Tampa Bay Rays: Erik Bedard has rough start

Apr 18, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Erik Bedard (40) throws a pitch in the first inning of the game against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Rays hosted the New York Yankees tonight and they sent Erik Bedard to the mound. Bedard, a seasoned 35-year-old veteran, was looking for his first win of the season against a surging Yankee team that has been no stranger to winning early in 2014.

After a very strong first inning, Bedard had a miserable second inning against the “Bronx Bombers”. He allowed four hits and four runs in the second frame, three on a double off of the bat of Scott Sizemore. Despite coming back and striking out a few more hitters, Bedard was pulled by Joe Maddon half-way through the fourth inning. Maddon replaced the starter with reliever Brad Boxberger.

The loss was credited to Bedard – his career record fell to 67-77. Coming into the game, he had previous experience against New York from his extensive time with the Baltimore Orioles. He now has six losses against the Yankees, a number that ranks second-most just behind his current team, the Rays.

Tampa Bay has had a tough time keeping their starters healthy and on the hill. Matt Moore and Alex Cobb have gone down with in-season injuries, forcing Maddon and Co. to look elsewhere for a guy who can go deep into games. On Friday night, they quickly learned that leaning on Bedard might not be the best option moving forward.

It should be interesting to see how the team handles the upcoming situation. The injury bug has been flying around the clubhouse since Spring Training…Will the coaching staff have other options or will Bedard be their guy?