ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Manager Kevin Cash has found himself on the phone with the opposing manager with increasing regularity this season, telling him who will be his starting pitcher the next day.
These courtesy calls are necessary because the Rays again are challenging convention, this time on what it means to be a starting pitcher. The thought-provoking idea was on display here this weekend, when Tampa Bay completed an unlikely sweep of the Yankees with a 7-6 victory on Sunday, sealed by the rookie Jake Bauers’s 12th-inning home run.
The Yankees have lost three consecutive games for the first time this season, dropping them into a tie for first place with the Boston Red Sox, although they remain percentage points ahead of their rivals.