The New York Yankees erased a four-run deficit Thursday night, scoring six unanswered runs to rally past the Tampa Bay Rays, 6-4, in the series finale at Yankee Stadium.
Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the third inning after Taylor Walls walked and scored on a Yandy Díaz single that turned into an RBI double when Heliot Ramos’ throw toward third base got away. Junior Caminero followed with another run-scoring single.
Cam Schlittler made his final start of the regular season but was removed after three innings as the Yankees continued managing their starters’ workloads ahead of the postseason. Michael Fulmer and Tim Hill kept Tampa Bay in check before Caminero’s RBI double in the fifth extended the Rays’ lead to 3-0.
Tampa Bay added another run in the sixth after an error prevented the Yankees from completing a double play.
Austin Wells got New York on the board with a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning. The Yankees then erupted for three runs in the seventh.
George Lombard Jr. doubled home Ben Rice before scoring on a wild pitch. Paul Goldschmidt followed with a two-run single that tied the game at 4-4.
Lombard delivered again in the eighth, launching a two-run home run down the left-field line to put New York ahead. The homer was his seventh in 41 career games and gave him three runs batted in on the night.
Bradley Hanner protected the lead with a scoreless eighth and ninth innings to earn the first victory of his career.
Schlittler finished with a 1.95 earned-run average, a 0.92 walks-and-hits-per-inning ratio, 239 strikeouts and 47 walks across 193.2 innings in 33 starts.
The Yankees open their final regular-season series Friday against the Baltimore Orioles with a doubleheader beginning at 4:05 p.m. Game 2 will start no earlier than 7:05 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.