ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Adam Ottavino's great seventh-inning escape had re-established the Yankees' momentum on Friday night, in an early AL East test.
And once more, it was Gio Urshela who provided the big hit, lashing a go-ahead two-run single that lifted the Yankees to an eventual 4-3 win against the first-place Rays before 20,846 fans at Tropicana Field.
Now leading the Yankees (23-15) by just a half-game, the Rays (23-14) promise to be a worthy contender all season.
But the Yankees have stayed close to the top of the division despite a raft of injuries to key players. And on Friday, the Rays crossed their collective fingers as starter Tyler Glasnow exited with right forearm soreness.
Glasnow entered the game with a 6-0 record and a league-low 1.47 ERA.
But he was in the clubhouse in the sixth inning when two of his inherited runners scored on Urshela's sharp single to left off Emilio Pagan.
The Yankees' rally began when Gary Sanchez's towering pop up hit the A-ring of this three-ring circus of a ballpark, the only domed stadium left in baseball.
Baseballs striking the catwalks at the Trop, when in fair territory, are in play, and shortstop Willy Adames couldn't hold on for the catch, starting the Yankees' rally.
Spotted to a 2-0 lead, Domingo German gave up two homers in the fifth, as the Rays took a 3-2 lead.
Just off the injured list due to a sprained right thumb, Austin Meadows blasted a two-run shot. Two batters later, ex-Yankee Ji-Man Choi belted a go-ahead homer to center.
German (7-1) had previously yielded just two homers over his first seven starts (eight appearances) this season.
Ottavino loaded the bases in the seventh with none out, but somehow got out of it.
He struck out Tommy Pham, who chased a slider that would have been ball four. And then he got Choi on a crazy inning-ending double play, a ball that deflected off Ottavino to second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who stepped on the bag and fired to first _ narrowly getting Choi.
Tommy Kahnle tossed another scoreless inning before Ottavino, while Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman finished out the Yanks' 15th victory in their last 20 games.
