Gleyber Torres, homer-happy Yankees survive bullpen implosion vs. Rays

TAMPA, Fla. – Prior to Sunday’s theatrical 10-6 win at Tropicana Field, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Jahmai Jones’ minimal playing time had nothing to do with what his swing is capable of.

“This guy can hit,” Boone insisted of a player who found himself starting for just the second time this season. “He can pop the ball. I haven’t really given him a lot opportunities yet, but I like the way he swings the bat.”

Naturally, Jones, batting ninth and playing left field, homered on the second pitch he saw from Rays starter Tyler Alexander. The solo shot, the first of Jones’ career, spearheaded a homer-happy afternoon for the Yankees.

Jose Trevino, who played a pivotal part in Friday’s win, took the baton in the fourth inning when he clobbered a 409-foot homer off of Alexander. The two-run blast traveled at 106.1 mph, a lofty exit velo for the catcher.

Alexander then surrendered another two-run homer in the fifth when Aaron Judge hit his team-leading 10 th longball of the season.

The Yankees scored their first run when Juan Soto lifted a sac fly in the opening frame. The play scored Anthony Volpe, who started the game with a leadoff triple.

While the Yankees were busy bopping, the Rays failed to score against Luis Gil.

The right-hander, continuing his recent run of success, blanked Tampa Bay for six innings while allowing just three hits. The gas-pumping Gil only struck out three batters, a season-low, but he also limited himself to two walks after another week of tinkering with his mechanics.

Gil, 25, now has a 2.51 ERA, which leads the Yankees’ rotation in his first season back from Tommy John surgery.

While Gil looked sharp for the third consecutive start, the Yankees’ bullpen nearly blew the a 6-0 lead following his departure.

Momentum shifted in the Rays’ favor in the seventh when Jose Siri crushed a grand slam off of Caleb Ferguson. His replacement, Nick Burdi, then loaded the bases by hitting Randy Arozarena before leaving the game with one out and the Yankees up, 6-4.

Luke Weaver followed up by hitting Isaac Paredes, which brought another run home. Fortunately for the Yankees, Weaver stopped the bleeding there with the lead still intact.

Better yet for the Bombers, Gleyber Torres enjoyed his biggest moment of the season in the eighth when he drilled a three-run homer to get a few runs back. The struggling second baseman had been hitting just .203 with one home run before the dinger, which came against Shawn Armstrong and after Torres spent time in the cage with assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler prior to the game.

Trevino then added his second jack of the day, a solo homer to left.

Later, in the ninth, Yandy Díaz added a run for the Rays with a solo homer off of Ian Hamilton. However, the righty ultimately secured a win that ended up being more dramatic than it should have been.

With a divisional series victory in the books, the Yankees are off on Monday. They’ll start a three-game series with the Twins in Minnesota on Tuesday, when Carlos Rodón is lined up to pitching against Chris Paddack.

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