New York Yankees 10, Tampa Bay Rays 4
NEW YORK — The Yankees took a few big breaths and then let them out.
Early in July, the AL East team had a lead of 15 1/2 games. After Friday, that lead was only 3 1/2 games, which made fans’ hearts race and blood pressures rise.
For the first time all season, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hit first and second in the batting order. New York blew out the Tampa Bay Rays in back-to-back games, extending their lead to 5 1/2 games with 3 1/2 weeks left.
It just feels like a little bit more relaxed because we don’t have all the pressure, Torres said after homering twice and driving in four runs — in the first two innings — of Sunday’s 10-4 rout.
Stanton hit a home run for the second day in a row, and Oswaldo Cabrera hit the first home run of his big league career during a seven-run second inning that made the score 10-1. In the last two games, the Yankees beat the second-place Rays by a combined score of 20-7.
Before Sunday, the only time New York’s batting order didn’t change was when they played at Boston on August 12 and 13. Before the new setup, Judge, who was thought to be the favorite for MVP, had been walked seven times in four games.
Two wrecking balls to start it off, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Saturday, I want them up, and I want to try and get Judge in the best position to have a little bit of protection but have our guys behind him knowing he’s going to be on base with our best chance to score.
Judge had a bases-loaded sacrifice fly and went 1 for 4, giving him a.307 batting average and major league records of 55 home runs and 121 RBI.
Stanton hit his first home runs since July 15 this weekend, bringing his total to 26.
Josh Donaldson came back from paternity leave on Saturday, Jose Trevino is due back on Tuesday, Harrison Bader started a rehab assignment on Sunday, and Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu hope to be over their injuries by the end of the month.
Boone said, “To get a couple more guys back in the mix and back in the lineup is obviously huge, and I hope that keeps happening as we go.”
On the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Yankees wore caps from the NYPD and FDNY. The game started after a 1-hour and 47-minute rain delay. Ten of the first 14 batters for New York reached base, and Torres hit a three-run homer in the first inning and a solo homer in the second, both off Luis Patio (1-2).
In the second, Stanton hit a three-run home run to right field. Torres hit a home run at the end of a 10-pitch at-bat. It was his 21st home run of the season and his 12th multi-homer game in his career. This season, the Yankees have hit 15 back-to-back home runs, which is the most since 1957.
Cabrera, who was playing in his 23rd big league game, met Calvin Faucher with a two-run homer to deep right. He is giving the ball to his brother’s wife’s family.
“They’re like my dad and mom, and she’s like my sister,” said Cabrera.
Domingo Germán started with three days of rest, but he was taken out after one inning and 14 pitches because New York had to switch things up because of the rain on Wednesday. Wandy Peralta (3-4), the third of eight pitchers, gave up one hit over 2 1/3 innings.
The Yankees (85-56) have 21 games left: six against Boston, four against Texas, three each against Milwaukee, Toronto, and Baltimore, and two against Pittsburgh. Only the Blue Jays and Brewers have winning records.
Tampa Bay has 24 games left: nine against Toronto, six against Houston, which is the best team in the American League (AL), and three each against the Rangers, Boston, and Cleveland.
Boone said, “I try not to get caught up in it.” “By definition, it feels better, but we still have, I don’t know, 20 or so games left, and we need to get healthy and play our best.”
UP NEXT
Gerrit Cole (11-7, 3.20) will start the first game of the Yankees’ series at Boston on Tuesday, after having five days off (9-11, 4.29).
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