Rays vs Yankees Recap: Yankees Cruise to 2-0 Win

The Yankees welcomed the Rays back to Yankee Stadium on Sunday, May 24. New York came in needing a bounce-back after dropping the night before, 4-2. Tampa Bay brought a strong record into the contest, sitting 34-16. The Rays had won seven of their last ten games, but they'd just lost on Saturday. You could feel the energy shift as both teams looked to find their rhythm. Drew Rasmussen took the mound for Tampa Bay, a pitcher the Rays counted on for big moments. Ryan Weathers started for New York. The final score would be 2-0, Yankees. This was a pitching duel where every run mattered.

Both starting pitchers were locked in. Rasmussen threw seven innings of pure control for Tampa Bay, giving up five hits but no runs. He struck out six batters and walked only one. Weathers matched that intensity for the Yankees, also pitching seven strong innings with four hits allowed and zero runs. He fanned four hitters. The Rays' bats stayed quiet all game. Yandy Diaz, their best hitter, managed two hits but couldn't push anything across. The Yankees' lineup was also quiet through the first eight innings. Trent Grisham collected two hits and a walk, staying aggressive. Neither team could break through. The game felt like it could go either way. One swing could change everything.

The game stayed scoreless heading into the ninth inning. Both bullpens had been perfect. Then Aaron Judge stepped into the batter's box. Kevin Kelly threw a 92-mile-per-hour sinker. Judge didn't miss. The ball rocketed off his bat and flew toward right center field, soaring over the wall. Three hundred sixty-three feet. The crowd erupted. Judge's two-run homer put the Yankees up 2-0. A runner had been on base—Schuemann had come in to run for Grisham. That one swing decided the entire game. Tim Hill closed it out for New York. The Yankees improved to 31-22. Tampa Bay dropped to 34-17. The Rays' loss snapped their recent winning streak.