CRASH GR&AB

Yanks nab 3rd straight as go-ahead run scores after violent collision at first

The Yankees got a look at their future on Wednesday as Jordan Montgomery made his first start and Aaron Judge added another Ruthian blast.

But it was a familiar face who came up with the most significant play in their third straight win, an 8-4 victory over the Rays.

Brett Gardner, the longest-tenured Yankee, reached on an error after hitting a comebacker and then slammed into Tampa Bay first baseman Rickie Weeks Jr., who was unable to handle a low throw from reliever Xavier Cedeno.

The violent collision knocked both Gardner (bruised jaw and strained neck) and Weeks (shoulder) out of the game, but allowed Chase Headley to score the goahead run and the Yankees never looked back.

“Two Mack Trucks collided,” general manager Brian Cashman said of the play.

And the Yankees — if not Gardner — were left standing.

It was only a few days ago the Yankees were on the verge of a fourth-straight loss, which would handing it over to the bullpen, which pitched effectively again.

Montgomery, the 24-year-old who stunned many by capturing have left them limping into Yankee the final spot in the rotation this Stadium with a 1-5 record. spring after a fantastic season in the

Instead, they came back in Baltiminors, showed signs of promise. more to beat the Orioles and have “He belongs here,” Judge said. followed it up with two in a row over The 6-foot-6 lefty escaped jams in the Rays. And again on Wednesday, the third and fourth innings without they stormed back from a deficit, giving up a run as he pitched to Kyle this time 3-0 in the fifth inning, to get Higashioka, who was also starting back to .500 at 4-4. for the first time in the majors.

“I think it’s carried over,” Joe Montgomery and Higashioka Girardi said of the team’s improved both started 2016 with Double-A play. Trenton and at times on Wednes

This team in transition still looks to day, the Rays seemed like they be in search of an identity and games wanted to make the duo seem comlike Wednesday’s figure to help. fortable by playing like minor leagu

Although Montgomeryers.failedto get out of the fifth inning, he shook The Yankees took advantage of off Weeks’ f irst-inning two-out, three walks, an error and a wild two-run homer to pitch effectively pitch by the Rays to score a pair of in his major league debut. unearned runs in the fifth before

He struck out seven and allowed tying the game in the sixth with three runs — two earned — before three consecutive singles to open the bottom of the inning, drawing even on a laser of a line drive up the middle by Judge.

Then, with runners on the corners and one out, Gardner pinch hit for Pete Kozma.

Cedeno wanted to get the force at second, but with the infield in, no one covered the base and he threw to first instead. Weeks couldn’t handle the bad throw, which led to Gardner running into Weeks at full speed.

Gardner, whom Girardi said is day to day, crawled to the base, and the Yankees added two more runs in the inning on Jacoby Ellsbury’s RBI single and Aaron Hicks’ groundout.

In the seventh, Judge homered for the third straight game, a two-run shot to center.

“We got contributions up and down the lineup,” Headley said. “And [Montgomery] was awesome. We’ll take this every day.”