Rasmussen fighting with his command?

"Maybe a little, but I also thought you've got to give credit to the Astros' lineup," Rays manager Kevin Cash said after his club squandered a 7-2 lead. "They put a lot of pressure on him. ... They were adamant they weren't going to go away and had big at-bats."

In eight career starts and one relief appearance vs. the Yankees, Rasmussen is 4-1 with an 0.89 ERA.

On Wednesday, New York was blanked for the sixth time this season, producing just six singles and going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position in a 3-0 loss.

New York struck out 17 times in each of the first two games of the series before fanning 11 times on Wednesday.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone's team has drawn just two walks in the first three games; Tampa Bay has won two of them.

Paul Goldschmidt, who slotted into New York's leadoff spot, was hitless in four at-bats on Wednesday, with three strikeouts. His career-worst streak stretched to 0-for-34, including 10 strikeouts in the past 11 at-bats.

Boone was ejected in the sixth inning by plate umpire Doug Eddings and said he should have tried to stay in the contest.

The manager acknowledged he let the encounter with Eddings get "personal," but most of the postgame discussion was about an offense that has foundered in the past two defeats (6-4 and 3-0).

"Obviously, offensively now is a real struggle for us; it's no secret and there's no magic pill," Boone said. "There's not much more to talk about. We need to make some things happen. ... It's been a real challenge putting the ball in play this series."

With injured Carlos Rodon's turn coming up in the rotation on Thursday, the matinee will be a bullpen game for the Yankees.

--Field Level Media