After their World Series defeat last year, the New York Yankees are striving to maintain their lead in the American League East. They suffered their second consecutive loss and their fourth in six games on Sunday, falling to the Tampa Bay Rays with a score of 7-5.

Tampa Bay jumped to an early lead with five runs, but right fielder Cody Bellinger ignited a Yankees comeback, granting them a potential victory. In the bottom of the sixth inning, he launched a two-run homer, marking the Yankees’ first runs.

This home run was the 200th of his career, and the Yankees celebrated this personal achievement with an Instagram post. “200 Career Homers,” the caption stated. “Congrats, @cody_bellinger.” Bellinger is having a slow start this season, batting a mere .200, though he has already accumulated 18 RBIs in 31 games.

His career began with a bang as a rookie in 2017 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he hit .267 with 97 RBIs and 39 home runs, earning a spot in the All-Star game. That year, he aided the Dodgers in reaching the World Series, where they were defeated by the Houston Astros in seven games.

In 2019, he was recognized as the National League MVP, and the following year, he secured a world championship with Los Angeles. The Yankees acquired Bellinger during the winter in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, where he had played for the previous two seasons. They hope he will bring the offensive power they lost when Juan Soto unexpectedly signed with the New York Mets in the offseason.