Yankees’ late push falls short after Luis Gil’s rollercoaster return
Ben Rice gave the Yankees life, but Gil’s uneven return left too much to overcome at the Trop.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - APRIL 10: Luis Gil #81 of the New York Yankees throws against the Tampa Bay Rays during the third inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on April 10, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
(Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Yankees dropped Friday night’s series opener in St. Petersburg by a final of 5-3, unable to fully recover after Luis Gil’s rollercoaster 2026 debut and a middle-inning Rays bullpen bridge that slowly squeezed control of the game away. Ben Rice’s late homer gave New York a pulse, but the offense simply could not create enough real opportunities to make the comeback feel sustainable.
New York wasted no time taking advantage of Tropicana Field chaos in the top of the first. Aaron Judge singled, then immediately pressured the Rays by stealing second and advancing to third when the throw skipped into center field. Cody Bellinger brought him home with a sacrifice fly, and after Giancarlo Stanton worked a two-out walk, Amed Rosario lifted what should have been a routine ball into left.
Chandler Simpson turned it into a full Trop adventure, misplaying it badly enough for Rosario to race all the way to third with a Little League-style RBI triple that quickly made it 2-0. View Link It was exactly the kind of early gift the Yankees needed, and one everyone hoped would spark the offense. The problem was Luis Gil’s 2026 debut never really allowed them to settle into it.
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