After an underwhelming trade deadline day from their front office, the Yankees followed its cue.
Or was it vice versa?
Either way, the Yankees took the field 68 minutes after the deadline passed and continued to fall flat, losing 5-2 to the Rays on Tuesday night in The Bronx.
As the Yankees (55-52) lost their third straight game against the AL East competition that is running further away from them, they recorded only seven hits.
Four of them came in the ninth inning when they saved themselves from being shut out by the Rays (66-33) and even brought the tying run to the plate, only for pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton to strike out to end it with a smattering of boos.
In five games since Aaron Judge returned from the injured list on Friday — which the Yankees were hoping could give them a shot in the arm — their offense has put together one productive game.
In the other four, they have combined to score six runs on 23 hits.
On Tuesday, Rays right-hander Zach Eflin became the latest starter to dominate against the Yankees.
He scattered just three hits — two singles and a double — and did not issue a walk while striking out five across six shutout innings.
Before the ninth inning, the Yankees touched second base only once, on Jake Bauers’ double in the sixth inning.
The Rays, meanwhile, beat up on Carlos Rodon and knocked him out after four innings.
The left-hander, who was coming off his best start of the season against the Mets, had another rough go, giving up four runs on four hits (two home runs) and four walks across four innings.
He needed 97 pitches to record 12 outs, forcing the Yankees bullpen to work overtime again.
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