By Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Cody Bellinger hit a three-run homer, Anthony Volpe also went deep and the New York Yankees erased an early deficit Tuesday night in a 7-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Max Fried recovered from a rough start and threw a career-high 111 pitches in 6 2/3 innings. Volpe delivered a tiebreaking single in the fourth and launched a 452-foot homer to center field in the eighth, the longest of his career.
He also committed two throwing errors at shortstop, the second one on a play that should have ended the game. That gave Tampa Bay another chance before Devin Williams struck out All-Star Jonathan Aranda with runners at second and third for his 17th save.
New York pulled within four games of first-place Toronto in the AL East after falling 6 1/2 back last weekend.
Fried (12-4) allowed four runs — two earned — and four hits while surpassing his previous career high of 110 pitches for Atlanta at Philadelphia in September 2022.
On a sweltering 92-degree night, Fried gave up a two-run triple to Jonny DeLuca in the first inning — three batters after Volpe’s throwing error on a forceout attempt at second base.
Aranda homered leading off the third to make it 3-0, but Fried retired his next 14 hitters.
Bellinger’s drive off starter Joe Boyle (1-1) tied it in the bottom half, and Volpe put the Yankees ahead with his RBI single in the fourth. Then he stole third and scored on a throwing error by new Rays catcher Nick Fortes.
Paul Goldschmidt added a run-scoring single that made it 6-3.
Fried was removed after giving up an RBI double to Taylor Walls in the seventh.
Key moments
Yankees reliever Jonathan Loáisiga retired Yandy Díaz to end the seventh and gave up consecutive hits in the eighth before Volpe started a double play on Christopher Morel’s grounder.
Key stats
Bellinger reached 20 homers for the fifth time. … Volpe hit his fifth homer in 11 games, but he leads the Majors with 15 errors. … The Rays dropped to 8-19 in their last 27 games following a 25-9 stretch.
Up next
Yankees rookie Will Warren (6-5, 4.82 ERA) opposes Rays RHP Zack Littell (8-8, 3.72) on Wednesday night.