Recap: Tampa Bay vs. NY Yankees

Sports Network | October 4, 2009

St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Dioner Navarro hit a two-run homer to lead the Tampa Bay Rays in a 5-3 victory over the New York Yankees in the middle test of a season-ending three-game set from Tropicana Field.

Jason Bartlett went 2-for-4 and drove in a run for the Rays, who have won the first two games of this series and six of seven overall. B.J. Upton scored twice in the win.

Jeff Niemann (13-6) got the win after going five innings and giving up two runs on six hits while fanning five and walking just one. Grant Balfour threw a 1-2-3 ninth to notch his fourth save.

"I felt pretty good, I felt like everything was there for the most part tonight," said Niemann. "I just went out there and pitched, didn't try to generate anything extra."

Mark Teixeira drove in a run for the AL East champion Yankees, who have lost three in a row. Jerry Hairston Jr. knocked in a run and was hit twice by Niemann pitches. Johnny Damon drove in the other run in defeat.

Andy Pettitte (14-8) took the loss after giving up five runs -- three earned -- on six hits in 4 1/3 innings of work.

"He (Pettitte) got some balls up tonight, he wasn't as sharp as he has been in the second half," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "I'm just trying to tune these guys up (for the playoffs)."

The Rays took the lead in the second stanza. Upton led off with a walk and crossed home two outs later as Navarro homered to left field. Later in the frame, Bartlett's RBI single made it 3-0.

The Yanks got on the board in the fifth inning. Eric Hinske had a one-out single, Hairston was again hit by a pitch and Brett Gardner grounded into a force to make it first and third. Damon then stroked an RBI single to center and Teixeira followed suit to close it to 3-2.

The Rays wasted no time in getting those runs back. Ben Zobrist and Upton had one-out walks in the home fifth, and Alfredo Aceves was brought in from the bullpen. Aceves immediately caught Zobrist in a rundown, but his throw to third sailed just past Hinske's glove and into foul territory and both runners scored.

Nick Swisher drew a two-out walk in the sixth and was pinch-run for by Freddy Guzman, who nabbed second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Hinske then drew a walk and Hairston hit what looked like an inning-ending grounder, but Evan Longoria's throw to second pulled Akinori Iwamura off the bag and it was 5-3.

The Rays were 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. The Yankees were 3-for-11 with RISP and stranded eight...Niemann was winless in his last six outings coming in...New York has won 10 of its 17 matchups with the Rays this season.