Derek Jeter drives in game
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Derek Jeter is hoping his career extends into October. Saturday, he took it upon himself to begin what he hopes is a major turnaround for the Yankees.
Jeter singled in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning against closer Jake McGee, lifting the Yankees to a much-needed 3-2 win over the Rays at Tropicana Field to bring their five-game losing streak to an end.
The Yankees' recent trend of blowing late leads continued after the Rays erased a two-run deficit by scoring in the sixth and seventh, both runs charged to starter Shane Greene. The rookie took a no-decision despite six-plus innings of two-run ball, giving up seven hits and one walk while striking out a career-high 10.
The game remained tied into the ninth, but Brett Gardner led off with an infield single, moving to second on Logan Forsythe's errant throw to first.
Jeter squared up to bunt Gardner to third, but he was unable to get the sacrifice down on four pitches. With the count 2-2 against McGee, Jeter swung away and pushed a single past Forsythe, scoring Gardner from second base for the go-ahead run.
Dellin Betances (5-0) earned the win with a scoreless eighth. David Robertson closed out the win in the ninth, earning his 32nd save in 34 opportunities.
The Rays had pulled back to .500 with their win over the Yankees Friday night, leaving Tampa Bay only one game behind the third-place Bombers in the American League East.
Given that the Rays had been a whopping 18 games under .500 (24-42) on June 10, their historic climb back to even ground put the pressure on the Yankees to stay ahead of them in the standings.
'It's not easy to do,' Joe Girardi said before the game. 'I've said all along, they're a very talented group, and they have very deep pitching. When you have that, you can make long runs and sustain winning streaks, and that's what they've been able to do.
'I think I was more surprised they were 18 games under. Things can change quickly. That's the great thing about this game.'
The Yankees - who had scored seven runs while posting a .174/.222/.261 slash line during the losing streak - opened the game in familiar fashion.
Drew Smyly retired the first five batters before Chase Headley walked and stole second. Prado fell behind 0-2 before drilling a 91 mph sinker into the left-field seats for his second home run as a Yankee.
Prado's shot gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead, and the way the lineup has hit of late, Greene had to assume that was all the run support he was going to receive.
Greene had worked around Desmond Jennings' leadoff double in the first, but he found himself in another jam in the second after being given the lead in the top of the inning. The Rays put runners on at first and second with two out, but Greene fanned Kevin Kiermaier to end the threat.
That got the rookie on a roll as he retired 10 of the next 11 batters to hold the two-run lead through the fifth.
Smyly had little trouble keeping the Rays in the game, sitting the Yankees down in order in the third, fourth and sixth.
Tampa Bay finally broke through against Greene in the sixth as Yunel Escobar's two-out single - the Rays' third hit of the inning - scored Matt Joyce to cut the lead in half. Greene retired Vince Belnome to strand two runners, holding on to the one-run advantage.
Greene hit Curt Casali to open the seventh, then gave up an infield hit by Kiermaier, the No. 9 hitter, to move the tying run into scoring position.
Girardi brought in Shawn Kelley, who served up Adam Jones' game-winning homer Wednesday in Baltimore. Desmond Jennings' sac bunt put runners on second and third with one out, but rather than bringing in strikeout artist Betances to try stranding the tying run at third, Girardi stuck with Kelley.
Ben Zobrist hit a grounder to first base, plating pinch-runner Forsythe to tie the game at 2.
The Yankees couldn't get anything else going offensively, leaving Prado's early swing as their only offense against Smyly, who faced the minimum three batters in six of his seven innings.
Brad Boxberger blanked the Yankees in the eighth, getting the final out against pinch-hitter Stephen Drew. Girardi's decision to use the lefthanded Drew was questionable, as Boxberger - a righthander - had held lefties to only one hit in 56 at-bats since May 20.
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