ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The start of a Yankees’ late-September roadtrip that will lead into postseason play was a successful one.
The Yanks actually won in their chamber of horrors Monday night, as they bested the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 at Tropicana Field in the opener of a four-game set.
The Yanks’ second win in seven games this season at the Trop moved them one step closer to securing home-field advantage for the American League Wild Card Game, as their magic number for clinching was reduced from six to five.
The Yanks maintained their 1 ½-game for the first Wild Card over the Oakland Athletics, who won 7-3 in Seattle.