TOP OF THE HEAP
YANKS RIDE 7-RUN INNING PITCHING INTO FIRST PLACE
The Yankees had taken a threerun lead in the sixth inning, but they still had three innings to navigate with a taxed bullpen Sunday when Thairo Estrada came to the plate with the bases loaded and two out.
Pinch hitting for the injured Gio Urshela, Estrada did what he and so many others have done so far this season for the Yankees: delivered a huge hit.
This one, a double that cleared the bases, capped off a seven-run inning and sent the Yankees to a 13-5 rout of the Rays, which put the Yankees back into first place in the AL East, half a game ahead of Tampa Bay.
“Estrada’s hit was huge for us,’’ said Aaron Hicks, whose two-run blast in the fourth tied the game at 5-5. “It kind of broke the game open. It was definitely what we needed.”
It sent the Yankees to their fifth win in six games as they head out on a road trip against the two worst teams in the American League: Baltimore and Kansas City.
But as they showed this weekend, the Yankees can beat solid competition, as well — even when they seem set up for failure.
Going up against Tampa Bay right-hander Charlie Morton, who had given up more than two runs once in his first nine starts, the Yankees went with an opener, Chad Green, making just his third appearance since being brought back from the minors after being sent down to work on his mechanics.
Green’s struggles continued, as he allowed back-to-back solo homers to Kevin Kiermaier and Willy Adames with two outs in the second, but the Yankees tagged Morton for five runs in just four innings in his shortest — and worst — start of the season.
Nestor Cortes Jr. relieved Green in the second and after a rough start thanks to a three-run homer by Brandon Lowe, went on to retire nine straight at one point.
The left-hander, making just his second outing of the season for the Yankees, was pulled with two on and two out in the sixth for Adam Ottavino.
Ottavino walked Daniel Robertson to load the bases and then went to a full count with the dangerous Austin Meadows.
Finally, he got Meadows swinging at a slider to end the threat and the Yankees erupted in the bottom of the inning.
“He’s been killing us,’’ Ottavino said of Meadows, who pummeled Yankee pitching both in Tampa Bay last weekend and for much of this series. “When the chips are down, most of the time I’m gonna throw my pitch. … The slider was down the middle, but had good late break to it.”
The offense took care of the rest.
Gardner started the rally with a comebacker that was mishandled by Diego Castillo and generously ruled a hit. Clint Frazier walked before DJ LeMahieu popped up a bunt attempt for the first out.
Hicks, Luke Voit, Gary Sanchez and Kendrys Morales drew four straight walks to make it 7-5. Gleyber Torres then hit a sharp grounder to short, but Adames bounced the ball to first and Ji-Man Choi wasn’t able to control it. Again, the play was ruled a single and the Yankees were up, 8-5.
Estrada came up for Urshela, who was injured after he fouled a ball off himself in the third but stayed in the game until the sixth. Estrada delivered a three-run double to left to make it 11-5, which allowed the Yankees to use Chance Adams for the final three innings.
“Thairo, to me, has been one of the faces of what we’re doing right now,’’ Aaron Boone said. “In a lot of ways, we rushed him up here and threw him into the fire and he’s handled every situation perfectly.”
“I think we’re doing it all together,’’ Estrada said through an interpreter. “The most important thing is we’re winning games. To do it all together as a group, as a team, feels great.”