NEW YORK _ As he rounded the bases at Citi Field, Todd Frazier heard the familiar home crowd roar _ a celebration of his three-run homer that felt just slightly out of place.
Technically, the Yankees were the visiting team on Monday night.
Hurricane Irma's destructive path had forced the Yankees-Tampa Bay Rays series out of Florida, but the Mets' home ballpark was a neutral site in name only.
Bronx Bombers fans made themselves at home in Queens, where the Yankees ran off with a comfortable 5-1 victory before 15,327 fans.
Frazier's three-run shot capped a five-run fourth inning against Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi, helping to lift the Yankees within three games of the idle, AL East-leading Red Sox with 19 games remaining.
Including Monday night's contest, 17 of the Yankees' final 20 regular season games are in New York. "The nice thing is, we really have one road trip left," manager Joe Girardi said of the Yanks' Sept. 22-24 series at Toronto. "But these are all important games."
Winners of seven of their last nine, the Yankees (78-65) boosted their AL wild-card lead to 4.5 games, while the Rays (71-74) have all but run out of chances.
And despite occupying the spacious home clubhouse, taking batting practice first and batting last, the Rays were distinctly visitors at Citi Field, except on the scoreboard.
For one, finding a Rays cap or shirt among the crowd was like finding an oyster pearl.
Scattered Yankees fans mimicked the Stadium's bleacher roll call of player names, though the players didn't seem sure of where to signal back.
There were some light cheers for ex-Met Lucas Duda, and the Rays first baseman was granted his old locker space for this three-game series. Other than that, it was a Yankee Stadium experience _ just in a different borough.
"Let's go Yankees" chants went unanswered, unlike the occasional rebukes _ and cowbell sounds _ at dingy Tropicana Field.
Late in the game, fans in the outfield seats even serenaded Jacoby Ellsbury with "Happy Birthday."
"I think that's pretty strange, because the atmosphere is usually electric when we're here," Girardi said before the game, talking about the Subway Series excitement when the Mets and Yankees battle before capacity crowds.
"It'll probably be a little difference because we're not playing the Mets and there wasn't a lot of time to sell tickets."
Only the lower bowl was occupied, at $25 per seat; Citi Field's upper two decks were closed off and Yankees fans crowded the concession areas before the game, with limited options that caused long lines.
And with a concert being set up outside, there is limited parking space. Fans are urged to take mass transit to the remaining two games of this series, Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon.
There was a pregame moment to reflect on the recent devastation by Hurricane Harvey, the aftermath of Irma, and the Day of Remembrance, 16 years after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
On Monday, CC Sabathia was lifted in the fifth-inning with a four-run lead _ two outs from being eligible for the win _ with runners at first and second with one out and Evan Longoria due up.
A .421 hitter against Sabathia with eight homers in 76 at-bats entering Monday, Longoria was hitless in his first two at-bats against the veteran lefty but Girardi wasn't taking any chances.
The manager summoned David Robertson (8-2), who struck out Longoria and Duda and went on to claim the win.
Four of the five runs against Odorizzi (8-8) were unearned, due to Trevor Ploufff's error on Matt Holliday's two-out grounder _ which plated the go-ahead run _ and Ellsbury's reach on catcher's interference preceding Frazier's 24th homer of the year.
It marked the 30th time Ellsbury had reached on catcher's interference in his career, surpassing Pete Rose for the all-time lead in that obscure category.
Girardi was a Yankees player in 1998, the last time the Yanks borrowed the keys to the Mets' pad for a game.
A fallen beam at the previous Yankee Stadium had forced an Angels-Yanks game to be switched to Shea Stadium.
"That was strange, not playing a home game in your home stadium and coming over here," Girardi said. "Obviously, we were somewhat familiar with Shea Stadium and we didn't have to go far. But it was strange."
