ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Yankees wasted no time snapping their scoreless streak Friday night. 

But it did not get much better from there. 

An offense that spent Wednesday and Thursday being as cold as the air in The Bronx did not instantly heat up in a warmer climate, instead dropping a third straight game as the Yankees fell to the Rays 5-3 at Tropicana Field on Friday. 

In all, the Yankees (8-5) mustered just five hits, which was four more than they had Thursday. But still, over their last three games, they have recorded only 10 hits. 

“Just got to get some guys clicking and get that big hit,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We’re not hitting a ton of long balls right now. But for the most part, approach-wise, I’ve been good [with it]. 

“It’s going to happen sometimes from the offense. They’ll get it rolling and some people will pay the price.” 

After Amed Rosario’s RBI triple made it a 2-0 game in the top of the first inning Friday — the two runs ending a 17-inning scoreless drought — the Yankees did not record another hit until Ben Rice led off the eighth inning with a pinch-hit home run that pulled them within 5-3.

Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees reacts to striking out as Nick Fortes of the Tampa Bay Rays throws the ball during the fifth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on April 10, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Getty Images

Their only base runner in between was Paul Goldschmidt, who drew a walk and was hit by a pitch, but never got past first base. 

The Yankees then made a late threat in the ninth inning, when they led off with back-to-back singles. But Jazz Chisholm Jr. grounded into a fielder’s choice, Randal Grichuk (staying in to bat for himself because Boone said he liked his righties against righty Bryan Baker, who has reverse splits) struck out and pinch-hitter Trent Grisham popped out to end it, leaving runners on second and third. 

“We got to hit. That’s it,” said Austin Wells, who went 0-for-3 and is 5-for-33 on the young season. “We got to take pressure off these guys on the mound, they’re doing a great job for us. So we got to string some at-bats together and hit a couple big ones and get rolling.” 

While the last two offensive duds before Friday wasted quality pitching, Luis Gil was just OK in his season debut, allowing three runs on three hits, three walks and a hit batter across four innings in which the Rays (6-7) forced him to throw 88 pitches. 

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Gil grinded for much of the night and got into some long at-bats in his first start after being the odd man out of the Yankees’ four-man rotation to begin the season. The right-hander spent much of the spring trying to rediscover the form that made him the AL Rookie of the Year in 2024, which remains a work in progress after starting the season at Triple-A. 

New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning. AP

“It was a battle tonight,” Gil, who struck out two and only got five swings-and-misses, said through an interpreter. “I can be better. But at the same time, it’s the first outing of the season. I’m happy to be back here.” 

The Yankees quickly got on the scoreboard against Rays left-hander and ex-Met Steven Matz in the top of the first. Aaron Judge smoked a one-out single to left field, stole second and took third after an error on the play, and then came home to score on Cody Bellinger’s sacrifice fly. 

After Giancarlo Stanton walked, the Rays helped out some more when Rosario hit a sinking liner to left field that Chandler Simpson tried to make a sliding grab on. But he came up well short of the ball as it bounced off the turf and way over his head, rolling all the way to the wall, allowing Stanton to score on Rosario’s “triple” that made it 2-0. 

Gil immediately gave those runs right back, though, in the bottom of the first. After getting two quick outs, he walked Jonathan Aranda before leaving a slider up to Yandy Diaz, who belted it the other way for a two-run homer that tied the game. 

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero celebrates with first baseman Jonathan Aranda (8) after they beat the Yankees. AP

In the third inning, the Rays pushed ahead the go-ahead run — in the form of Taylor Walls, who got on base after being hit on the 10th pitch of an at-bat — before tacking on two more runs against Brent Headrick and Camilo Doval in the sixth inning, fueled in part by Headrick’s fielding error. 

“I think for our team, we have all the opportunity and all the strength to be able to go out there and turn it around [Saturday],” Wells said. “All the guys in this locker room are capable of turning it around the next day. I think that’s what’s good about our team and what’ll make us good for the rest of the season.”