Sanchez slugs way out of slump

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. Struggling Gary Sanchez drove in four runs for the first time since early April, Luis Severino won his 19th game and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-2 Tuesday night to keep up their push for home-field advantage in the AL wild card game.

Sanchez had been 10-for-66 (a .152 batting average) since returning Sept. 1 from a groin strain and had one hit over for his last 28 atbats, dropping his average to .180. He hit a three-run homer off Jalen Beeks in a seven-run third inning, his first long ball since Sept. 10.

Severino (19-8) is competing with Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ to start in the Oct. 3 wild card game, most likely against Oakland. The Yankees began the night 1½ games ahead of the Athletics for home-field advantage.

At St. Louis, Christian Yelich homered and drove in six runs, and the surging Milwaukee Brewers hurt the Cardinals’ playoff chances with a 12-4 victory. Ryan Braun went deep twice and Jesus Aguilar also connected as Milwaukee won for the fifth time in six games.

The Cardinals (87-71) fell into a tie with Colorado, which beat Philadelphia 10-3, for the second NL wild card. Milwaukee (91-67) leads St. Louis and Colorado by four games for the top wild card and entered the day 1½ games back of the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs.

Los Angeles Angels two-way rookie Shohei Ohtani will have Tommy John surgery next week. The Angels confirmed Ohtani’s long-expected decision on elbow ligament replacement Tuesday. Ohtani won’t be able to pitch for the Angels in 2019, but he likely could hit at some point early next season. Ohtani went 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA in 10 starts, but he has pitched just once since early June after developing a strained right elbow. Ohtani was batting .280 with 56 RBI.