Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Box Score on Jul 29, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 29, 2017

NEW YORK -- Brett Gardner hit a bases-loaded single with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth inning and the New York Yankees matched a season high with their sixth straight win, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Saturday afternoon.

Gardner won it when he lined a 1-0 pitch up the middle from Dan Jennings, giving the Yankees their ninth win in 11 games after loading the bases on a walk, a hit batsman and a bunt single.

The hit touched off a wild celebration at first base and Gardner was doused during his on-field interview by Aaron Judge, who chipped a tooth celebrating Gardner's 11th-inning homer Thursday.

The inning started when Chase Headley drew a walk from Brad Boxberger (2-3). After pinch runner Jacoby Ellsbury stole second on a 1-0 pitch, Todd Frazier was hit by a pitch.

The Rays moved the corners but Boxberger couldn't throw a strike as Torreyes attempted to bunt on the first three pitches. Torreyes was successful on the fourth pitch with a bunt single between the mound and third base, setting it up for Gardner's second walk-off hit in the series.

Before Gardner won it, Headley slugged a pinch-hit, two-run homer with one out in the sixth off Sergio Romo to give New York a 4-3 lead. The lead lasted until the eighth when Lucas Duda opened the inning by hitting a 2-0 curveball from David Robertson into the second deck in right field.

Aroldis Chapman (4-1) worked around two errors and stranded a runner at third in the ninth by retiring Evan Longoria.

Peter Bourjos and Steven Souza Jr. homered for the Rays, who used all of their position players. Gary Sanchez homered for the Yankees.

The Rays opened a 1-0 lead when Bourjos hit Caleb Smith's second pitch over the left-center field fence. The teams traded sacrifice flies as Didi Gregorius tied the game at 1-1 in the second and Duda put Tampa Bay ahead 2-1 in the third.

Sanchez tied the game with his 16th homer in the in the fourth and Souza gave Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead with his 22nd homer of the season in the fifth.

NOTES: Tampa Bay 1B Logan Morrison was not in the starting lineup for the second straight game (bruised left heel) but singled as a pinch hitter in the seventh. Manager Kevin Cash said Morrison was going for further testing and he struggled to run to first base on his hit. ... New York OF Aaron Hicks (strained right oblique) said he thinks he can start a rehab assignment by Wednesday. Hicks took swings and did some baserunning activity. Manager Joe Girardi said it's possible Hicks might return when New York returns from its next road trip Aug. 11. ... Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner took part in some of the ceremonies for "Military Appreciation Day" before the game. ... Plate umpire Dan Iassogna had a ball go off his mask in the fourth inning but stayed in the game after Yankees trainer Steve Donahue checked on him.