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Rays routed by Yankees, cut Grant Balfour (w/ video)

 
Rays rightfielder Steven Souza Jr. leaps at the wall as a drive by the Yankees’ Brian McCann bounces high off the railing and back onto the field, going for a two-run triple off Jake Odorizzi in the sixth inning that breaks a scoreless tie.
Rays rightfielder Steven Souza Jr. leaps at the wall as a drive by the Yankees’ Brian McCann bounces high off the railing and back onto the field, going for a two-run triple off Jake Odorizzi in the sixth inning that breaks a scoreless tie.
Published April 19, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG — What started as a dazzling duel between Jake Odorizzi and the Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka ended with an ugly 9-0 loss for the Rays and the dismissal of veteran reliever Grant Balfour.

After Balfour's poor pitching played a key role in the Yankees' seven-run seventh inning, the Rays designated him for assignment, a procedural step to likely releasing him and eating the remainder of his $7 million salary. Brandon Gomes was called up and will take his place in the bullpen.

"Tonight was embarrassing for me,'' Balfour said.

Balfour, 37, said he was a bit surprised by the decision and that his arm feels good, but he acknowledged that he doesn't "have the same fastball" and that some time off might help. He was 2-6 with a 4.91 ERA last season to start a two-year, $12 million deal. He had a 6.23 ERA this season through six games.

The Rays were down 4-0 when Balfour came in and made things considerably worse in the seventh, walking Alex Rodriguez to load the bases, allowing a sac fly, hitting a batter and, after starting 0-and-2, giving up a grand slam to Chris Young, then two more walks before getting out of the inning.

"You're one pitch away from getting out of a tough situation and you sort of think to yourself, 'Wow, you could have struck the guy out there, had him 0-2,' and you walk out of there thinking you did a good job tonight, you haven't given up a run all season, six outings,'' Balfour said.

"Instead you have a terrible outing. You walk some guys, it wasn't a good outing. It's not really something I want to finish on. … I always told myself I wanted to be the one to leave this game, not someone else. So we'll see, we'll see where it goes.''

The downturn for the Rays (6-6) started in the sixth, when Odorizzi — who said he didn't feel differently or change his approach — hit a rough spot, walking two then allowing a two-run triple to Brian McCann, who is now 8-for-13 against him.

"I guess he likes me,'' Odorizzi said.

It got much worse in a 38-minute top of the seventh. As much as Balfour was to blame, things might have gone much differently if rookie rightfielder Steven Souza Jr. had hung on to the Stephen Drew ball he ran down in the right-centerfield gap and got a glove on.

"I got a good jump on it, got to it in time and I was trying to find the wall,'' Souza said. "Just didn't come up with it. That ball's got to be caught, plain and simple. … If I catch that ball, we get out of that inning without some damage. So that ball's got to be caught.''

A Chase Headley single had ended Odorizzi's night after 102 pitches, then Drew's ball, off C.J. Riefenhauser, set the Yankees up for more.

A sac fly, with a strong but late throw by Souza (and a sixth straight unsuccessful replay challenge by manager Kevin Cash), made it 3-0. Singles by Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner led to the fourth run. Then Balfour took over.

It didn't help that Tanaka dominated for seven innings, allowing two hits while striking out eight, and that the New York bullpen took it from there before a Tropicana Field crowd of 20,824 that seemed to have a lot to cheer about.

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Balfour thanked the Rays for the opportunity in his first stint and said he would take some time before deciding whether to pursue other opportunities.

"I would like to have been a lot better,'' he said.