PETERSBURG, Fla. — Yankees vs. Rays Highlights

During the ninth inning of Saturday’s game, the Yankees opted to intentionally walk Ben Rice, which put Randall Grichuk at bat while Aaron Judge stood at third, hoping for a crucial hit.

Manager Aaron Boone put Grichuk in as a pinch hitter against reliever Hunter Bigge. However, he didn’t clarify afterward why Paul Goldschmidt wasn’t brought in instead.

“It’s fine. We could have certainly considered that,” Boone said after the game, which the Yankees lost 5-4 in extra innings at Tropicana Field. “But there were definitely factors to weigh.”

Grichuk entered as a pinch runner for Giancarlo Stanton in the eighth inning, starting the season without a hit in his first nine at-bats. Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t break that streak, flying out on the one pitch he got, making him 0-for-10.

“It felt like the right moment,” Grichuk noted. Boone conceded that Goldschmidt could have been used off the bench, “but it’s a valid question.”

Interestingly, Vidge had a reverse split throughout his career, which likely explained why left-handed hitter JC Escala wasn’t used to pinch hit for Grichuk.

Now, the missed opportunity was particularly frustrating as the Yankees fell further into a losing streak, marking their fourth consecutive loss.

Grichuk, who was brought in as a power hitter during spring training, struggled early, recording five strikeouts in his initial at-bats against left-handed pitchers.

Boone earlier mentioned, “He has played some games but didn’t see much success. He hit a few hard balls, including one to center field. We didn’t have many chances at first since we had a lineup mainly filled with right-handers. Physically, he seems good. He just needs time to adapt to the season and face left-handed pitchers. I believe he will deliver.”

Interestingly, Judge might take on designated hitter duties on Sunday, while Stanton will stay on the bench for the last game of this series against the Rays. Boone had planned to use Stanton that day, but he’ll probably face right-hander Drew Rasmussen on Sunday since the Rays have swapped their starting pitcher.

Meanwhile, Ryan McMahon is working to regain his hitting form, going 1-for-2 before being substituted by Amed Rosario against a lefty on Saturday. The Yankees are counting on Max Fried to anchor the third base side whenever he pitches, given his ability to create ground balls.

“That’s kind of Ryan’s strength, especially as he aims to contribute offensively,” Boone pointed out. “All we can do is hope he continues performing well, especially when Max is on the mound, as he tends to keep things lively over there.”