Yankees Look To Extend AL East Lead Over Rays To 3.5 Games

Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria hit consecutive homers off Chad Gaudin in the seventh inning, helping Tampa Bay to a 7-2 win over the Yankees, trimming New York's lead in the AL East to 1 1/2 games.

Crawford and Longoria each knocked in two runs, and Dan Johnson clubbed a solo homer for the Rays, who lost the first two contests of this four-game series. Despite this, the Rays have the opportunity to leave the Bronx with a half- game deficit if they can win Thursday night's monster pitching matchup between David Price (17-6) and New York's CC Sabathia (20-6).

Reid Brignac had two hits and an RBI for the wild card-leading Rays, who ended a three-game skid. They have a magic number of five to clinch a postseason berth.

Lance Berkman smashed his first homer in a Yankee uniform, but New York was limited to six hits.

Both starting pitchers - Tampa Bay's Wade Davis and New York's A.J. Burnett (10-14) - were lifted after a rain delay of 2 hours, 11 minutes caused a stoppage with one out in the bottom of the third inning.

Alex Rodriguez singled in Derek Jeter in the sixth inning to get the Yankees within a run, but Gaudin gave it right back as Crawford hit a two-out, first- pitch shot to right field. Two pitches later, Longoria went deep to right for his 22nd long ball of the season for a 5-2 cushion.

Jonathan Albaladejo walked Ben Zobrist with the bases full in the eighth and Brignac singled home Longoria in the ninth.

It was a shaky beginning for Burnett, as John Jaso led off the game with a single and Zobrist walked. A groundout from Crawford put both runners in scoring position and Longoria's sacrifice fly gave the Rays the early edge.

Jeremy Hellickson (4-0) took over for Davis after the delay and didn't allow a hit until Berkman's blast to right field with one out in the fifth. Hellickson allowed three hits and two runs while fanning five over 3 1/3 innings.

In between, the Rays scored in the top half of the fifth when Crawford singled in Jaso.

Johnson led off the sixth with his seventh homer of the year, but the Rays wasted an opportunity for more in the frame when Matt Joyce was tagged out at home on a Brignac grounder.

Game Notes

The Rays lead the season series, 9-8...New York still has a magic number of three to secure a playoff berth...Tampa Bay left 11 men on base.