Yankees’ rally fizzles in loss to Tampa Bay

NEW YORK — Gary Sanchez and Rougned Odor both struck out with two runners on to blunt a ninthinning rally and the New York Yankees’ lead atop the AL wild-card lead got even tighter with a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.

The Yankees’ edge fell to one game over Boston and two games over Toronto after those contenders each won. Seattle was two games back of New York going into the night.

New York needed a win plus a loss by either Boston or Seattle to clinch its fifth straight playoff appearance. Instead, the Yankees fell short against the AL East champion Rays in the opener of a season-ending three-game series.

The Yankees lost for only the second time in 10 games.

Rookie Wander Franco gave the Rays a 4-1 lead by chopping a grounder up the middle for a two-run single in the ninth. His hit came a few pitches after he missed a three-run homer by lining a ball a few feet foul in left.

Franco’s hit also came a night after he went 0 for 4 to snap a 43-game on-base streak, which tied Frank Robinson in 1956 for the longest such string in MLB history among players 20 or younger.

After Franco gave the Rays a three-run lead, the Yankees nearly pulled off a comeback.

Rays reliever Andrew Kittredge allowed Giancarlo Stanton’s one-out double and a bunt RBI single by Joey Gallo. Brett Gardner followed by singling home a run before Kittredge fanned Sanchez and Odor to end the game.