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Yankees home runs send Odorizzi, Rays to defeat

 
Alex Rodriguez circles the bases after hitting a second-inning home run off Jake Odorizzi.
Alex Rodriguez circles the bases after hitting a second-inning home run off Jake Odorizzi.
Published Sept. 5, 2015

NEW YORK — After another vexing night involving Yankees catcher Brian McCann in a 5-2 loss, Rays starter Jake Odorizzi said he was done discussing what has been a painfully one-sided matchup.

"I'm just not going to talk about it anymore," Odorizzi said, "so no further questions on that."

Maybe not pitching against him would be a better idea.

Odorizzi faced McCann three times Friday, and all three worked against him.

In the fourth inning, Odorizzi left a fastball within reach and McCann hit a home run. Before and after that, Odorizzi, pitching cautiously, walked McCann but then gave up a home run to one of the next two batters — Alex Rodriguez in the second, rookie Greg Bird in the seventh.

By the end the night, McCann was 11-for-17 (.647) in his career against Odorizzi with two walks, three doubles, one triple and three homers. His 1.471 slugging percentage, according to Elias, is the highest of any current American League hitter against an AL pitcher.

The weird thing is those were the only three hits, and the only five baserunners, that Odorizzi allowed while pitching into the seventh. But he still ended up losing as the Rays dropped to 66-68 and further to the fringe of the AL wild-card race that the Yankees lead.

"Overall I thought I had really good stuff. I feel like after I came out I was (ticked)," Odorizzi said. "I gave up five runners and they all scored, that was the story line. Just an odd night, but I'll move on."

Odorizzi insisted going into the start he wasn't going to let McCann's past success be a factor, but it was hard to think it was not.

"I'm sure that some guys, it gets in the back of your mind," Rays catcher J.P. Arencibia said. "But he did a phenomenal job. He made a little mistake, and they hit it. You give up three hits and they're all homers, I would say the odds of that are very low."

McCann shrugged when asked about his mastery and said he didn't know why he hit Odorizzi so well. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he didn't know either: "Obviously he sees the ball well off him.''

Rays manager Kevin Cash said he didn't notice anything different about Odorizzi's approach to McCann, just that the results — the two walks leading off innings as well as the homer —were not ideal.

"In all likelihood, Odo and McCann are going to have a history,'' Cash said. "Right now, maybe he's got the upper hand, but that can flip-flop really quick. So to answer your question I don't think it's how he goes about it. I think Odo was trying to make some good pitches that just missed off the plate in certain situations.'

Odorizzi said McCann's homer also came on one, a fastball that was nearly off the plate. On both walks, Odorizzi didn't even draw a swing from McCann. And it got worse after.

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In the second, he threw a first-pitch slider to Rodriguez, who appeared fooled but hit it out for his 681st homer. In the seventh, he struck out Rodriguez, but went from 0-and-2 to 2-and-2 on Bird, a 22-year-old rookie playing in his 19th big-league game, and left a splitter up, extending a 3-1 lead to 5-1.

Cash said he felt Odorizzi could get through the inning and he liked the matchup with Bird rather than a lefty reliever against a Yankees pinch-hitter.

The Rays couldn't convert much against touted Yankees rookie Luis Severino and three relievers, rapping nine hits but going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. They got one run on a homer by Evan Longoria, his third in two games, and the other on a double by Arencibia.