Since Alex Rodriguez is the Yankees designated hitter, he usually takes swings in the batting cage when the team is on the field.
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At least the Yanks still believe A-Rod can hit, which is more than you can say for a lot of the Yankees, particularly when the opposing pitcher throws with his left hand.
Souza and Corey Dickerson each hit a two-run homer in a five-run first inning against Pineda. With that, the Rays had scored five runs in a span of nine pitches. Going into Sunday, only the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies had been worse, with nine such games apiece. Souza is 6 for 12 with three home runs against Pineda. He left the game with an oblique problem in the sixth inning. He struck out nine and walked only one but gave up seven runs and a career-high four homers.
As a result, A-Rod will travel with the team when they take on the Texas Rangers in Arlington; a series that begins starting on Monday.
Outfielder Aaron Hicks, who is day-to-day with a sore shoulder after attempting a diving catch Friday, is out as well, so the Yankees now have 23 healthy players on their roster. “We need him. He’s a big threat in the middle of the lineup”. The Yankees aren’t loaded with possible replacements in Triple-A, although they did recently sign Nick Swisher to a minor league deal.
The Yankees entered the game with the second-worst OPS in the AL versus lefties (.609), and could see two more in Texas in Martin Perez and Cesar Ramos, Cole Hamels’ (groin strain) replacement on Monday.
All in all, the Yankees’ 8-1 beating at the hands of the Rays in front of 40,981 at the Stadium on Sunday was a day they would love to forget.
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“We just couldn’t get that third out, ” catcher Brian McCann said.
