Yankees and Rays Split Doubleheader as Pitching Carries Bronx Club

New York managed only three runs across two games against Tampa Bay but got dominant starts from Carlos Rodon and Max Fried.

The two best teams in the American League met for a day-night twinbill at Yankee Stadium, and the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays emerged with a victory each. With the clubs positioned as possible ALDS opponents, the matchup offered a glimpse of how October might unfold for both sides.

Runs were scarce for New York, which crossed the plate three times over the two contests and collected eight hits in total. In the second game, the Yankees' first hit did not arrive until the seventh inning. Cody Bellinger's two-run home run in the opener was a bright spot for an offense that has struggled badly since Aaron Judge went to the injured list with a rib injury on May 31, a stretch over which the team ranks 23rd in runs scored, 29th in batting average and 26th in WRC+.

The pitching staff told a different story. Carlos Rodon threw eight scoreless frames in one game, striking out eight and touching 98 mph with his fastball. Max Fried covered 6.2 innings in the other, allowing four runs, three of them in the seventh.

Judge, who returned September 8, is expected to be unavailable for the Wild Card series against Boston, meaning little offensive help is on the way. Manager Aaron Boone's team will instead lean on a rotation that includes Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole and the two lefties who pitched Tuesday. Yankees starters lead Major League Baseball with a 3.24 ERA.