After relishing in a pregame ceremony Friday, during which it bestowed lavish cheers and love on Derek Jeter, a boisterous Yankee Stadium crowd spent much of the next few hours voicing its frustrations with the current Yankees.
The loudest boos were reserved for Aaron Hicks, who was pulled mid-game after a pair of defensive miscues in left field, though the rest of the Yankees were not immune from the grumblings as they fell to the Rays 4-2 on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd of 46,160.
After a rough start to a critical series, the Yankees (83-56) now lead the Rays (78-58) by just 3 ½ games in the AL East — the smallest their division lead has been since May 9.
“I got benched during the game. That’s rough,” Hicks said. “Especially when all you want to do is produce for your team and your first two at-bats are strikeouts. It is what it is. I just gotta prepare for tomorrow.”
Aaron Hicks reacts after striking out to end the first inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostAnother stripped-down Yankees lineup could not mount any offense against Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who struck out 10 over six shutout innings. The Yankees then pushed a pair of runs across against the Rays bullpen, but it wasn’t enough.
The Rays, meanwhile, got to Frankie Montas for four runs across 5 ²/₃ innings. Three of those runs scored on a pair of tough plays by Hicks in left field in the fourth, which led to him being pulled after the inning.
Hicks’ first mishap came with two outs and runners on first and second. Rays star Wander Franco, who went 3-for-5 in his return from an extended stay on the injured list, hit a fly ball to left field. Hicks ran to track it down, but dropped the ball just before he stepped across the foul line. He then took a few seconds to pick it up, seemingly thinking it was foul. In the process, both runners scored and Franco reached second for a double and a 3-0 lead.
“I don’t know how I missed it,” Hicks said. “It was in my glove and all of a sudden it’s out of my glove. Next thing you know, runners are running all around and scoring. It’s a play that you gotta make.”
After Hicks was showered with loud boos and a brief “Joey Gallo” chant, Randy Arozarena came up and ripped a line drive to left field. The ball got over Hicks’ head and dropped for a double that put the Rays up 4-0.
“Just got beat on the [second] one,” Hicks said. “That ball was hit hard, right over my head. But if I make the first one, we’re out of the inning.”
Frankie Montas walks back to the dugout after the second inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostManager Aaron Boone then called on Estevan Florial to replace Hicks in left field to begin the fifth inning, a move that drew cheers from the exasperated crowd.
“I just felt like I needed to get him out of there at that point,” said Boone, who made clear it was not a punitive move.
Hicks had lost his everyday job last month after the arrival of Andrew Benintendi. Rrecent injuries to Benintendi and a slew of other Yankees, however, led to Hicks getting back in the lineup more regularly — as the No. 3 hitter, no less, on Friday night. He went 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts.
Derek Jeter looks at his Hall of Fame plaque. Robert Sabo for the NY POST
Gleyber Torres reacts after striking out. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post A reprieve from the boos came in the seventh inning, when Aaron Judge roped an RBI single off lefty reliever Jalen Beeks that scored Oswald Peraza — who ducked under the tag at home and was ruled safe upon replay review — to get the Yankees within 4-1.
Another came in the ninth, when Kyle Higashioka crushed a solo homer to make it 4-2. After Marwin Gonzalez flew out to the warning track, Judge drew a walk to bring up Gleyber Torres, who also flew out to the warning track to end it.
