ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Yankees have flirted with being no-hit on various occasions this season, and Saturday was just their latest dance with infamy.
They eventually spared themselves the embarrassment, but not by much.
Tyler Glasnow and the Rays’ bullpen held the Yankees’ feeble lineup to just two hits while handing them a 3-0 loss in front of 22,943 at Tropicana Field.
As has become the trademark of their disappointing season, the Yankees (62-67) followed a step forward on Friday — when they piled up 11 hits in a 6-2 win — with an immediate step back Saturday.
They missed a chance to win back-to-back games for the first time since Aug. 2-3 and will now need a victory Sunday to win their first series in more than a month.
DJ LeMahieu broke up Glasnow’s no-hit bid with a one-out single in the sixth inning, then added another single to lead off the ninth inning against closer Pete Fairbanks.
But the rest of the Yankees could not muster anything else.
It marked the second time this week the Yankees have been held to two hits. Josiah Gray and the Nationals two-hit them Tuesday in The Bronx.
That night, catcher Ben Rortvedt was responsible for both of the Yankees’ hits.
The anemic offensive performance wasted another encouraging outing from Clarke Schmidt.
The right-hander set a new career-high by tossing 6 ²/₃ innings on 99 pitches.
Only one of the three runs he allowed was earned.
Schmidt, who has already blown past his career-high in innings for a season as a pro, scattered six hits while walking none and striking out five.
The Rays got to him in the second inning with an assist from some poor Yankees defense.
Isaac Paredes led off by hitting a ground ball to third base that Isiah Kiner-Falefa could not field cleanly.
Luke Raley followed with a double that put runners at second and third.
Harold Ramirez and Jonathan Aranda then delivered back-to-back sacrifice flies for a 2-0 lead.
In the third inning, Randy Arozarena and Josh Lowe hit back-to-back doubles for a 3-0 lead.
Center fielder Harison Bader appeared to lose Lowe’s deep fly ball in the Tropicana dome.
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