The New York Yankees fell 3-0 to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. With the loss, the Yankees were swept in the season-opening series, 3-0. The Yankees haven't started the season off 0-3 since 1998.
The Yankees bats were cold up against Jeremy Hellickson on Sunday. Hellickson went 8.2 innings, struck out four and walked four while only allowing three hits. Fernando Rodney picked up his second save of the series when he got the final out in the 9th. Phil Hughes was credited with the loss for New York. Hughes went 4.2 innings, gave up 2 earned runs on five hits while walking two and striking out five.
Matt Joyce's triple in the first inning sent Evan Longoria home and started the scoring. Carlos Pena went yard again in the series in the 3rd inning. Pena homered as part of a 5 RBI day in the first game of the series which New York lost, 7-6. Jeff Keppinger's solo shot in the 6th inning was the only other run of the game. Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher had the only hits of the game for New York.
The Yankees scored 12 runs in the first two games of the series before getting shutout on Sunday. The Yankees gave up 18 runs during the three-game series.
For more on the Yankees, check out the SB Nation blog Pinstripe Alley, while D-Rays Bay is all about the Rays.