Schadenfreude 281: (A Continuing Series)

Kristie Ackert, Daily News:

The Yankees stood on the third base line, most with their arms crossed and looking impatiently at the large video board over the left-field stands. On that jumbotron in Tropicana Field, flashed their nightmare ending from 2020. The Rays beating them in the regular season and winning the American League East and then again the highlights of them beating the Bombers in the AL Division Series, ending their season yet again in disappointment. . . .

Reality smacked the Yankees again after the unpleasant stroll down memory lane as well.

The Yankees looked flat, sluggish and sloppy on defense and Corey Kluber was not at all sharp Friday. Without Aaron Judge for the second straight game, the Yankees were routed by the Rays 10-5 . . .

The Rays won eight out of 10 regular season games against the Yankees last season and then took three in the best-of-five ALDS. . . .

The Yankees were charged with one error . . . but their defense was sloppy all day. . . .

Kluber was charged with five runs, three earned, on five hits and two walks . . . in 2.1 innings of work. . . . Kluber threw 62 pitches Friday, 39 for strikes. . . .

A scout watching the game said it was the best approach he had seen the Rays have to a pitcher this year and the worst he has seen the Yankees defense. . . .

It was a taxing loss for the Yankees and it came at the hands of a team they not only lost to, but they seem to really dislike.

Dan Martin, Post:

Aaron Hicks said . . . "This is a new year. We expect to go out there and dominate."

The plan got off to a bad start, as the Yankees . . . were throttled in a 10-5 loss . . .

Corey Kluber was knocked around — the victim of some poor infield defense — and the Yankees' offense was silent outside of a quick, four-run outburst in the third.

Kluber . . . after missing most of the past two seasons, gave up a pair of unearned runs in the second inning and three earned runs in the third. . . . [H]aving to throw 34 pitches in the third inning — with just one out — meant an early departure for the right-hander. . . .

While the Rays kept padding their lead, the Yankees' offense disappeared.

Ken Davidoff, Post:

Call this one a message in a bumble. . . .

The Yankees, who as you know lost eight of 10 regular-season battles and then the AL Division Series to the 2020 Rays, sure didn't present themselves as any sort of challenger on this day. To the contrary, they served as a salve for the Rays, who opened their home schedule as the owners of a 2-4 record . . .

Corey Kluber . . . fared poorly in his second start as a Yankee, failing to make it through the third inning as he took his team's one lead . . . and handed it back and then some in the bottom of the frame. In the spirit of spreading the blame, Kluber didn't receive much assistance from his defense, as DJ LeMahieu's second-inning throwing error . . . initiated a two-run rally. In the next play of that rally . . . Tyler Wade couldn't stop a Wendle grounder from reaching right field.

The game-turning, third-inning rally began after beleaguered Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres couldn't snare Yoshi Tsutsugo's foul pop to the left side after a long run; given another opportunity, Tsutsugo smacked a single to right field.  . . . [Y]ou couldn't help but wonder whether a more adept shortstop would have made the catch. . . .

The Yankees managed four baserunners . . . over the last six innings.

Throw in another Did Not Play from Judge, due to his mysterious left side injury, and the Yankees found few silver linings at the office. Zero reasons to make the Rays shake from their reintroduction.

Dan Martin, Post:

Aaron Judge sat again Friday for the Yankees' series-opening 10-5 loss to the Rays, continuing to battle soreness in his left side.

It was the second straight game in which the right fielder was held out of the lineup . . .

Judge looked to be in discomfort on the bases and in right field Tuesday during his most recent appearance. Boone has said the soreness Judge developed in that game was not the same reason he had been pulled after seven innings on Monday or sat out the final three Grapefruit League games during spring training. . . .

Boone added he wasn't sure exactly what Judge's current injury is . . . "I would say nothing is limiting him."

Kristie Ackert, Daily News:

Aaron Judge is out of the lineup again for the second straight game with "side soreness," which the Yankees say they have not defined. . . .

[T]here is a layer of mystery that surrounds Judge's ailment, which fuels the suspicion among fans and people around the game about the nature of the issue.

Aaron Boone was not sure how to answer what was wrong with Judge.

"I'm not sure . . . I don't feel good about calling in one thing or the other. . . . I don't think we haven't defined it as a specific what it is."

The Yankees manager would also not say if he thought the Yankees slugger was injured.

"[T]hat's a good question. I don't know how to answer that . . . I don't know. . . . It's a good question, but I'm not sure how to answer it." . . .

[Judge's] history of injuries makes this a sensitive topic for the Yankees, who have not handled the timelines or announcements of his injuries well in the past. . . . Judge's durability has become a hot-button issue not just for the players, but also the fans who have expressed frustration about the Yankees' ability to stay healthy. . . .

Phil Mushnick, Post:

Yankees telecasts on YES . . . mostly open to Michael Kay emoting overwritten, excited and often trite come-ons to stay tuned to watch something extra special. Then it's on to his tired "Let's do it!" just before the first pitch. He often sounds like the master of ceremonies at a Cub Scout jamboree or Professor Harold Hill selling tubas to local yokels.

It doesn't yet strike him that this kind of sell is unnecessary given that he's selling a telecast to those already watching. It's silly and insulting . . .

The YES sell doesn't end with the first pitch. It's next customized to fit players.

[On] Sunday the Yanks were down, 3-0, to the Blue Jays in the second, when Gary Sanchez, with one out and one on, flew out on a 3-2 pitch. David Cone was left impressed. It seems anytime Sanchez doesn't strike out or blocks a pitch in the dirt is cause to celebrate the end of his conspicuous, repetitive deficiencies . . .

Cone concluded Sanchez "is seeing the ball very well" and we'd just witnessed him in "a good at-bat."

Nonsense. Another believe-what-you're-told, ignore-what-you-see con. It was a miserable at-bat, as Sanchez fouled off a 3-1 pitch that was considerably low and outside. A walk to make it two on and one out had been lost to yet another indiscriminate Sanchez at-bat.

And to be told differently — that we should be impressed by what we'd just seen from Sanchez — was another hollow, even pathetic sell.

Wednesday, Sanchez was nearly forced out at second when he jogged from first on a Gio Urshela single to right. This time, after a replay showed Sanchez's usual disinclination to play winning baseball, Cone was left to conclude that his desultory jogging was "indefensible."

Given that Sanchez issued the incredible offseason complaint that no one explained to him why he was benched during last season's postseason — was he unaware that he'd become a chronic, two-way liability? — Aaron Boone on Wednesday had the opportunity to provide a here-and-now example. Boone should've pulled him from the game.

But Boone seems to manage on a wish, hopeful that we don't know better. . . . 

And, as seen and heard during his pre- and postgames on YES, Boone always seems satisfied with the least his players can do, thus he's seldom disappointed.

Linescore Fun:

The Rays scored 2 runs in the 2nd, 3 runs in the 3rd, and 4 runs in the 4th.