NEW YORK _ When the Yankees absolutely had to get an out on Sunday afternoon, manager Aaron Boone had Adam Ottavino on the mound.
Ottavino struck out Austin Meadows, stranding the bases loaded in the Rays' sixth inning.
And in a lengthy bottom of the sixth, the Yankees scored seven times to bust open a tie game, on the way toward a 13-5 win at Yankee Stadium.
By taking two of three games in this weekend series, the Yankees (28-17) moved atop the AL East, a half-game ahead of the Rays (27-17), who were failed by their bullpen on Sunday.
Last weekend, they also took two of three games from the Rays at Tampa Bay.
The Yankees made it a bullpen day from the start on Sunday, transitioning from Chad Green to Nestor Cortes Jr. before calling on Ottavino to preserve a 5-5 game.
Ottavino raised the stakes by walking No. 9 hitter Daniel Robertson, loading the bases before striking out Austin Meadows on a full-count slider.
Brett Gardner and Aaron Hicks belted two-run homers off Rays starter Charlie Morton, who lasted just four innings and threw 88 pitches.
It was Hicks' first homer of the year, in his fourth game off the injured list (strained lower back).
But it was Gardner's leadoff infield hit that started the seven-run rally, boosted by five walks. That included bases-loaded passes to Luke Voit (by Diego Castillo) and Kendrys Morales (by Ryne Stanek) that put the Yanks ahead 7-5.
After Gleyber Torres beat out an RBI infield hit to shortstop that survived a Rays' challenge, pinch-hitter Thairo Estrada pulled a three-run double down the left field line.
Estrada was batting for Gio Urshela (0-for-2, walk), who fouled a ball off a sensitive area in the third inning.
Gardner capped off the scoring with an RBI double as the Yanks sent 11 men to the plate.
In the fifth, Sanchez led off with his first career triple in 1,249 big-league plate appearances, but was stranded at third base.
