Subscribe our newsletter and get notifications to stay update
ST.PETERSBURG, Fla.
— The kind of inning that only existed in the Yankees’ hopes and dreams over the last three weeks finally happened in the flesh on Thursday afternoon.That it came against one of the best pitchers in baseball who had shut them out in two starts earlier this season, well, that’s baseball, Suzyn.Whatever the Yankees offered up as a sacrifice during their hitters’ meeting Thursday morning, it worked, as their bats finally broke out of an extended slumber for a six-run third against Drew Rasmussen fueled a 12-4 win over the Rays to salvage a series split at Tropicana Field.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.
The six runs the Yankees (51-42) scored in the third inning were more than they had scored in any full game since June 17, after which they entered a 5-15 tailspin entering Thursday.But at least for a day, they made good use of their bats to finish the four-game set on a high note and get back within four games of the Rays (54-37) for first place in the AL East.On a day that began with Brian Cashman acknowledging that “the storm is upon us right now,” and giving votes of confidence to both manager Aaron Boone and hitting coach James Rowson, the Yankees snapped out of their offensive malaise with 14 hits while piecing together a bullpen game, as seven relievers did enough to get by.Ben Rice clubbed a pair of home runs — giving him six in his last nine games and 28 on the year — and Austin Wells added his first since May 22, finally signs of life from the catcher in the midst of a brutal offensive season.But the at-bat of the game belonged to Ryan McMahon, putting the long-awaited rally in motion.Rasmussen, the Rays All-Star who had thrown 13 shutout innings against the Yankees this season entering Thursday, retired the first six batters on 26 pitches before Max Schuemann led off the third inning with a double.McMahon then eng...