NEW YORK — Though the Rays went into Friday’s game with little to play for, the Yankees had pretty much everything on the line as they battled to secure one of the American League wild-card spots.
As a result, Rays manager Kevin Cash said they would approach the opener of the three-game series relatively straightforward — with the exceptions of monitoring pitcher workloads and limiting exposure to a Yankees team they could face again in next week’s Division Series.
“I think we’re going to play to win the game,’’ Cash said before the matchup. “I’m not going to deny that we’re going to watch workloads, and we’re not going to run any pitcher into the ground. ...
“We’re here. We want to win. And just similar to the Houston series — Houston, maybe a little differently because you don’t see them as many times, but I’m sure the Yankees are looking to take something from us. and we’ll probably look to take something from them as far as if we do meet up again.’’
The Rays did win, 4-3, on the strength of Nelson Cruz’s 449th career home run, an RBI single by Kevin Kiermaier, a two-run single in the ninth by Wander Franco and a team-pitching performance after starter Shane McClanahan was limited to three innings.
They improved their franchise-best win total to 99, with two chances left to get to triple digits. They also at least delayed the Yankees from clinching one of the two wild-card spots, as they went into the night with a two-game lead over the Red Sox and Mariners, needing a win and a loss by either Boston (to the Nationals) or Seattle (to Joe Maddon’s Angels) to celebrate. The Red Sox beat the Nationals, 4-2, to move within one game of the Yankees for the top wild card.
The Rays took the lead in the first against Yankees lefty Nestor Cortes on a two-out homer by Cruz, his first since Sept. 12, but the 449th of his career, matching Jeff Bagwell and former teammate Vlad Guerrero for 40th place all time.
The Yankees quickly got even, as Gleyber Torres ripped McClanahan’s first pitch for a double to left, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out single by Giancarlo Stanton.
The Rays went back ahead with a run in the second, but could have had more. Manuel Margot singled with one out and went to second on a two-out single by Francisco Mejia. Kiermaier dropped a single into left that scored Margot, but Mejia was thrown out trying to get to third.
The Rays added on in the ninth. Mejia and Kiermaier walked, Randy Arozarena hit into a fielder’s choice and Franco, whose 43-game on-base streak ended Thursday, delivered a two-run single.
McClanahan went only three innings, and 43 pitches, which was part of the plan to get him work on a limited basis, while also limiting the Yankees’ looks at the lefty. Pete Fairbanks, Louis Head, Josh Fleming and Andrew Kittredge followed.
