ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As it turns out, when the Yankees patched up some holes Monday night for a win over the Rays, they did so with cheap duct tape.
Because a night later, the USS Yankee just took on more water as most of the problems that have been plaguing them of late came flooding back.
Will Warren put them in an early hole, their lineup continued to strike out at an alarming rate and another baserunning blunder cost them a chance at a rally as the Yankees fell to the Rays 6-4 in the second game of a crucial four-game showdown Tuesday at Tropicana Field.
The all-around ugliness sent the Yankees (50-41) to their 10th loss in their last 12 games and allowed the Rays (53-36) to regain a four-game lead atop the AL East.
For the second straight night, the Yankees struck out 17 times — 12 of them coming across 16 outs recorded by Rays lefty Ian Seymour — giving them 34 over their last two games, setting a new franchise record for any two-game span (30 was the previous record).
Paul Goldschmidt, who is now in the midst of an 0-for-30 skid, and José Caballero combined for eight of the strikeouts.
The Yankees actually recorded 11 hits, their most in one game since June 17, but they were weighed down by the strikeouts en masse.
After Cam Schlittler’s dominance had helped make up for a still-spotty offensive performance Monday — in addition to a pair of home runs from Caballero — Warren could not do the same, giving up six runs across four innings as the Yankees spent most of the night chasing a deficit.
They trailed 2-0 after two innings and Ben Rice briefly put them ahead with a three-run shot in the top of the third.
But Warren gave the lead back for good in the bottom of the fourth, capped off by back-to-back home runs from No. 9 hitter Hunter Feduccia and Yandy Díaz that opened up a 6-3 Rays lead.
The Yankees tried to mount a comeback against the Rays bullpen, but got hurt in part by a rough baserunning mistake from the typically reliable Cody Bellinger.
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After Seymour exited with one out in the sixth, pinch hitter Ryan McMahon lifted a single and Bellinger followed with a single to right field.
But the All-Star took too wide of a turn around first base on the throw to third, and the Rays ended up nabbing him between first and second for the second out of the inning.
Ali Sánchez provided a sacrifice fly in the seventh to bring the Yankees within 6-4, but Goldschmidt struck out to leave a runner on third.
