ST. PETERSBURG – A bolt of lightning brought Monday night’s Yankees-Rays game to a sudden halt in the fifth inning. It also put a charge in the Bombers, who Authentic Michael Cuddyer Jersey overcame a sluggish start to rally for a 5-4 win at Tropicana Field.The Yankees scored twice in the eighth to tie the game, Johan Santana Jersey then took the lead in the ninth as rookie Alex Torres issued a bases-loaded walk to Russell Martin to bring home the decisive run.”Patience by our hitters,” Joe Girardi said about the key to the winning rally, after three straight walks (one intentional) put the Yankees ahead. “Not trying to do it all at once; just be patient and keep the line Alfonso Soriano Jersey moving.”BOX SCORE: YANKEES 5, RAYS 4Mariano Rivera pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, clinching the Yankees’ third straight win with his 24th save.The victory moved the Yankees 6-1/2 games ahead of the third-place Rays in the AL wild-card Cubs Starlin Castro Jersey race. The Bombers remain 1-1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East.”I think this is an important series for us, because this is one of the teams that we know we’re going to continue to fight for our division,” Girardi said. “There’s a long way to go, Authentic Johan Santana Jersey but these are four important games.”Russell Martin walks with the bases juiced to score the winning run in the 9th. (Mike Carlson/AP)Things didn’t look good for the Yankees through the Cubs Alfonso Soriano Jersey first seven innings, as A.J. Burnett delivered one of his trademark performances, which is to Mets Johan Santana Jersey say he was consistently inconsistent. Burnett gave up four runs (three earned) on Authentic Alfonso Soriano Jersey eight hits and six walks in 5-1/3 innings, struggling to get ahead of hitters all night.Burnett seemed to settle Authentic Starlin Castro Jersey down after allowing four runs in the first two Twins Michael Cuddyer Jersey innings, but Rays rookie righthander Alex Cobb held the Yankees to two runs (one earned) over six innings, outperforming his veteran counterpart.”I didn’t fold and kept us in it the best I could,” Burnett said. “Overall, to be able to find a way to throw some zeroes after the four in the first two, I’m going to take some positives from that.”Unfortunately for Cobb and the Rays, Kyle Farnsworth was unable to slam the door, entering in the eighth with two men on base and allowing both to score to tie the game.After playing a 16-inning game on Sunday night, the Rays sent Torres to the mound in Michael Cuddyer Jersey the ninth for his big-league debut. The 23-year-old lefty gave up a single before recording two outs, but after the Rays intentionally walked Nick Swisher to put two men on base, Torres walked both Andruw Jones and Martin, forcing in the game-winner.”It seemed like they had our number the whole night,” Martin said. “We were just able Starlin Castro Jersey to rally late; everybody played their part, getting walks, big knocks here and there. It was definitely a big team win.”
