Rays break through in big 14th inning, take opener from Yankees

Rays break through in big 14th inning, take opener from Yankees

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:37 p.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- So much stuff happened, Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon lost track. Especially after he got ejected.

"How many innings was that?" he wondered.

Wil Myers and the Rays broke loose in the 14th inning while holding Derek Jeter to the worst hitting performance of his career, outlasting the New York Yankees for a wild 10-5 win that ended at 12:57 a.m. Saturday.

Jeter went 0 for 7 for the first time and grounded out with the bases loaded to finish the 13th. Yankee Stadium was nearly empty when the game finally ended after 5 hours, 49 minutes.

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"I don't even remember the first four of them," said Jeter, eighth on baseball's career hits list. "It's one of those days, know what I mean? Some days when you think you've seen it all, there's something new."

The late innings indeed saw a bit of everything: Rallies by both teams, a wild rundown featuring seven throws and two calls overturned.

"It was a crazy game," Maddon said.

The Rays also spent time trading gloves when they went to a five-man infield in the 13th. The switching positions led to a most strange putout: Brett Gardner grounded out and it was officially scored as 3-9 -- first baseman Sean Rodriguez to the right fielder, Myers.

During a meeting on the mound to realign everyone, the Rays offered a little advice to Myers.

"We just told him to catch it if it comes to you," winning pitcher Heath Bell.

Myers got three of the Rays' 20 hits, and put them ahead 6-5 against Chris Leroux (0-1). Rodriguez doubled home a run, setting up RBI singles by Brandon Guyer, Yunel Escobar and Ryan Hanigan.

Bell (1-1) dodged all sorts of trouble, pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.

"There were so many unlikely things that we were able to work through," Maddon said.

Desmond Jennings homered as the Rays matched a season best with a three-game winning streak. The string started with a day-night doubleheader sweep Thursday in Boston, and led into another full day of play.

Brian McCann homered as New York lost its third straight in Joe Girardi's 1,000th regular-season game as manager.

Jacoby Ellsbury lined a tying single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for the Yankees.

In the 12th, Tampa Bay turned a wild double play that included a pair of rundowns. Alfonso Soriano grounded out with runners at second and third to finish the inning. In the 11th, Yankees pinch-hitter Ichiro Suzuki grounded out with two on.

Ellsbury's RBI single with two outs in the ninth off Juan Carlos Oviedo made it 5-all. Fans were still cheering when Brandon Gomes relieved and before even throwing a pitch, he tried a pickoff at first base -- Maddon challenged the safe call and was right, and Ellsbury was ruled out.

Maddon got steamed when a flipped call resulted in a double play against the Rays in the 13th, and he was tossed.

Mark Teixeira and Soriano hit consecutive homers in the eighth off Joel Peralta that tied it at 4. Tampa Bay bounced back in the ninth, taking a 5-4 lead on Evan Longoria's RBI single against closer David Robertson.

Maddon said before the game that closer Grant Balfour wasn't available after posting saves in both ends of the sweep in Boston.

Oviedo was trying for his first save since he had 36 in 2011 with the Marlins while playing under the name of Leo Nunez.

NOTES: Yankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka (3-0, 2.27 ERA) starts Saturday vs. RHP Jake Odorizzi (1-3, 6.85). Tanaka has won 31 straight regular-season decisions dating to 2012 in Japan. Asked how he's done so far during his first year in the majors, Tanaka said in English "so-so." Girardi chuckled at that assessment, saying with a grin: "I think he's done pretty good." Maddon said he was eager to see the much-heralded, $155 million rookie, adding, "He drives a 787 to New York City from Tokyo." Kiddingly, Maddon noted how he takes an RV to spring training. ... Girardi is 579-421 in regular-season games with New York.

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