Major League Baseball
BOXSCORE | RECAP
NY Yankees 5, Tampa Bay 3
When: 1:10 PM ET, Sunday, April 19, 2015
Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Temperature: Indoors
Umpires: Home - David Rackley, 1B - Jerry Layne, 2B - Hunter Wendelstedt, 3B - Bob Davidson
Attendance: 21791

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The New York Yankees' bats stayed hot Sunday, getting 11 hits in a 5-3 win to complete a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field and get out of last place in the American League East for the first time in 10 days.

The Yankees (6-6) followed a 9-0 win Saturday night with an 11-hit outing Sunday, scoring in four of the first five innings. The Rays (6-7) dropped to 1-5 at home this season, with a day off before the first-place Boston Red Sox come to town for three games.

New York got two RBIs each from first baseman Mark Teixeira and third baseman Chase Headley, with contributions from less likely hitters -- three hits from right fielder Garrett Jones and two from shortstop Didi Gregorius. Michael Pineda pitched into the sixth for his second win of the season, and closer Andrew Miller gave up a double to open the ninth inning, but closed out the final three outs to earn his fourth save.

Rays rookie outfielder Steven Souza had a two-run home run in the first as the first of three hits and stepped to the plate in the ninth as the tying run, needing a triple to hit for the cycle, but Miller finished the game with his third straight strikeout.

By the fifth inning, the Yankees had nine hits and four walks, leading the Rays 5-3 after an RBI double by Headley in the fifth and a sacrifice fly by catcher John Ryan Murphy in the fourth.

The Yankees took a 3-2 lead with two runs on four hits in the third. Left fielder Brett Gardner singled and designated hitter Alex Rodriguez doubled, and Teixeira tied the game with an RBI groundout. Rodriguez scored to take the lead on a single by Headley up the middle and off the glove of Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.

The Rays trailed 1-0 in the first on Teixeira's sacrifice fly, but had their first two batters score when designated hitter David DeJesus led off the game with a walk, scoring on a two-run homer by rookie right fielder Steven Souza.

Souza had three hits in the first five innings, including an RBI double in the fifth to score DeJesus, who had singled. Pineda was tagged for seven hits through five innings.

NOTES: After Saturday's 9-0 loss to the Yankees, the Rays designated veteran RHP Grant Balfour for assignment. Balfour gave up a grand slam as part of a seven-run seventh inning for New York. He leaves the Rays ranking second on the team's all-time appearances list with 274, trailing only reliever Joel Peralta (296). ... Tampa Bay recalled RHP Brandon Gomes from Triple-A Durham to replace Balfour on the 25-man roster. ... LHP Drew Smyly, one of 10 Rays players on the disabled list, has a rehab start scheduled for Double-A Montgomery, where he is expected to throw 70 pitches. Smyly has tendinitis in his left shoulder.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
NY Yankees   Tampa Bay
Michael Pineda Player Matt Andriese
Win W/L Loss
5.2 IP 3.1
5 Strikeouts 1
7 Hits 8
4.76 ERA 10.80
Hitting
NY Yankees   Tampa Bay
Garrett JonesPlayer Steven Souza
3 Hits 3
0 RBI 3
0 HR 1
5 TB 7
.750 Avg .600
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
NY Yankees 11 0 15 .333 22 6 5 6 0 0
Tampa Bay 9 1 14 .257 19 11 3 2 1 0