ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Brandon Lowe homered and drove in four runs because the American League wild-card-leading Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Unusual York Yankees 7-4 in a contentious matchup on Sunday and saved the street team winless within the series since June.

Benches and bullpens emptied twice within the eighth inning after regarded as one of 5 hit batters, nevertheless no punches were thrown, and the Yankees lost their eighth straight series rubber sport.

“Taking a stare at it in a clear scrutinize, or no longer it is a final-space team,” Lowe stated. “We do no longer must trouble about it. We must heart of attention up on what now we must complete down the stretch. If they lose a man, or no longer it’s no longer going to be rather as mammoth of a deal as if we’re shedding regarded as one of our guys. We’re centered up on roughly a bigger image.”

Tampa Bay (80-52) rallied from a 4-2 deficit within the sixth when Harold Ramirez flared a bases-loaded, two-out single to apt off Ian Hamilton (2-2) that went factual over a dull-to-react Gleyber Torres at 2d, and Lowe followed with a two-run single in opposition to Wandy Peralta.

Unusual York (62-68) dropped a season-high six games below .500, and it is at anguish of ending its trot of 30 consecutive worthwhile seasons. The final 16 batters made outs for the Yankees, who’re 0-8-2 in series since worthwhile two of three games on the Oakland Athletics in unhurried June. Unusual York has been held to four hits or fewer 23 times.

“We’ve no longer been very correct kind,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone stated. “Every little thing has been a discipline.”

Tempers flared after Randy Arozarena used to be hit on a 3-1 pitch by Albert Abreu, the fourth Tampa Bay participant hit. Arozarena also used to be hit twice by the Yankees on Can also 5, as soon as by Abreu after hitting a long residence run.

“I mediate it used to be on motive,” Arozarena stated thru an interpreter. “If you happen to peek support at [the] old series, he’s hit me earlier than. I’ve been hit in old series earlier than that. They trouble Yandy [Diaz] the different day, they hit [Isaac] Paredes within the pinnacle, so I mediate it doubtlessly used to be a drawback for them.”

Several gamers had to be restrained, along with Diaz. Arozarena stole 2d then third, resuming yelling at Abreu, and gamers ran onto the sphere for a 2d time.

Abreu, talking thru an interpreter, stated he used to be no longer throwing at Arozarena. Diaz used to be hit on the left forearm in Friday’s sport and missed the previous two contests.

Osleivis Basabe used to be hit by Carlos Rodon and Paredes and Jonathan Aranda by Hamilton on Sunday, whereas Unusual York’s Oswald Peraza used to be plunked by Zack Littell. Twelve Rays batters were hit by the Yankees this season, and two Yanks were hit by the Rays.

“You tag their nettle?” Hamilton stated. “I tag it. But on the same time, if they must approach over right here, they’ll approach over right here, I bet. Wish we had one other sport in opposition to them.”

In the final meeting of the AL East rivals till subsequent April 19, Rays fans among the announced crowd of twenty-two,624 erupted when Lowe doubled for a 7-3 lead and Arozarena jogged residence.

Kyle Higashioka, DJ LeMahieu and Anthony Volpe homered for the final-space Yankees, who’ve lost 12 of 14. Unusual York dropped two of three to the Rays, and it is 1-12-3 in its previous 16 series.

Higashioka and LeMahieu had solo drives over a four-pitch sequence in opposition to Littell (3-4) within the third, and Volpe linked on a fourth-inning two-run shot that put the Yankees up 4-2.

Tampa Bay took a 2-0 lead in first. Arozarena singled, stole 2d, evolved on Higashioka’s throwing error into heart and came residence when Harrison Bader’s throw to third skipped previous LeMahieu for one other error. Lowe homered on the subsequent pitch, the tenth allowed by Rodon in 37⅔ innings — two nervous of his total in 178 innings for the San Francisco Giants final year.

Rodon, making factual his eighth start in an wound-marred season after signing a $162 million, six-year contract in December, retired 11 in a row at one point earlier than departing within the fifth with two on and two outs. He used to be changed by Hamilton, who hit Isaac Paredes on the side of the helmet earlier than striking out pinch hitter Josh Lowe.

Paredes stayed within the game.

Littell allowed four runs and four hits in six innings. Jason Adam labored the ninth for his 12th save in 18 chances.