Yankees Sweep DH From Rays, Now 8 Games Ahead in East

Yankees 6 - Rays 2 Game 1 
Yankees 5 - Rays 1 Game 2 

Maybe it was Aaron Boone going off on rookie umpire Brennan Miller because not only did the Yankees comeback to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2, but they swept a double-header from the Rays, pushing their closest competition to eight games back in the AL East.

All the panic after Tampa Bay's Travis d'Arnaud homered three times, including the game winner off Aroldis Chapman the other day is now a distant memory. As we head toward the later part of July the Yankees have a stranglehold on the East, and the best record in the American League.

It was not all fun and games early in Game One. The Rays jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on back-to-back homers by Andrew Meadows and Yandy Diaz off Yankees starter Domingo German to open the game. For his part, German settled in after that shaky opening stanza to deliver six solid innings of work, allowing only the two runs on four hits to improve his record to 12-2 on the season.

In the bottom of the second, New York responded when Gio Urshela smacked the game-tying homer off Yonny Chirinos, which set the stage for the game's fireworks between Boone and Miller. Boone was upset that Brett Gardner was called out on strikes on a pitch that Boone thought was a ball.

A hot mic picked up Boone screaming at Brennan to clean up the calls from behind the plate before getting tossed. Boone is then heard telling Brennan that the Yankees hitters are "savages" and that Brennan is taking away their opportunity to hit.

You can't say Boone doesn't get animated.

The Bombers backed up their manager.  In the bottom of the fifth, Gary Sanchez reached on an infield single, scoring Aaron Judge with the go-ahead run with one out. Two batters later, Luke Voit single to left scoring Aaron Hicks to make it 4-2, and Urshela capped off the scoring with a RBI double, driving in Sanchez to make it 5-2.

Hicks would close out the scoring with a solo shot of his own to put the Yankees up for good, 6-2.

Game two proved no different for the Yankees, even in a bullpen game. Chad Green got the start as the opener, holding the Rays scoreless in the first inning, allowing only a single. Nestor Cortes Jr. pitched the bulk of the night-cap, going three-and-a third innings, giving up only a run on a pair of hits.

Luis Cesa would get the win, holding the Rays scoreless over three-and-a-third innings in his own right.

With the Bombers down 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Voit crushed Chad Morton fastball over the center field wall some 419 feet from home plate to tie the game.

 The sixth inning, however, proved to be the Rays undoing. With the bases loaded and Did Gregorius at the plate, Morton was called for a balk, allowing Austin Romine to score the go-ahead run.

One pitch later, Gregorius lined a cutter into right center. Judge scored when center fielder Kevin Kiermaier committed a throwing error. Edwin Encarnacion also scored on the play, with Gergorius moving up to second.

Three batters later, with the bases re-loaded, Mike Tauchman walked on five pitches, scoring Gregorius to make it 5-1.

With the sweep, the Yankees are 62-33, the best record in the entire American League, and hold an eight game lead on the Rays for first. The Red Sox are 10 back of the Yankees. While there is still two-and-a half months to go in the season, the Yankees are in great position to clinch the division in early September and cruise to the AL's top seed. Of course, we got to get there first. The Yankees host the Colorado Rockies on Friday.