Frazier homer KO’d by speaker

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It was high. It was far. It was caught by the shortstop.

The quirky Trop got the best of Clint Frazier and the Yankees in the ninth inning on Sunday afternoon, as the 24-yearold's fly ball to left deflected off a speaker on the B ring catwalk, turning a possible homer into a pop-out that Adeiny Hechavarria caught just beyond the infield.

The ball may have very well ended up foul, but Frazier didn't think so.

“It was definitely going to be a home run,” said Frazier, who was pinch-hitting for Neil Walker leading off the frame in what became an eventual 7-6 loss to the Rays in 12 innings. “I think Statcast said it was going to go like (335) feet. Got robbed of one.”

Fair or foul, it was a tough break for Frazier.

“It's like hitting a bird in the sky is what it felt like,” Frazier said. “That's unfortunate, because we'd be on the plane by now. It's a hard one to swallow. I didn't even know it hit the speaker. I thought it was gone.”

Based on the ground rules, the speaker is in play.

“It's something that hopefully never happens to anyone else,” Frazier said.

Aaron Boone wasn't sure what would've happened.

“I don't know how you can have a speaker in fair territory,” Boone said. “That's a little bit of a puzzler, but yeah, you gotta roll with that. It's in the ground rules so you roll with it.”

Tropicana Field's already poor reputation is certain to take yet another hit — after it may have taken away a hit from Frazier.

ROTATION CHANGE

The Yankees will have Luis Cessa start on Wednesday in Philadelphia, which will push CC Sabathia back to Friday against the Red Sox.

“Just with the stretch we've been in we really value getting him an extra day, and for CC he'll have an extra two days (with the off-day Thursday),” Boone said.

Part of that also could be not wanting Sabathia, 37, to hit and run in a National League ballpark.

Cessa, who pitched in relief of Sabathia on Friday against Tampa Bay, can give the Bombers 70-80 pitches, according to Boone. This will mark Cessa's first start of the season.

TANAKA TIME

Masahiro Tanaka (hamstrings) reported feeling great after throwing a 26-pitch bullpen session Sunday morning. Tanaka, who suffered the injury on June 8 and is expected to be out a month, also did some jogging afterward as well. Boone said the plan is for Tanaka to throw another bullpen on Tuesday. He is then expected to throw a simulated game on Friday.