Yankees vs Rays Recap: Late Drama Ends in TB Win

The New York Yankees visited the Tampa Bay Rays at home in St. Petersburg on Sunday, April 12. Both teams wanted a win to stay even early in the season. The Rays beat the Yankees 5–4 in a close game that swung back and forth. Tampa Bay scored early and kept a lead most of the day, while New York rallied late. The game showed strong pitching and timely hitting. Fans saw a mix of small plays and big moments, and the final score reflected a tense finish with the Rays holding on for the victory.

Tampa Bay struck first in the bottom of the first. Díaz grounded out but Simpson scored on a hard sinker at 98 mph, making it 1–0. In the second inning the Rays added two more runs. Palacios grounded out and Mullins scored, then Simpson singled to left and Walls scored to push the lead to 3–0. New York’s pitching kept them close, but Tampa Bay used small, smart plays to build a lead. Those early runs forced the Yankees to chase the game while the Rays kept controlling the pace with steady offense and defense.

The Yankees fought back in the seventh inning. Bellinger’s single drove in Rice, and then Stanton grounded out to score Judge, cutting the gap to 3–2. Tampa Bay answered in the bottom of the seventh when Caminero hit a sacrifice fly and Simpson scored. In the eighth, Walls bunted Fraley home to make it 5–2. New York almost tied it in the ninth. Judge hit a towering home run to right-center, a 415-foot blast, and Rice also scored, closing the gap to 5–4. The final out came after that rally, and the Rays held on to win the game.