Yankees Struggle Under Pressure in Rays Series

Momentum and narratives swing wildly in October. Against the Red Sox, George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones looked like the present and future of the Yankees.

In two games against the Rays, they have looked like rookies.

October’s Wild Rollercoaster

They have had plenty of company on a team that has neither hit nor won, but Lombard and Jones have been part of the problem for a Yankees club on the brink of elimination.

A Club on the Brink

For Lombard, the largest issue was two plays in the Game 2 loss — one deemed an error (even if the error could have been assigned to Luis García Jr.) and the other generously ruled a fielder’s choice that allowed a run to score.

Jones had his own questionable play in right field Monday, but the bigger problem is the slugger going hitless in seven at-bats against Tampa Bay and now being 2-for-15 with seven strikeouts in the postseason.

“It was just one of those games where things kind of compiled and stacked up on top of each other,” Lombard said after the team combined for four errors in the 5-2 loss.

George Lombard Jr.’s Troubled Start

The worst moment for Lombard — who went 4-for-8 against Boston and has gone 0-for-7 against Tampa Bay, albeit with some hard-hit outs — came in Monday’s fifth inning. With one out and Junior Caminero on third and the Yankees trailing 2-1, Chandler Simpson tapped one softly to shortstop. Lombard charged, attempted to field on the backhand and rushed a throw to the plate, but even as his arm was beginning his throw, the ball deflected off his glove.

His next mistake was less field dependent: Two batters later, Jonny DeLuca hit a three-bouncer to Lombard, who could not charge it because Simpson cut in front of him on his way to third.

He then had to rush. “I just pulled the throw a little bit,” Lombard said, with García unable to make a stretch and catch on a throw that was not that far offline.

Critical Moment in Game 2 Loss

In an inning that should have been over, Richie Palacios then knocked a two-run single that essentially put the game out of reach.

Jones’ defensive night was more debatable. The four-run fifth inning began with Jonathan Aranda smacking a line drive in front of him.

Maybe Jones had a chance at charging, diving and making a remarkable grab. Maybe an overaggressive Jones would have dove and allowed the ball to get past him.

In reality, Jones did not get a great jump and then played it on a hop for a single.

“Playing it back in my head, I thought I had a good first step,” Jones said. “I just hesitated, and then that was the difference between making a play and then just trying to keep it in front of me.”

His manager did not take issue with the play.

Spencer Jones Faces Defensive Challenges

Easier to pick on have been Jones’ at-bats. He looked overmatched against Drew Rasmussen (as did the rest of the lineup), swinging through high fastballs and low changeups on a night he struck out twice and went 0-for-3. Monday, he struck out once, grounded out twice and found some terrible luck with his first well-hit pitch of the series: a towering fly ball to center that bounced off one of the rings high above the field.

Alert right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. ran over and caught the ricochet.

“I didn’t know what happened,” Jones said.

— Additional reporting by Greg Joyce

What This Means for the Season

Probably contributing to the play was that the 21-year-old had not played at Tropicana Field before this series.

“I wouldn’t say tough. It’s definitely different,” Lombard said of the turf. “But we went out there in practice and kind of tried to get accustomed to it. But it’s different than other fields. But that’s the same thing with every other stadium — everyone’s going to play different.”

“There are plenty of others to pick on tonight,” Aaron Boone said after the game. “That wasn’t one of them.”

Easier to pick on have been Jones’ at-bats. He looked overmatched against Drew Rasmussen (as did the rest of the lineup), swinging through high fastballs and low changeups on a night he struck out twice and went 0-for-3. Monday, he struck out once, grounded out twice and found some terrible luck with his first well-hit pitch of the series: a towering fly ball to center that bounced off one of the rings high above the field.

Alert right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. ran over and caught the ricochet.

“I didn’t know what happened,” Jones said.

For the Yankees, the pressure mounts as the team continues to navigate a difficult path toward the playoffs. The struggles of key players like Lombard and Jones highlight the challenges facing a roster that has yet to establish consistency in the postseason.

As the season progresses, attention turns to whether the Yankees can regroup and find their rhythm under the scrutiny of opponents like the Red Sox and Rays.

Inside the Yankees