The Yankees were poised to extend their recent misery on a long night against the Rays. Then one swing from Josh Donaldson changed everything.
Donaldson hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning and for one night, the Yankees were winners again 8-7 in 10 innings, to avoiding a three-game sweep.
Gleyber Torres singled leading the 10th off against Jalen Beeks and Anthony Rizzo walked before Donaldson lifted a 97 mph fastball to the short porch in right field. He flipped his bat and raised his arms immediately after he connected.
It was Donaldson’s eighth career game-ending homer and first since 2015 with Toronto ironically beating Tampa Bay. Donaldson became the third Yankee — joining Babe Ruth and Jason Giambi — to hit a game-ending grand slam with New York trailing by at least three runs in extra innings.
Tampa Bay jumped ahead with one out in the first when Yandy Díaz doubled to left and Jose Siri scored from first, for a 1-0 advantage.
The Rays had three straight one-out hits in the fifth and took a 3-0 lead when Díaz doubled down the left-field line against Domingo German, who allowed three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. Harold Ramirez then opened the sixth by reaching the left field seats for his fifth homer. Gleyber Torres started New York’s comeback with a two-run homer in the sixth off Ex-Yank Corey Kluber, who went six innings , allowing four hits, a walk, striking out eight.
.The Rays led 4-2 when the game was stopped by rain with one out in the top of the seventh. The ensuing 1-hour, 3-minute delay was worth it for the Yankees.
Although the Yankees are 9-16 since the All-Star break, their AL East lead is at 10 games over Tampa Bay and Toronto. New York has led the division by double digits for all but two days since June 13.
Aaron Judge’s bases-loaded walk in the seventh got the Yankees within 4-3, but Pete Fairbanks got Torres to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Rizzo led off the eighth with a homer off Brooks Raley to tie it at 4-4. The game went to extra innings when Ryan Thompson retired major league home run leader Aaron Judge on a warning-track flyball, inches away from HR #47.
Aroldis Chapman gave up three runs in the top of the 10th for New York on an 0-2 pitch with the bases loaded against Fransisco Mejia which entered having lost three straight and 12 of 15.
New York had totaled one run in its previous three games, but had their breakout night in this one with the Donaldson blast.
Oswaldo Cabrera, recalled from the minors earlier Wednesday, made his MLB debut and was there for an enrapturing win.
I used AP to help me with the structure of this article
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