Gary Sanchez’s Three-Run HR Lifts Yankees To 5-3 Win Over Rays

Gary Sanchez continues to do everything in his power to help keep the New York Yankees’ postseason dream alive for one more day.

Gary Sanchez’s Three-Run HR Lifts Yankees To 5-3 Win Over Rays

The rookie catcher smacked a three-run homer off Brad Boxberger in the seventh inning, propelling the Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday night at Tropicana Field.

Sanchez’s home run was his 17th in 42 games this season, and helped the Yankees snap a five-game losing streak.

“Amazing, incredible, impressive,” teammate Mark Teixeira said of the 23-year-old Dominican. “He’s carried us. We’re not even close to talking about a playoff berth if Gary doesn’t come up and do what he does.”

Texeira also homered and Brett Gardner drove home a run for New York. The Yankees are now 3 1/2 games behind Baltimore for the second American League Wild Card spot. The Bombers would also have to surpass the Mariners, Astros and Tigers to earn a postseason berth.

“Of course it feels good,” Sanchez said through an interpreter. “Winning always feels good, especially after losing five in a row. We come here every day to work hard and to try to win ballgames. Tomorrow is another day. We have to come back and try to win tomorrow.”

No baseball player in history has had more homers than Sanchez’s 17 through their first 44 career games. Wally Berger of the 1930 Boston Braves also had 17 through 44 games.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi also took the time to praise the rookie.

“He’s meant a lot,” Girardi said after the game. “Offensively and defensively. It’s kind of fitting that he got the big hit.”

Sanchez’s blast made a winner of right-hander Luis Severino, who had four outs in relief after Yankees starter Michael Pineda struck out 11 over 5 1/3 innings. Brad Miller’s two-run triple in the third inning accounted for the damage off Pineda, who allowed five hits with a walk.

Pineda is the first Yankee ever to record 11 strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings or fewer. Severino (3-8) pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win.

Even Rays manager Kevin Cash recognized what a great season Sanchez is having.

“I know Gary Sanchez is having a tremendous year,” Cash said. “I would feel that they’re going to go to [Brian] McCann, who’s a very good hitter also. Had Boxberger fallen behind, maybe you think about it a little bit more, but this is a guy who has gotten a lot of big outs for us in the past, and [we] trust him to get outs.”

Texeira hit a solo homer to left field off Drew Smyly in the fourth that cut Tampa Bay’s lead to 2-1. It was the first baseman’s 407th home run, which tied Duke Snider for 54th place on baseball’s career list.

Smyly gave up one run and four hits over six innings, and took a no-decision for the Rays. The lefty had only tossed 87 pitches before coming out.

Miller got his team-leading sixth triple in the third frame: he fired a ball off the center-field wall, and Mason Williams couldn’t catch it. This put the Rays up 2-0.

The Yankees, meanwhile, are still plagued by several different injuries, including center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (bruised right knee), third baseman Chase Headley (back spasms) and second baseman Starlin Castro (strained right hamstring), who were all out of the lineup for the second straight game.

The two teams will next face off for the second game of a three-game series at Tropicana Field on Wednesday night. Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (13-4, 2.97 ERA) will start for the Yankees, while righty Alex Cobb 1-0, 3.06 ERA) will make his fourth start of the season. Tanaka is 6-0 with a 1.86 ERA over his past eight outings, including wins over the Rays on Aug. 13 and Sept. 10.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – SEPTEMBER 20: Gary Sanchez #24 of the New York Yankees celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run off of pitcher Brad Boxberger of the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning of a game on September 20, 2016 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)