NEW YORK (AP) – In the start of a series moved from Florida to Citi Field because of Hurricane Irma, Todd Frazier capitalized on Trevor Plouffe’s two-out error with a three-run homer in a five-run fourth inning that led the New York Yankees over the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on Monday night.
Jacoby Ellsbury broke Pete Rose’s major league record by reaching base on catcher’s interference for the 30th time, and David Robertson (8-2) pitched a career-high 2 2/3 innings in relief of CC Sabathia, removed with two on and one out in the fifth.
Opening a stretch that has 17 of their final 20 games in New York, the Yankees closed within three games of Boston in the AL East and opened a four-game lead over Minnesota for the top AL wild card. The Rays dropped four games behind the Twins with 17 remaining and have five other teams to overcome.
Major League Baseball moved the series to Queens because of the availability of hotel rooms in New York. The Rays wore home white uniforms, hit last, used the Mets clubhouse and were introduced to their regular walkup music. They hope to return to Tropicana Field for a three-game series against Boston starting Friday.
Only the lower deck was open, ticket prices were capped at $25 and a pro-Yankees crowd of 15,327 booed the Rays when they ran onto the field for the first pitch.