ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ No pitcher puzzles and perplexes the Yankees like Michael Pineda.
The towering 6-7 frame delivering a mid-90s fastball and sweeping slider; strikeout totals typically high, walks low. All of that added up to a 6-12 record with a 4.82 ERA last season, in which the right-hander recorded a career-best 207 strikeouts but also allowed a career-worst 27 home runs.
"Michael might have left Larry (Rothschild) scratching his head more than anyone else at times," Joe Girardi said of the pitching coach. "We've seen him have 10 strikeouts in five innings and give up four, five runs, and you just say, 'How did that happen?' "
That's sort of how it happened Wednesday night in a 5-1 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field that cost the Yankees a series victory. Pineda lasted only 32/3 innings, allowing four runs and eight hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out six.
Leadoff man Corey Dickerson teed off on the third pitch he saw, an inviting 94-mph fastball that Pineda left up, and it left the park. In the second, the Rays scored three runs with two outs to take a 4-1 lead.
The loss wasn't entirely on Pineda. For the second time in the series, the Yankees didn't hit much, held in check by Alex Cobb and five relievers. They were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird continued their slow starts, a combined 2-for-26 through three games.
Pineda's struggles with two outs have become dog-bites-man news. Last season opponents had a .325/.383/.598 slash line against Pineda with two outs, hitting 13 homers.
Pineda took the mound in the second with the score 1-1 thanks to Jacoby Ellsbury's first homer. A wild 27-pitch bottom of the inning had a bit of everything, little of it good for the Yankees.
It began with a single by Steven Souza Jr. and a single by Logan Morris that should have been a flyout to right. The ball instead hit one of the overhanging catwalks and dropped straight down for a hit. Pineda struck out Tim Beckham with a nasty slider, but a wild pitch moved both runners up. Mallex Smith followed with a chopper to third, and Chase Headley didn't hesitate in going home. Sanchez fielded his one-hop throw and tagged Souza for the second out.
Pineda, however, could not finish. Derek Norris smashed a grounder past Starlin Castro for a two-run single that made it 3-1. Pineda punched his glove in frustration at a play the second baseman probably should have made. Norris stole second and came in on Dickerson's single to right. Kevin Kiermaier singled, which put Dickerson on third, but made an ill-advised attempt to steal second and was cut down by Sanchez to end the inning.
Cobb allowed one run and four hits in 52/3 innings. Xavier Cedeno, Jumbo Diaz and Erasmo Ramirez got the ball to closer Alex Colome, who also got the save Sunday.
Ellsbury singled off Colome but was erased when Castro hit into a 5-4-3 double play. Headley singled, making him 7-for-11, but Aaron Judge flied to left to end the game.
The Yankees seemed as if they might get something going in the eighth against Ramirez. Brett Gardner led off with a single and went to second on a passed ball. Sanchez got ahead 3-and-0 before grounding out to short, unable to move Gardner up, and fell to 1-for-14. Bird took a called third strike, dropping him to 1-for-12. Matt Holliday grounded to second to end the inning.
