Yanks' rally fizzles, AL wild-card race tightens as Rays win

NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Sánchez and Rougned Odor both struck out with two runners on to blunt a ninth-inning rally and the New York Yankees’ lead atop the AL wild-card race got even tighter with a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.

The Yankees’ edge fell to one game over Boston and two games over Toronto after those contenders each won. Seattle was two games back of New York going into the night.

“Just couldn’t break through enough and love the fight there at the end and the quality of the at-bats there at the end -- just couldn’t break through,” New York manager Aaron Boone said.

New York needed a win plus a loss by either Boston or Seattle to clinch its fifth straight playoff appearance. Instead, the Yankees fell short against the AL East champion Rays in the opener of a season-ending three-game series.

“We want to clinch that’d be nice but we got two more games to do that,” New York left fielder Joey Gallo said. “We control our own destiny but that’s up to us.”

The Yankees lost for only the second time in 10 games.

Rookie Wander Franco gave the Rays a 4-1 lead by chopping a grounder up the middle for a two-run single in the ninth. His hit came a few pitches after he missed a three-run homer by lining a ball a few feet foul in left.

“We got the playoff juices flowing and this is great for guys of all ages,” Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier said.

Franco’s hit also came a night after he went 0 for 4 to snap a 43-game on-base streak, which tied Frank Robinson in 1956 for the longest such string in MLB history among players 20 or younger.

After Franco gave the Rays a three-run lead, the Yankees nearly pulled off a comeback.

Rays reliever Andrew Kittredge allowed Giancarlo Stanton’s one-out double and a bunt...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Yanks-rally-fizzles-AL-wild-card-race-tightens-16503728.php